Helping people. We are in a service oriented business. We help people sell their homes, we help people prepare their homes for sale, we council people on one of the biggest adventures of their life. Whether we are real state agents, inspectors, contractors, landscapers, home stagers... the list goes on... we are providing a service to others. Maybe we need to be reminded of this concept to actually tell ourselves that what we are doing is done for the sake of others. Of course, in order to be in business, you need to make it worthwhile. We do need to be real and make an income. We go to dentists, doctors, specialists, who are also in the service area. They are also people that help us. We pay them for their expertise and for their experience and knowledge of the particular "need" that we may have. How are we different?
Each of us has our own motivation for what we do. Bring it back to the "why"... Why did you choose your profession?  Was it a need that you once had? Do you truly want to help others, do you care about your clients, do you go above and beyond?  Think about it. Why do you do what you do?  We DO for others and ultimately for ourselves at some point.  So what is it?  Is what YOU do different from the next person?  Advertising for the "Best", for the "Only", for whatever.... Is this your foundation? I say... we go back to the "Why".  Why are you doing what you do?  Why do I do this you may ask?  I do this because I love being creative, because I want to make a difference, and because I care about my clients and I truly want to help them... every single one.
Stop... take a breath and think.....
 If you are true to yourself, your passion, and why you do what you do... you will be true to your clients... plain and simple!
Put the "care" back into what you do. We will all be better for it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Lori Kim Polk is the Founder and Lead Designer of Artful Journey Designs and Staging, a full service Home Staging and Design Corporation located in Roseville, California. We proudly service Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, Sacramento and surrounding areas. Call us today at 916-300-0402 for our premier services.
"We are Expert Staging Professionals and we will Exceed Your Expectations!"
Check out StagersLIST.com the resource for Realtors, Stagers and Homeowners in North America.
 

         What do you get when you have a room full of real estate professionals, homeowners, empowering guest speakers, and quality area vendors at Expo Daily in Roseville... You get inspired!
Huge thanks to Lynn Egen from Expo Daily Roseville for sponsoring this unique event.  Our Sizzlin' Summer Staging Expo was set up in the beautiful atrium surrounded by some of the area's best contractors and vendors. Stagers came as far as Canada and Southern California to learn new trends, advance their marketing, and learn how to get a Realtor on their team.
Guest speakers included: Christine Rae, from Canada, founder of Certified Staging Professionals and well known keynote speaker, author of the book; "Home Staging for Dummies", who enriched our knowledge of upcoming trends and interesting statistics in the industry. Kym Hough, from Danville, a successful professional stager, surprised us all with her marketing strategies and her unique ways of doing business. Terrylynn Fisher, a 30 year Realtor form Concord, shared her views on staging as a realtor and how working with a professional stager is her tool to success. Shell Brodnax, from Stockton, founder of the Real Estate Staging Association - RESA, spoke to us on the importance of joining a trade run association that promotes ethics and high standards. Valesca Bogard, owner of Welcome Home Furniture Rental in Roseville, shared her new CD bursting with the latest up-to-date furniture for stagers to use when preparing homes for sale.
StagersLIST.com, the ultimate resource for home stagers, realtors, and homeowners in North America, was presented by founders, Kym Hough and Terrylynn Fisher. What a resource ladies!
Very special thanks to Kori Larson and her Expo Daily crew who prepared some wonderful cheese and fruit trays and to House of Bread  for their contribution of tasty bread choices.
 
These area vendors where there to meet these real estate professionals and to help support them with their services. Please stop by their booths or click on their sites to see these wonderful businesses.
Pam Overfield from NHance Wood Renewal
John Benvenuto from Blind Corners
Jennifer Florio from Rocklin Floor to Ceiling
Wendy Graves from Custom Home Décor at 916-214-7580
Chris from Emigh's Casual Living
If you haven't visited Expo Daily in Roseville, you should. This is where you'll find the best home improvement contractors using the best products- kitchen and baths, windows, doors, and skylights, roofing contractors, landscape artists, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and many more - all in the same location. Free to the public and open 7 days a week.
     
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
  Lori Kim Polk is the Founder and Lead Designer of Artful Journey Designs and Staging, a full service Home Staging and Design Corporation located in Roseville, California. We proudly service Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, Sacramento and surrounding areas. Call us today at 916-300-0402 for our premier services.
"The art of selling your home!"
Check out StagersLIST.com the resource for Realtors, Stagers and Homeowners in North America.

 
Home Staging to Real Estate is like frosting on the cake. You don't have to have it, but the cake is OHHHH so much better with it. And the cake sells for more money and quicker too. Funny analogy sure, but actually pretty accurate.
Home staging has gone from a home based business, hobby for some, part time for others, to a legitimate industry. While it has done so, the savvy professional home stager who has a viable business has tools in their arsenal that will make the difference� in that sale.
What do I mean? Well, first review the portfolio of the stager you are considering. Does their furniture and accessory package look the same in more than one of their home examples? Do they do the same style without regard for the architecture and style of your home? The professional home stager is fluent in home styles, architecture, decorating styles and demographics for your home before they choose a staging plan for your home.
The professional home stager would not send a bid without having seen your home, just like a Realtor should not give you a price without seeing the nuances of your home and how it compares to the comparable sales. When the professional home stager has done their work with the style, architecture and personality of your home in mind, then the buyer that is drawn to see more. They are not disappointed when they come inside as the interior is what they expect and FITS your home and its architecture.
There are subtle decisions made in the blink of an eye when things are congruent, those decisions are favorable to your sale, when they are off� the staging could be nice, but it doesnt quite feel right to the buyer and they dont know why. Often they just dont buy it.
You wouldn't use a hobby dentist, a hobby Realtor as you want their professionalism, experience and marketing knowledge. It costs you no more to have those qualities in a professional home stager. In fact, youve probably seen those homes for sale that have not sold and were staged a second time and then sold? Well, the professional home stager that has studied and applied the tools of their profession knows what to do to make that difference. The home could have a great cake mix of structure but, Professional Home Staging is the icing on the cake for a SALE.
Lori Kim Polk is the Founder and Lead Designer of Artful Journey Designs and Staging, a full service Home Staging and Design company located in Roseville, California. We proudly service Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, Sacramento and surrounding areas. Call us today at 916-300-0402 for our premier services.

 

   
I had staged a house last year that has been on and off the market for 8 months. Beautiful custom home, 5 bedrooms, three fire places and overlooking a golf course. When you think of 5 bedrooms, you often think family... right?  It didn't have much of a yard, was not kid friendly, and only had a dining room where you could sit together. The kitchen had a bar set up. I could not find a place to put a kitchen table.  But the clients wanted to show it for a family... ok.  My original design was to stage it as an entertainment home, possibly an elite couple who like to entertain, have their jet setter friends stay or maybe have the grandkids over. So I proposed this to the Realtor and the clients. The REA agreed but the clients gave me the thumbs down and also did not want to drop the price for the REA. We looked like two pouty little kids... but we did what the clients wanted.  The house showed well for about 3 months but with no offers. Then a renter moved in for a period of time and used it as an entertainment home. The house went off the market for 5 months.
3 weeks ago it went back on the market. Now the clients were rethinking their game plan. The REA dropped the price a bit, I went back and took out all the kids rooms, moved things around to make it look artsy, put my wine set ups in, put wine bottles in the cellar, staged each bathroom unisex and added a plant outside the back window which drew the eyes out to the view. I changed the whole feel actually.  We had an Open House the very next weekend with hors-de-vors, music playing softly in the background..... and an offer! ;)
Sometimes it takes an interesting situation to help the client see the light. But when they do... it changes FOR SALE to SOLD!!!

 

 
Helping people. We are in a service oriented business. We help people sell their homes, we help people prepare their homes for sale, we council people on one of the biggest adventures of their life. Whether we are real state agents, inspectors, contractors, landscapers, home stagers... the list goes on... we are providing a service to others. Maybe we need to be reminded of this concept to actually tell ourselves that what we are doing is done for the sake of others. Of course, in order to be in business, you need to make it worthwhile. We do need to be real and make an income. We go to dentists, doctors, specialists, who are also in the service area. They are also people that help us. We pay them for their expertise and for their experience and knowledge of the particular "need" that we may have. How are we different?
Each of us has our own motivation for what we do. Bring it back to the "why"... Why did you choose your profession?  Was it a need that you once had? Do you truly want to help others, do you care about your clients, do you go above and beyond?  Think about it. Why do you do what you do?  We DO for others and ultimately for ourselves at some point.  So what is it?  Is what YOU do different from the next person?  Advertising for the "Best", for the "Only", for whatever.... Is this your foundation? I say... we go back to the "Why".  Why are you doing what you do?  Why do I do this you may ask?  I do this because I love being creative, because I want to make a difference, and because I care about my clients and I truly want to help them... every single one.
Stop... take a breath and think.....
 If you are true to yourself, your passion, and why you do what you do... you will be true to your clients... plain and simple!
Put the "care" back into what you do. We will all be better for it.