Marianne Cherico-Home Stager's Blog

Staging FAQ's-Boca Raton-If Houses are Selling, Tell Me Why I Still Need to Stage My House.

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:31:52 -0800

Great Blog by Kathy Streib about the importance of Staging in this changing Real Estate Market. Staging helps Sellers maximize their equity! Buyers will always pay more for a well maintained home!

Via Kathy Streib-Home Stager-Palm Bch County South Florida - 561-914-6224 (Room Service Home Staging):

Staging FAQ’s- Boca Raton-If Houses are Selling, Tell Me Why I Still Need to Stage My House.

As a Home Stager I’ve been getting asked this question lately by Sellers and some
Realtors. The media and other information outlets are talking about the rebound of the housing market. “Buyers need to act now” “Is it too late already?”

So the “frenzy” (and yes they’re using that word again) has some Sellers thinking as they did pre-2008.... just put the “For Sale” sign up and sit back.

So, is it necessary to stage your house in this market?

Remember... Condition is still part of the Top Three.... Price, Location and Condition.

It’s a common misconception that staging is just about furniture and things and moving them around but it’s more than that.

Staging is helping you transform your house into the property worthy of the price you hope to obtain.

So, why is condition and appearance still important?

1. Buyers are still concerned about the economy. A house that requires little “after purchase” investments, such as new carpeting, repairs, updates etc, will stand out.

2. Like any investment or purchase, buyers still want to see the value in their purchase.   You’ve heard it and said it “I’m not paying that much for THIS!”    Seeing an updated kitchen ; a move-in ready home; or fresh paint and flooring adds value in the buyer’s eyes.

3. Buying a house isn’t like buying a dress and returning it if you don’t like it.   The only time you can “try it on” is when you see it.   Staging and preparing a home for sale is a way of allowing the buyer to see the possibilities of your home.... allowing them to see themselves in their lifestyle there. This is how a buyer can “try on” your home.

If you plan on selling your home in Boca Raton, keep these 3 things in mind... Price, Location AND Condition!

Call Room Service Home Staging and ask for our Home Staging Consultation. Make sure the condition of your home is worthy of the price you want.



Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Marianne Cherico's background combines 25 years experience in the Real Estate Business. A consummate professional Marianne has staged countless resale homes and condos as well as full model homes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

My New Office.....Courtesy of Active Rain!

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:47:12 -0800

Here an office makeover that we did for a wonderful Colleague that I met through Active Rain-Christine Smith. Christine is an Attorney and Buyer's Agent that often works out of her home. This was her Christmas present from her husband.

Via Christine Smith, Canton MA Buyer Broker & Attorney, 781.799.8313 (Buyers Brokers Only LLC - www.BuyersBrokersOnly.com):

I know what you're thinking....did I miss a contest somewhere? Was there a chance to have your office done over by Active Rain? Well no. My new office is not necessarily courtesy of Active Rain but a lot of it is because of Active Rain!

I work out of a home office and have for a while. It's not a large space but it is a space dedicated to my work. It used to be a haphazard, kind of unappealing space. I had a great rolltop desk...but it did not give me the space I needed. The beige walls were not that inviting and the other furniture was all mix and match and hand me downs. As my business grew, my office grew more cramped.

For a while I had been wanting to do it over...but did not know where to start. This past Christmas my husband asked what I wanted for Christmas....and it hit me...I wanted a new office. Interestingly enough, days later, I went to my mailbox and found a postcard from Active Rain's own Marianne Cherico. Marianne is located near me but we had never met in person. I "know" her through Active Rain. And, I have run into other agents and clients in the area who love working with her. She had sent some direct mailing to local agents about her staging services.

Immediately I knew who to contact to help me with this project. Marianne helped with paint color, gave me great ideas to re-claim my space and found a beautiful rug and some perfect accessories for the office.

I have no before pictures. It was too ugly & I did not want to admit I worked in such a dreary space. But I do have some afters!

And, here it is....all set up...with my laptop and iPad both logged in to Active Rain!

I'm not sure I would have connected with Marianne without Active Rain and had I not received her postcard, I'm not sure if I would have started this project.....so yes, my new office is courtesy of Active Rain!

The power of Active Rain....you never know how it will help you out!

Christine Smith

Exclusive Buyer Agent in Canton MA, Milton MA and Norfolk County MA

100% Loyal to Buyers 100% of the Time

781-799-8313

CSmith@BuyersBrokersOnly.com

www.buyersbrokersonly.com

The content provided on this blog is presented or compiled for your convenience and is provided for informational purposes only. The information provided on this website should not be construed as offering legal, financial or other advice to be relied on by the reader to make or refrain from making any decision or to take any action.

Christine Smith is an Attorney and Exclusive Buyer Agent with over 20 years of experience in real estate.

(c) Copyright 2013 Christine M. Smith, Attorney and Buyer Agent. All rights reserved.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Real Estate Staging Foxboro Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:18:48 -0800

Real Estate Staging Foxboro Massachusetts

This great colonial in Foxboro's Witchpond Estates has been lovingly cared for throughout the years. But when these Sellers decided to put their house on the market their agent recommended Interiors by Marianne Cherico to help them update and stage their home to really make it shine!

We accomplished this with a detailed consultation followed up with a step by step report. The Sellers worked hard to make sure that their home showed to its best potential.

The family room off the kitchen was wallpapered so we advised the Sellers of this Real Estate Staging Foxboro Massachusetts to have the wallpaper stripped and paint the walls Powell Buff by Benjamin Moore- a "go to" neutral for Interiors by Marianne Cherico. The color is warm and blends well with the kitchen color.

The kitchen in this Real Estate Staging Foxboro Massachusetts was already updated. The beautiful granite would surely appeal to Buyers! The sellers only had to weed out some decorative items in order to keep the Buyer's attention on what sells homes- things like an updated kitchen open to vaulted,fireplaced family room with built ins and a gorgeous private back yard.

The front to back master suite already had been painted a beautiful green. The sellers tweaked the bedroom and removed the wallpaper in the master bath. With specific instructions from Interiors by Marianne Cherico they painted the bath a soft gray and added spa like elements.

We. also advised the sellers in this Real Estate Staging Foxboro Massachusetts to paint the hallways,living room, dining room and 2 upstairs bedrooms that had been faux painted.

Now buyers will see an updated home with subtle decorator colors.

This home is set privately back from the road on 2.78 acres of beautifully manicured grounds! The asking price is $639,900.

Call Gil Campos of Campos Homes Team, RE/MAX Real Estate Center for a private showing (508)964-5600. Tell him that you saw this on Marianne's blog.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Home Staging Stow Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 05:27:59 -0800

Home Staging Stow Massachusetts

Interiors by Marianne Cherico just got finished staging this totally charming and beautiful remodeled home by Assabet Properties.

The goal of this home staging Stow Massachusetts was to compliment the great work done by Assabet. The attention to details that Assabet incorporated and/or kept in this property combine the charm of an older home with great newer design elements, like a granite and stainless kitchen.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico focused on the breakfast area, great room, kitchen and one upstairs bedroom.

The insptration for the color scheme was this really cool area rug that I actually bought for myself but decided it would be perfect in this home staging Stow Massachusetts.

And here it is in the great room.

The other side of the great room has a decorative fireplace and built ins. Lots of light fill this windowed room, with an atrium to a private deck.

The breakfast nook in this Home staging Stow Massachusetts is a perfect spot to eat and entertain.

But how would Buyers know that unless we showed them?

And we wanted to show the Buyers that a queen sized bed with headboard would work well in this upstairs bedroom with pitched ceiling and glorious wide pine floors.

This lovely Village colonial can be seen by contacting Lori Megee of Keller Williams Realty Boston Northwest at 978-621-4273 or 978-369-5775.

Tell her that you saw this home staging Stow Massachusetts on Marianne's blog

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

If you Are Not On Google+ You Should Be

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:08:01 -0700

This post by Bill Gassett discusses the value in using Google Plus. Bill is always ahead of the curve when it comes to internet marketing and SEO.

Via Bill Gassett Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate (RE/MAX Executive Realty):

Using Google+ For Your Real Estate Business

Ok I am going to start this article with a little rant. Like most everyone who regularly uses Active Rain I am sure you have come to really enjoy the networking and the things you can learn from those that share freely. The majority of the people who are here probably would like to use blogging as an effective tool in getting more business in the Real Estate field. Am I wrong to make this assumption?

What I really don't understand though is how few people actually venture out beyond the site to actually use what someone else has shared. I read comments all the time like "this is great I will check it out later." The fact of the matter is I know many of you never do!

Not to be critical but I think the vast majority of the folks on Active Rain could be getting so much more out the site than what they do. I say this from personal experience. When I first started here I used to spend endless hours reading and commenting on blog posts. Don't get me wrong the networking was great and I have made a ton of friendships. I learned along the way, however, that spending all day in one spot making making comments or writing for other Realtors is not going to earn you a fantastic income. In fact it is not a productive use of your time at all.

For some of you what I have just said will go in one ear and out the next because you really don't care about increasing your business. You would rather just have some FUN and comment on blogs all day. I am not sure whether it is getting points or featured posts but this is what far too many focus on. I like to think these things drive egos.

For those of you that do want to generate more business listen up!! Many of you know me from the early days of Active Rain and know how much I shared about SEO and social media. If you want to truly make an exceptional living selling Real Estate you need to be well versed in these two subjects. We are in a digital age today. We all know that buyer's and seller's are turning to the internet to find someone to work with. They way more and more people pick a Realtor to use is far different than it used to be. Many consumers will go right to Google and punch in something like "Realtor's, city and state". If you are not on the first page then you can forget about getting a consumer's business.

A Realtor or other industry professional who understands this can make an incredible income. What I am going to tell you will be the most important advice you have heard in a while.

You need to get on Google + and use it every day like you use Active Rain!

That is obviously a pretty bold statement and you may be wondering why? The answer is simple - search engines are changing. As most of you know Google dominates where people go to search. Google wants you to use their products. ** In the very near future Google is going to start ranking a persons usage in Google + as a means of what they show in search. I am sure you have already started to see some familiar faces showing up when you do Google searches. This is because the person has claimed "authorship" of their blog or website that is showing up in the results!

Google is eventually going to start showing results based upon a user's profile! Much like the Active Rain point system, those that share information within Google can get a Google+, a Google share and comments on the articles, pictures and videos they post.

You obviously need to be there and participate to get your profile to rank. One of the things I have been doing over at G+ besides sharing some of my better Real Estate blog posts, is posting articles about how to use Google+ and build your profile. The first thing you should do is sign up for a Google account and fill out a profile if you don't have one.

Once you have done that come and add me as a contact......>Bill Gassett Google+. What you will notice is that I share the types of articles that will help you in your Real Estate business. Many of the article's discuss how to improve your SEO and use social media in your daily business. Some of you are already there and can chime in and let the others know what they have been missing:) You can also find my Google Business page here......>Maximum Real Estate Exposure. I would suggest you have both!

Here are a couple of links just to give you a sample of what I am talking about in regards to Google Plus:

40 tips to improve your Google+ experience

Why every author needs a Google+ profile

10 Experts talk about why you need to be on Google+

Here are a few other general postings you will find one my Google+ profile:

21 tactics to increase blog traffic

Redesigned Linkedin pages available to all companies

10 creative ways to use Instagram for business

So what you need to really ask yourself is if taking the time and posting 10 comments at G+ could put your OWN website or Blog on the first page of Google LOCALLY would you do it? The time to act is NOW! Get into the game early and get your G+ profile rocking - you will be glad you did. You need to remember in order to get people to want to follow you participation is key.

Don't just expect that posting about your latest listing is going to make people want to connect with you. You need to share others peoples articles which is similar to re-blogging. You need to G+ other postings which is like giving a gold star and you need to comment. It is that simple and mimics a lot of what you already know from being on Active Rain. Please don't forget to add me as a contact - I hope those of you who are not already on G+ soon!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

About the author: The above Real Estate information on using Google+ for Real Estate was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356. Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 25+ Years.

Thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise!

For Massachusetts Real Estate and homes see Maximum Real Estate Exposure. Want to have MLS access to beat other buyers to your dream home? Sign up with no obligation at my MLS Property Finder.

I service the following towns in Metrowest MA: Framingham, Hopkinton, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Franklin, Grafton, Northboro, Shrewsbury, Bellingham, Northbridge, Uxbridge, Sutton, Millbury, Worcester, Millville, Douglas, Natick and Wayland MA.

Building lasting relationships by helping people move in and out of Metrowest Massachusetts for the last 25 years.

Connect with me on Google+

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Home Staging Sharon Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 23:05:35 -0700

Home Staging Sharon Massachusetts

When the owners of this architecturally magnificent Sharon home asked their Real Estatae agent what they should do to prepare their home for sale,she suggested that they call Interiors by Marianne Cherico for a staging report and consultation.

The savvy homeowners of this Home Staging Sharon Massachusetts needed guidance on what furniture and soft furnishings to keep, how to arrange each room,how to add curb appeal and how to choose paint colors that will appeal to their target Buyers and work with the furnishings that they already had. They also needed help defining each of the 12 rooms in the house with a specific purpose. This helps Buyers identify how they might use the space.

All of this was achieved with an affordable report and consultation.

Here is the dining room before we staged. Please bear in mind that the Sellers were in the middle of weeding through "stuff" -so this is not a reflection of how they live!

It was my job to determine what we could use and how to "show" this in MLS pictures.

We worked solely with what the Sellers already had, painted the room and added fresh flowers. And here is the after picture of this Home staging Sharon Ma. Now Buyers can appreciate the beautiful lines of this home!

Here is another view.

And here is the kitchen before.

And After this Home Staging Sharon Massachusetts.

And here is the Master Bedroom Before.

And after.

We needed to define this room in this Home Staging Sharon Massachusetts.

So we made it into a guest room.

This 3441 square foot home has so much to offer including 2 offices, 4 car garage, exercise room, and huge deck overlooking gorgeous yard. Asking price is $799,900.

Call Ellen Liao of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage (781)253-4014. Tell her that you saw this on Marianne's blog.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Staged to SELL Foxboro Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:56:06 -0700

Staged to SELL Foxboro Massachusetts

What does a top producing Real Estate agent do when he wants to prepare his home for sale? He calls in Interiors by Marianne Cherico to do an extensive staging report and consultation.

This beautiful custom home in Autumn Heights, Foxboro,Ma is truly a treasure. The owners started preparing their home for sale a couple of years ago by doing updates that would appeal to their target Buyer. They knew that the neighborhood was a desirable one and that Buyers expectations would be high.

And although their home was always lovely, they wanted it to really shine.

Some of their updates included the gorgeous kitchen with glass tile backsplash, stainless appliances, granite counters and painted/glazed maple cabinets. The Anthropology pulls on the cabinet doors were just the right touch in this staged to sell Foxboro Massachusetts home.

Not your cookie cutter colonial, the unique design of this home adds to its elegant charm.The windows in this formal living room bring in lots of light.

And who wouldn't love this family room in this staged to sell Foxboro Massachusetts home with floor to ceiling fireplace.

Even the laundry room in this staged to sell Foxboro Massachusetts home is staged to perfection.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico had the Seller paint this room Tranquility by Benjamin Moore, weed out and add this picture. Who wouldn't want to do laundry in this room?

The master bedroom shows absolutely beautifully......a romantic retreat.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico had the Sellers add this picture to the tub area in the Master Bath to create more of a spa like feeling.

This staged to sell Foxboro Massachusetts home has so much more to offer. For more information and pictures visit Camposhomes or call Gil Campos at 508-964-5600. Tell him that you saw this on Marianne's Blog:)

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Home Staging Sherborn Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:26:54 -0700

Home Staging Sherborn Massachusetts

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has recently finished staging select rooms in this Sherborn Massachusetts Mansard Colonial. Set on 5 acres, this wonderful home has been renovated throughout.

As you enter this lovely home the hallway takes you into the huge country kitchen,dining room or front to back living room.

The new country kitchen in this home staging Sherborn Massachusetts has a great stone fireplace. We focused on this charming selling feature with a landscape picture with pops of orange.

Here is another view of this completely remodeled kitchen.

When staging, even the cookbook should be opened to a page that coordinates with the color scheme in the room. This vignette pulls in the orange and blue (my favorite color combo lately:).

And here is the spacious living room in this home staging Sherborn Massachusetts!

And the master bedroom in this Home Staging Sherborn Massachusetts with a cozy window seat.

Other features of this Sherborn home include 4 renovated baths, a huge fireplaced great room, built ins, new roof,driveway,landscaping, new furnace ,central air, new septic and so much more! Move in ready!

An incredible value. Asking $769,900. For a private showing call Jean Lux at 978-692-6912 or jlux100@gmail.com. Tell her that you saw this on Marianne's blog!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Dear Facebook, please get a freekin' clue about PERMISSION MARKETING!

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:11:10 -0700

Thanks Marti Garaughty for sharing this information on Facebook changing our email address.....WOW....I didn't realize this until now! Hopefully this will help more people realize this and change their contact info!

Via marti garaughty, a highly caffeinated creative type. The Art of Marketing YOU (garaughty.com):

Hi guys, are you in the mood for a quickie? Cool, here we go...

In case you didn't notice, in their seemingly never ending quest to abuse privacy, Facebook changed the email address in your profile to an @Facebook address. Here is an example from my own FB profile...

This is so not cool but another example of why Facebook needs to get a clue about Permission Marketing. But here is the easy fix, just check out this screenshot as a guide and follow the steps below...

- click on the "about" button in your profile

- scroll down to your email address then click the "edit" button

- now click on the circle next to your Facebook email addr. and change the setting to "Hidden From Timeline"

- next click on the circle next to your other email address(es) and change their settings to "Shown On Timeline"

- then hit the SAVE BUTTON near the bottom of the Edit popup and you're done

Yes, it was simple enough to fix but should have never happened. Just another example of Facebook doing stuff they should never be doing. Go figure! Later...

P.S. Because of the insane amount of spam, self promotion, etc... being posted by various vendors and suppliers, this group is going back to it's original intention (see group guidelines) as a place for "for real estate agents and brokers who want to share their real world marketing ideas and experience". We don't have time to waste moderating and filtering out all the spammy stuff.

If you have additional topics you'd like to see covered or would like more information about custom graphics, themes or to book a 1 on 1 consultation to create or customize your WordPress or ActiveRain blogs, you can reach me here Later...

For more info about how we can help you stand out from the crowd, contact GiselleStCyr@garaughty.com

garaughty.com

If you'd like to participate in any of our upcoming marketing partnerships, games puzzles and giveaways or to stay on top of all the new tech stuff and graphic goodies...

You can also connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and by email...

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Model Apartment Staging Putnam Village Foxboro Ma

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:08:33 -0700

Model Apartment Staging Putnam Village Foxboro Ma

Dianne and Kevin Weinfeld are always looking for ways to appeal to the needs of their residents. Since their typical resident varies in age, we had to make sure that our design aesthetic was updated but would appeal to all different kinds of tastes.

Here is a before picture of the living room in this Model Apartment Staging Putnam Village Foxboro Ma

Interiors by Marianne Cherico staged this model apartment living room to make it feel cozy but elegant,adding a little bit of bling with the starburst mirror

And here is an after picture of the other side of the living area. We used blues,greens and browns throughout to create a unified feeling in this garden style apartment.

The dining room in this Model Apartment Staging Putnam Village Foxboro Ma was a little tired before we updated the furniture and soft furnishings. Here is the before:

And After:

And Here are some more after photos of this Model Apartment Staging Putnam Village Foxboro Ma

Here are pictures of the Master Bedroom. We worked with the owner's furniture and bedding and added decorative items to embellish and "warm up" the space.

We also added this cool chair with the "Dream Pillow".

And I really wanted to keep this pillow for myself but I love the way it looks in this room :)

So here is what the owners said about this Model Apartment Staging Putnam Village Foxboro Ma.:

"Wow Marianne what a difference in our Model Apartment at Putnam Village. It is so up to date in terms of design,color and furnishings. Plus we appreciate how flexible you were in listening to our needs, our budget, and appealing to our potential residents. We will gladly recommend Interiors by Marianne Cherico to residents and business colleagues alike."

Kevin Weinfeld, President, Mayfair Realty & Development Co., Inc.

"When it came time to update our model apartment we made the wise decision to contract with Interiors by Marianne Cherico. We knew we needed an approach that would entice a wide range of clientele, as our residents range from young professionals in their 20's to seniors selling their homes. Marianne understood our constraints and did a wonderful job maximizing our layout and pulling together the furnishings and soft goods..

Marianne is an absolute delight to work with and we are thrilled with how she staged our model. We have received numerous compliments on our new layout and furnishings and all agree that her changes have transformed the space.

We at Mayfair Realty would highly recommend Interiors by Marianne Cherico to anyone looking to update and enhance their property".

Dianne Weinfeld, Vice President, Mayfair Realty and Development Co., Inc.

If you would like more info on these lovely apartments visit www.mayfairrealty.com or call 508-543-4697. The model is located at 6 Putnam Road, Foxboro Ma.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Foxboro Massachusetts Interior Decorator's Home

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:42:06 -0800

Foxboro Massachusetts Interior Decorator's Home

Welcome to my home-in particular my latest project, my dining room. It is sometimes difficult as a busy Massachusetts Home Stager and Interior Decorator to find the time to work on my OWN house. (You have heard of the cobbler's shoes....?).

And with finances going to priorities like College, our oldest Daughter's Wedding and....ok....some travelling, I really wanted to do this room on a budget and make it look gorgeous!

So the inspiration piece for this Foxboro Massachusetts Interior Decorator's Home was this zebra chair.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love animal print and am really loving the blues, grays ,greens and browns lately. In fact, alot of my designs for clients have incorporated these colors.

So I painted the walls a cool, gray blue color that changes with the light . And instead of buying a new table, I painted my oak claw foot table because I really love the lines (and wanted to repurpose and reuse). Paint is the most cost effective way to make a dramatic impact.

Here is a before and after picture of the table.

And here is an after picture of the dining room in this Foxboro Massachusetts Interior Decorator's Home, taken during the holidays.

White slipcovered chairs from Ikea mixed with the zebra chairs from Home Goods give the room a fun, casual look. And they can be removed and washed as needed.

For a different look you can add a tablecloth.

The trick is to use color to your advantage. I labored over just the right color for the walls and table and changed my mind a couple of times. But I am truly happy with the results.

It will be fun and affordable to change the decoration throughout the seasons. These colors will be the perfect backdrop for flowers in hot pink and orange in the spring and summer or burnt orange and gold in the autumn.

So next time you want to throw out that old oak table, think of repurposing it instead! Add some animal print and let your imagination go wild :)

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Decorating for a New England Patriot, Foxboro, Ma

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:42:11 -0800

Decorating for a New England Patriot, Foxboro,Ma

Interiors by Marianne Cherico had the distinct pleasure of decorating the entire townhouse for one of our own NE Patriots. Or at least he used to be ,but we will get to that later :)

When this wide receiver's agent was scouting out Interior Designers in the Foxboro area, he chose
Interiors by Marianne Cherico because my design aesthetic is, as he put it "hip and youthful" and not "fuddy duddy".

I had worked on another wide receiver's condo (ironically he was the same #) so this was the second time working with one of these young men.

Working with a professional athlete is both rewarding and challenging. For instance, it is sometimes interesting to understand what they envision.

So for this particular athlete I met him at his apartment to see what he seemed to like. I was impressed with his style-artistic,funky and modern. So I thought that we could bring some of his furniture and soft furnishings into his new place.

And of course we had to make sure that his photos and framed shirts were included.

So in his new place, I chose to paint the top half of the game room navy blue. This would highlight his pictures and provide a great contrast to the white bead board.

Decorating for a New England Patriot, Foxboro ,Ma. provided other unique challenges.

Just when I thought that I had his design style figured out, he threw me a curve ball. He texted "I love Pottery Barn".

WHAT??????

So I had to find a way to add Pottery Barn style to "hip,young,modern and funky"!

Here is what we decided on for a kitchen/dining table. This was purchased from the Design Center in RI.

We decided on 4 slipcovered chairs and 2 wooden chairs on the end.

Decorating for a New England Patriot,Foxboro, Ma. meant making sure that there was enough seating for entertaining and that the chairs were sturdy enough for big athletes.

This table expanded so that he could fit lots of friends over!

He also wanted shag carpet so we chose an off white shag to go under the table.

The custom window treatments in the kitchen/dining area had a washed out Pottery Barn feeling with a modern twist. The zig zag feeling of the leaf pattern echoed the chevron rug that I planned on purchasing for the living area which was open to the kitchen/dining area. I worked with a local window treatment designer for all the custom treatments.

Decorating for a New England Patriot, Foxboro,Ma meant creating guest rooms for visiting family. We thought that it would be really nice to decorate a room for his Mother when she came to visit.

My goal was to make sure that this room was relaxing and spa like and would be a retreat for this single working Mom. One that she certainly deserved!

I chose Sherwin Williams "Silver Mist" for the walls and bought hotel bedding that I embellished with store bought and custom pillows.

Since he loves the autumn I made sure that the pictures reflected that.

This bedroom was a great get away for his Mom!

When I saw this fur ottoman in the store I knew that we had to find someplace to put it.

So now here is the SAD part of decorating for a New England Patriot, Foxboro,Ma............Just when we were seventy five percent finished-HE WAS TRADED TO THE Jacksonville JAGUARS!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT!!!!!!???????

So here is as far as we got decorating the Master Bedroom. The faux alligator bed was really awesome!

This is the fabric that we chose for the window treatment and large bolster pillows....they were going to be gorgeous!

Decorating for a New England Patriot, Foxboro,Ma was truly a pleasure. This young man was great to work with and open to my suggestions.

I guess that I will say that it was fun "Quarterbacking" this design process. Move over Tom Brady!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Interior Design-Foxboro Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:56:15 -0700

Interior Design-Foxboro Massachusetts

As an Interior Designer,it is so much fun to decorate for a customer that gives you 51% of the vote on most design desisions. After all, most people who hire a designer want to broaden their design aesthtic and perhaps look at things differently.

This was the case with my high school classmate (class of '75) Tom. In the interest of keeping us "Baby Boomers" relevant, I decided to make sure that we stressed a modern design aesthetic with clean lines that would lend a masculine feel while bringing in a couple of feminine features -the yin and yang!

We took great pains to pick out the backsplash and granite that really added texture against the chocolate brown cabinets. (Tom thought that I lost my marbles when I suggested the chocoloate brown cabinets but I used my 51% clout and convinced him that it was really going to look great and modern and cool). So here it is.

I absolutely love the movement and texture in this granite. And as luck would have it, we found a tile backsplash that picked up the colors beautifully!

Here is a before picture of the gutted living room of this Interior Design-Foxboro,Massachusetts.

And after Interiors by Marianne Cherico worked her magic!

Here is a close up of the fireplace surround tile and the chair. The chair is where I brought in a touch of the feminine with its bold floral pattern.

And here is the Master Bedroom. Since it is a small room, Interiors by Marianne Cherico wanted to make it look larger as well as cozy,modern and serene. We painted the walls "Tranquility" by Benjamin Moore and removed the headboard to create more space. The modern picture acts as a headboard. The shag rug brings in cozy texture.

And here is a before and after picture of the Master Bath.

So if you need a makeover and want to explore a "cool new vibe" call or email Interiors by Marianne Cherico.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Home Staging Walpole Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:34:49 -0700

Home Staging Walpole Massachusetts

Come see this stunning" Northwoods Estates", Walpole home on beautifully landscaped grounds complete with pool and poolhouse. Priced at $925,000, this home has all the bells and whistles!

At the recommendation of their Real Estate Agent ,Robin Wish of Century 21 Commonwealth, the owners of this lovely home hired Interiors by Marianne Cherico to help make their property stand out from the competition.

The master bedroom suite in this home staging Walpole Massachusetts was embellished with warm and inviting furnishings. Here are some before and after pictures.

Before Staging Master Bedroom

After Staging Master Bedroom

Before Staging Master Bedroom Sitting Area

After Staging Master Bedroom Sitting Area

The Master Bath needed some warmth.

After Staging the Master Bath in this home staging Walpole Massachusetts

Interiors by Marianne Cherico wanted to make this peach room look updated. There was no time to paint.

Before Staging Dining Room

After Staging Dining Room

The family room fireplace surround was given a coat of black paint to update. Interiors by Marianne Cherico added modern furniture to compliment this grand room.

Family Room Before Staging

Family Room After Staging

If you would like to see this lovely home please contact Robin Wish at 508-944-1967. Tell her that you saw this on Marianne's Blog!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Home Staging Tip: Dated Oak Cabinets? Update them with Paint!

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:33:57 -0700

This post by my friend Maureen Bray of "Room Solutions" in Portland Oregon shows how incredible cabinets can be updated with paint. I often suggest this to my customers when doing a consultation. I think that many of you will find this useful!

Thanks Maureen!!!!

Via Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR):

Home Staging Tip: Dated Oak Cabinets? Update them with Paint!

As a professional home stager based in Portland, Oregon I often see dated oak cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms. This was the height of style back in the '70's & '80's but today's buyers want a more modern, fresh look. Here's an easy fix that you can do yourself (or hire someone to do it for you).

My homeowner clients in Beaverton OR were planning to put their home on the market and asked me to provide a home staging consultation. Because the target buyer for this home was younger, one of my recommendations was that they update their kitchen cabinets -- but I told them that they didn't need to spend a lot of money replacing them, or even refacing them. Paint and new hardware can do wonders! We recommended an excellent Portland general contractor and this kitchen was updated for under $1,000:

Here's how the kitchen looked Before ...

And here's how it looked After painting ...

Before -- potential buyers would have walked in and thought, "Since we'll have to replace those dated oak cabinets, we'll have to make a lower offer for this house."   Once the cabinets were primed, painted, and had new hardware added, this house was viewed as move-in ready. It was listed and had a pending sale in just 12 HOURS!

The products used for this project were:

Primer: Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Water Base for Interior or Exterior

Paint:   Behr Ultra Semi-gloss Espresso Beans (paint and primer in one)

Hardware: IKEA Vinna handles

Before you list your home for sale, contact a professional home stager for a cost-effective consultation. Our verbal staging consultation service provides lots of cost-effective tips and advice for a very reasonable $175.

Related post: Home Staging Tip: Sometimes just a few Props are all you Need

***                    ***                    ***

Staging That Sells Portland Homes!

Portland home stager Maureen Bray of Room Solutions Staging was
a Featured Designer for HGTV's show "My First Place"

~ Licensed ~ Insured ~ Accredited ~ Certified ~

Copyright © Room Solutions Staging LLC

~ content may not be reproduced without permission ~

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Model Home Staging in Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:00:37 -0700

Model Home Staging in Massachusetts

Interiors by Marianne Cherico had the distinct pleasure of decorating the "Durham Park", Foxboro model home for the Builder's Association of Greater Boston "Parade of Homes" otherwise known as the "Ferguson Greater Boston Home Tour". This parade highlighted 23 premier Massachusetts model homes demonstrating the latest in technology, design and architectural concepts.

As a home stager, I look for clues to help determine the type of Buyer that may be drawn to my model home staging in Massachusetts. This particular home, with its one floor living, large master suite , smaller extra bedrooms and higher price range would appeal to a savvy move up Buyer ,most likely a Baby Boomer.

Keeping this in mind, I decided to use nostalgic decoration that might remind the Baby Boomer of his/her youth . For instance, in this bedroom, I liked the notion of "Flower Power" but with a modern twist. Here is a before and after picture of this model home staging in Massachusetts.

The great room is the perfect setting for a multi functional room. Opening to the kitchen and dining area, Interiors by Marianne Cherico staged this room to be both warm and functional. The picture on the mantle was the design inspiration for the colors throughout.

Here is another view of this great room. Marianne used alot of blues and oranges. These complimentary colors bring in the warm and the cool, adding an interesting design aesthetic.

Here is a before and after picture of the master bedroom in this model home staging in Massachusetts.

Here is a closer view of the pillows . We found the bird pictures that are over the bed to go with the bird pillow. It was sheer serendipity!

The master bath was such a treat to decorate!

And here is my version of a cool teen or guest room in this model home staging in Massachusetts.

Working on this model home was really fun for this Baby Boomer! If you have a model home that you would like to really show off, Call Interiors by Marianne Cherico at 508-404-7307.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Model Home Staged in Rehoboth Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:23:29 -0700

Model Home Staged in Rehoboth Massachusetts

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has just finished staging this lovely brick front colonial in Hillside Estates, Rehoboth,Ma. This traditional New England colonial is set majestically on a hill and backs up to a golf course!

Here is the before picture of the family room in this Model Home Staged in Rehoboth Massachusetts.

Marianne staged this home to appeal to the move up Buyer who loves traditional decoration infused with a blend of modern design elements to appeal to today's hip and savvy Buyer.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico wanted this office to appeal to both men and women.

Here is the after picture of this Model Home Staged in Rehoboth Massachusetts. We wanted to optimize the showing power of this room by adding color.

Here are some more After pictures of this Model Home Staged in Rehoboth,Ma .

If you would like to set up an appointment to see this home, call Lana Drew of William Raveis Chapman Enstone 401-578-1851. Tell her that you saw this on Marianne's blog!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Home Staging Scenarios Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 11:32:16 -0700

Home Staging Scenarios Massachusetts

As a Massachusetts Home Stager, I often find that I need to educate potential Sellers about the value of staging their house for the market, no matter what the size, condition or asking price. Having helped prepare hundreds of homes for the market, I have never found a home that did not need staging. So I would like to show you some of these home staging scenarios Massachusetts so that you can see firsthand how staging can help to make all homes more marketable.

Home Staging Scenarios Massachusetts-The Model Home

When people think of staging they often think of the model home. This is where the home stager goes into a vacant home and furnishes it with either rental furniture and soft furnishings; furniture and soft furnishings that are bought by the owner (usually a builder, investor or developer) ;or a combination of the two. Model homes are usually the most expensive form of staging. The investment in staging often helps the builder or developer sell other homes in a sub division.

The expected length of time that the furnishings will remain at the property will determine whether it is financially more beneficial for the customer to rent or buy. Each model home should appeal to the demographic of the potential Buyer. Here is an example of a home in Swansea, Ma. The design aesthetic is "upscale beach chic".

Home Staging Scenarios Massachusetts-The High End Resale

I have been in countless houses of all sizes and price ranges and have seen many high end homes that benefited dramatically from staging. Sometimes the customer just needed a thorough staging report and consultation in order to help them determine how to position furniture so that the Buyer's eyes will focus on the selling features of the room. Or to detail ways to make the home feel less "dated" by removing old wallpaper and painting. Or to pump up the curb appeal by edging and mulching. There is always fine tuning to be done before marketing any home and high end homes attract high end customers that expect more.

Here is a picture of one of my favorite re sale bath makeovers. I met with the Seller for an affordable consultation and report. In this bath I suggested that she create a "spa like feeling-an oasis and retreat" . I gave her recommendations on specifics, like the blinds,towels,pictures and decorations.She interpreted this beautifully! Just an FYI, she saved money by painting the sink area for a clean,unified look.

Home Staging Scenarios Massachusetts-The Antique

Antique homes in Massachusetts are my favorite. The trick in marketing an antique is to maintain the character and charm of the antique while making it still feel updated - as in "not dated". I once went to stage a home that was a Victorian and the design aesthetic was VERY Victorian. That might have worked ok in the 1980's when that opulent kind of design would be appreciated but not in 2011 when people look to a more streamlined, simpler appeal. The Seller believed that there would be a Buyer that would appreciate the Victorian look, even though I tried to convince her that it would appeal to more Buyers if we did things like remove the "taste specific "wallpaper and paint the walls in updated neutrals,etc.

Buyers like the charm of the old mixed with a feel of "new". Rememeber, the more Buyers that the house appeals to, the more possible offers. Unfortunately she did not take my advice or the Real Estate Agent's advice on price and it did not sell!

However,plenty of other Sellers of Antique homes benefitted from home staging and did very well! Here are a couple examples of letting the charm of the house shine through.This home sold rather quickly-even in a challenging market!

Home Staging Scenarios Massachusetts-The Lower Priced Home

Often Sellers have the misconception that only higher priced homes should be staged. They think that staging is too expensive and they would not benefit from this marketing technique. This is simply not true. An affordable staging consultation by a professional can reap extreme benefits.

For instance,many lower priced homes have smaller square feet. The goal of the stager might be to help the Seller make the rooms look larger. They might also help the Seller get the house ready so that the pictures look better online. Over 93% of Buyers look online so this is extremely important! Put yourself in the Buyer's place. Which picture might get you to pick up the phone to see this townhouse?

The bottom line is that any house can be staged to look better. Each house has its own needs and it is important to know what demographic that you are trying to appeal to as well as how to best optimize the showing power of your home! A professional home stager can help you get your home show ready!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Home Staged in "Stonehurst" Foxboro Massachusetts

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:06:59 -0800

Home staged in "Stonehurst" Foxboro Massachusetts

Come see this fabulous colonial in Foxboro's most sought after "Stonehurst" neighborhood.

Here is the latest "Stonehurst" home staged by Interiors by Marianne Cherico .The asking price is $739,900.

Some of the custom features in this home staged in "Stonehurst" Foxboro Massachusetts include a large kitchen with warm maple cabinets, granite counters and stainless appliances open to an expansive family room with gorgeous stone fireplace. The dramatic and open hallway is appointed with an elegantly shaped stairway.

The first floor also has a a large dining room,living room and sunny first floor office.

The master suite in this home staged in "Stonehurst" Foxboro Massachusetts is fit for a King and Queen. There is plenty of room to linger in this 27x23 foot room with 2 walk ins and a spa like bath.

Three other good sized bedrooms and a great laundry room finish the upstairs.

The basement is amazing with its gameroom with a bar and media rooom with entertainment center!

This home staged in "Stonehurst" Foxboro Massachusetts is listed by Gil Campos of Campos Homes-RE/MAX Real Estate Center. You can reach Gil at 508-576-7479.

Tell him that you saw this on Marianne's Blog!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

What I Learned About Home Staging in Las Vegas Won't Stay in Vegas!!!

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:13:12 -0800

What I Learned about Home Staging in Vegas Won't Stay in Vegas!

I have recently gotten home from Las Vegas (after getting delayed at airports for 29+ hours) and,although I should be completely exhausted, I am, in fact,unbelievably exhilarated. The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) Conference that I attended was inspiring,exciting ,informational and fun.

What more could a room full of some of the best stagers in the business want ???

How about a picture with the adorable and charismatic Mathew Finlason from the show The Stagers.

And my new friend from California , Kathy Burke of Sensational Home Staging is flanking Mathew on the left. Mathew was as gracious as could be and engaged all of us in his presentation about :Upping the Ante with Lifestyle Merchandising:A Paradigm Shift".

The premise of his speech was that television has raised the expectations of consumers when it comes to staging. We are all familiar with HGTV. But for those of us who want to bring our business to a new level, we should be thinking about "Target Staging" where we dial in a specific Buyer.

Normally we stage to a demographic. For instance, I did a model home in Seekonk Ma that was geared to a young family with children and I tried to think in terms of a youthful design aesthetic. So I took the lead from the architectural features that the builders had chosen, with its sleek modern lines, chocoloate brown cabinets,glass tile backsplash -and added pops of color throughout the home,lively and fun for a growing family.

But what Mathew is saying is that we should think about designing by first creating a very specific Buyer profile. For instance, I could have taken this same home and decided that the house consisted of 2 hard working parents that worked full time and took turns carting their 7 year old daughter to dance class that she was passionate about and their 6 year old son who loved the Red Sox and baseball.

Each of the parents loved to unwind in different ways.The Mom got up at 5am and did yoga and the Dad loved to have his friends over to watch football and golf.

I could elaborate further but you can see the possibilities. Maybe I could have a lovely yoga mat with books on meditating placed strategically. I could decorate the children's rooms with things that they specificaly like and the Dad's man cave would be suited to him.

Although I think that I captured a specific young girl in this picture, Mathew has inspired me to delve further and to be ultra specific. This is what will set us apart in our business.

Other bits of inspiration that Mathew passed along were: Neutralize-don't Sterilize and to "add the unexpected in your design". Buyers, he says, are suffering from neutral fatique.....create their dream!

So what I have learned in Vegas is coming home with me to Massachusetts and Rhode Island where I am going to make it a goal to make the homes that Interiors by Marianne Cherico stages and decorates to be the ones that Buyers and owners will love to be in!

Thanks for the inspiration, Mathew!!! Let's raise the bar!!!

And a special thanks to Shell and her team for all their hard work making the RESA conference so wonderful and to Maureen Bray, Sally Weatherly and Cathy Lee for always helping and inspiring me on Active Rain....I have been so blessed by you and your generosity of spirit!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Home Staging-On Being Remarkable!!!

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:37:51 -0800

Home Staging-Be Remarkable!!!

We all want to stand apart from the herd in any business that we are in. And home staging is no different. Most of us who are blessed to have a career in home staging want to make sure that customers pick our business to work with when they are choosing.

So it always makes me think "If I were a new customer,why would I chose to work with Interiors by Marianne Cherico?" If I knew nothing about this company, what would make me pull the trigger and call and set up an appointment.

As a home staging company what is it that I can do that offers extra value to this customer so that they not only choose to work with my company but feel like it is an important step in the home selling process? In order to do this, I need to get into the customer's head.

But first I would like to digress a bit. Because just as we ,as stagers, have to understand the demographics of Buyers for homes we are staging, we also have to think of who our ideal customer is and who we want to attract to our business. So I guess if I had to pick my ideal customer for staging or decorating work, he or she would exhibit the following characteristics:

1) Be excited about staging or decorating

2) Want to work with me based on having seen my work

3) Value my expertise and trust that I have their best interests in mind

4) Be open minded and flexible and always honest with me

5) Want to work as a team

5) Will happily pay for my services

In order to attract our ideal customers we need to make sure that what we have to offer is going to be appealing to our target customers. We may know that we are the best in our field but how will the customer know?

Seth Godin,author and marketing guru talks about how the internet has changed the way that people shop. And one of the things that he says is that we should do whatever it is that we do and be remarkable. One of his best selling books is The Purple Cow. The premise is that if you are driving down the road and see cows, you kind of just ignore them because it is an ordinary event. But if you saw a purple cow you would talk about it. You want people to talk about your business. How can you be a purple cow and wow people?

Another important thing that Seth says, and I really love this one, is that we should find a group that cares about what we have to say and talk to them. It sounds simple but it seems like alot of times we waste time trying to convince people to use our staging services when they might never "get it". It is alot simpler to find a group or groups that would be interested in what we do and speak to them -through Blogging,Newsletters, Linked In, Facebook, Networking Events, Speaking Engagements,etc.

So when we look at our marketing and blogging and Social Media prescence, I think that we should keep going back to our ideal customer and try and wow them. Maybe that should be our goal-Be uniquely YOU and market your home staging business to your ideal customer!

Let's think about how we can be remarkable in our Home Staging Business!!! Any feedback,insights ways that you are remarkable in your home staging business would be greatly appreciated!!!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Are You a "Go Giver" in Your Home Staging Business?

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:43:25 -0800

Are You a Go Giver in Your Home Staging Business?

In the book Go Givers by Bob Burg and John David Mann, the authors take us through a parable of a young ambitious man trying to make a sale. Placing value on money and sort of pushing through ambitiously , he learns through a series of mentors that being mindful in business and giving before you get is what makes people most successful, both financially and spiritually. It is sort of the "give,give,give...GET" philosophy.

According to the authors, there are 5 premises that guide the Go Giver. They are:

1) The Law of Value- Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

2) The Law of Compensation- Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them

3) The Law of Influence- Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first

4) The law of Authenticity- The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself

5) The Law of Receptivity- The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving

As home stagers we bring enormous value to both Sellers and Real Estate agents. Statistics have shown that staged homes sell faster and for more money. However it is important that Sellers and Real Estate agents understand that value. After all, that is how we grow our business. Have you thought about what added value that you bring to the table, over and above what other stagers might? What sets you apart?

For me personally, I believe that my career in Real Estate gives me added insight into what goes into the marketing and sale of a home. It also makes me even more empatico to the struggles that Real Estate Agents face. But all that means nothing unless the client sees that value. So in order to exceed the client's expectations, I offer to go back free of charge to look at a house that has been staged by the client after I have done a report and consultation. Ironically, the clients that have hemmed and hawed the most at my suggestions are often the most proud to show me what they have done. Another value that I like to give is to my Realtor colleagues. I will do a blog on their listing, for SEO, and plug the agent, giving the agent's contact info.

As far as the law of compensation, it is pretty obvious that the more people that you serve well, the more you will be compensated. When building a staging business,you want each person that you work with to refer you to their friends. Or even better, you want repeat business from the Real Estate Agents or their peers. Exceeding customers expectations by doing the extras like ordering paint samples for them and following up on their progress, etc. will let the customers know that their success=your success!

When we put the customers best interest first, we are compassionate but honest when telling them the hard stuff. And we do everything we can to help them achieve their goals. People can tell if you care and they know if you genuinely have their best interest in mind.

And that brings us to the Law of Authenticity. If you are truly yourself and genuinely want to help your clients, you will feel such satisfaction when they achieve their goals!

Last but not least is the law of receptivity. We must stay open to receiving as well. I find that woman,especially have a hard time placing value on their finest gifts. We have to know when it is ok to receive and when we should or should not "give" away the farm. This is sometimes where I as a woman struggle the most. It can be a tricky balance, especially in the staging and design business where many people would like us to give our expertise away for free.

On the other hand, sometimes I believe that we mindfully should give away our services. For instance, if we want to work with a successful agent because we admire their business ethics and would like to be part of their "team' we can offer to do a free staging report and consultation so that the agent can see the value that staging will bring to their business.

I have even done things like a free color consult for an agent's own home who had never used my services. When she offered to pay I simply told her that the way she could pay me was to refer me to her customers. She has "paid' me many times with referrals.

However, we must value what we do and charge for our expertise as any other professional does. We must create incredible value in what we offer, continuing to grow and learn and give our knowledge to our customers so that they will succeed in selling their homes for the most amount of money that they can receive in any given market.

What are other ways that we can be Go Givers in our staging business?

P.S. Giving the book Go Givers or Go Givers Sell More to your top Real Estate Agents is a great idea this Holiday season!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Wrentham Massachusetts Home Staged to Sell!

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:20:52 -0800

This Wrentham Massachusetts Home Staged to Sell sits on over 2 acres in the charming Sheldonville area of Wrentham. Patrice O'Neil of O'Neil and Associates (508)384-8121, Ext. 1, hired Interiors by Marianne Cherico to do a staging report and consultation for this already wonderful home. The Seller followed Marianne's advice and really made this house shine. The lucky new owners will be thrilled with the results!

As you enter this stunning contemporary cape, the gorgeous Brazilian hardwood floors lead you to a custom kitchen with granite counters,tumbled marble backsplash and stainless appliances open to a cathedral ceiling family room with soaring stone fireplace gracing the back wall.

The first floor of this Wrentham Massachusetts Home Staged to Sell boasts of a large master suite with a renovated spa-like bath,large walk in closet and freshly painted and carpeted bedroom with sliders to a huge deck overlooking a private back yard.

Each of the upstairs bedrooms in this Wrentham Massachusetts Home Staged to Sell has its very own private bath. Light filled and spacious,this home will appeal to the most discriminating Buyer!

The huge bonus in this incredible home is the light filled lower level in law with a huge open floor plan, including stone fireplaced family room open to a walk out patio and kitchen/dining area. Two good sized bedrooms are included on the lower level as well as a large bath. This in-law feels like home!

This 5000 square foot home (including 1500 sq ft in lower level in-law) has been lovingly cared for with all the upgrades that will WOW Buyers!

All this for only $649,900!!!

If you would like to see this Wrentham Massachusetts Home Staged to Sell call Patrice O'Neil at (508)384-8121 Ext. 1 or email poneilc21@aol.com. Tell her that you saw this on Marianne's Blog!

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

Mansfield Massachusetts Staged Home

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:57:29 -0700

Mansfield Massachusetts Staged Home

Interiors by Marianne Cherico is proud to have staged this exquisite custom Contemporary Colonial home set on private wooded lot in beautiful neighborhood setting.

Lovingly cared for, this Mansfield Massachusetts Staged Home greets you with a stunning arched window surrounding a custom fireplace, built ins in the family room and a gorgeous grand stairway.

The custom kitchen has plenty of cabinets and counter space for entertaining.

This lovely home also features a first floor master suite with large spa like bath, stunning formal dining room, first floor office, and 2 additional bedrooms upstairs with a large unfinished area for potential expansion.

The lower level in this Mansfield Massachusetts staged home has a large entertainment area complete with a bar and a temperature controlled wine closet. A gorgeous 3 season room is off the back of the entertainment room.

If you would like to see this Mansfield Massachusetts staged home call Gil Campos of CamposHomes-RE/MAX Real Estate Center (508)576-7479. Tell him that you saw this on Marianne's Blog.

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog

How You Respond To Buyer Feedback Will Determine How Fast You Sell Your House

Marianne Cherico-Home Stager (Interiors by Marianne Cherico) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:24:32 -0700

I would like to share this excellent post from Sharon Tara-home stager in New Hampshire-on the importance of feedback when marketing a home for sale.

Via Sharon Tara New Hampshire Home Stager (Sharon Tara Transformations):

Your response to buyer feedback will determine how fast you will sell your house. Your house is a product for sale, and when buyers look at it and criticize it, you can't take it personally.

Karen Fiddler, a Realtor in Mission Viejo, California, wrote a great post this morning about agents calling for feedback on their listings. I think Karen has a great message here.

If you can't handle the answer, then don't ask the question!

More importantly, from a home staging viewpoint...use the information you receive from agents after a showing to make your product more appealing to future potential buyers.

Don't consider negative feedback a personal attack - consider it valuable insight and use that information to improve your property.  Correct the problem so it isn't an issue for the next potential buyer.

The best way to avoid negative feedback is to have your house "show ready" prior to listing.

A consult with a professional home stager will:

Give you all the information you need to get your product market ready

Spare you the negative feedback from potential buyers

Decrease your odds of facing multiple price reductions

The negative aspects of your house will get addressed one way or another.

It will cost you a lot less to address the negative with a stager rather than a buyer.

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Professional Home Staging services for the New Hampshire Seacoast

Portsmouth   Rye   Greenland   Hampton   North Hampton   Exeter   Dover   Stratham

603.661.8524

Interiors by Marianne Cherico

specializing in Real Estate Staging

Interiors by Marianne Cherico has the experience and resources to optimize the showing power of YOUR home.

Stage Your home to SELL with Interiors by Marianne Cherico!

Call (508)404-7307 or email interiorsbymarianne@comcast.net for more information

www.homestagingbymarianne.com

Marianne's Blog