Orlando Home Staging Services

Fantastic Lakefront Home in Gated Community

Stunning Central Florida lake front home without the large price tag, Open to the public for viewing for the first time on Saturday, August 10th between 12 noon and 3 pm. This property went through a full renovation with a brand new roof, new kitchen with stainless steel appliances, new floors and new paint inside and out. Recent upgrades include newer AC and tankless gas water heater. Its located in the Twin Lakes gated community in Deltona between Orlando and Daytona Beach. This property features a custom birchwood wall treatment with a 3 sided gas fireplace in the living areas. High ceilings and an open floorplan offer the feeling of a spacious living area that allows plenty of room to entertain a sizable crowd. This pool home has the style one might expect from a luxury mansion without the hefty acquisition cost or the upkeep. The address is 613 Copper Beech Blvd, Deltona, FL 32725 and the MLS number is O5804475. Call for access Helen 407-314-5468 or Malte 407-416-9659. This property is owned by the listing agents.

Windermere estate home with 45 ft RV garage

Windermere estate home with 45 ft RV garage for sale. Its offered under Tax Value at $ 995 K. Check out this fantastic lake front home located in the man gated Waterford Pointe Subdivision. This beautiful property is located on 13037 Water Point Blvd in Windermere. Arrange for a private showing today. Check out more details at https://stellar.mlsmatrix.com/DE.asp?k=4420623X2FFG&p=DE-413972376-874&L=1

Debary House sold to first person seeing this transformation

This cute 60s bungalow in Debary Florida underwent a whole renovation with a new kitchen and a spectacular barn door that gives the laundry room a grand entrance. The property had 2 bedrooms and one bath but sold as quick as can be. This house is technically a Flip but never went officially on the market. The neighbor came by to check it out while the team was working on the finishing touches and bought it on the spot. Talking about local marketing. One thing is for sure, that move will be a quick one with that close of a distance. Its one more example how ingenious design can really help the sale and the value of a property. Purchased for $ 86k and sold for $ 158k just a few months later, there must be a healthy profit in there for the investor. The property appraised just above contract price so the appraiser must have seen the value of the transformation there. Sometimes it is a good idea to overbuild your little investment property a bit. It can pay off big time if your design is really good.

Previously unsalable – Sold after 4 days

Previously unsalable – Sold after 4 days – Realtor Don Harkins with Keller Williams took on a listing that sat on the market with another Realtor and did not sell. The location on Hillcrest Avenue in Winter Park could not be the culprit.

His strategy to shake things up was to revamp the property with mostly minor renovations and a gorgeous staging by I design to Sell. As it played out this strategy worked great. The previously unsalable house sold within 4 days and received multiple offers in the process. Stager Helen Bonello-Strauss pointed to a few areas of improvement that made a big difference. One was that one of the rooms was used as an office. The stager recommended to remove the built in desk to make room for a bed. Since the house had already another office space plus a flex space behind the master suite, there was no need for a third office in the house. Marketing the house as a 4 bedroom gave the listing already quite a competitive edge. Also there were a few rooms with bold colors that needed a bit of neutralizing. The owner completed an overdue roof replacement, removed wallpaper in the powder room and did a few minor fixes to make the house market ready. The response was great. Real estate agents submitted multiple offers within a few days and the property closed quickly in less than a month. The team of I design to sell says THANKS to Don Harkins for the opportunity to be of service.

The power of pictures – how your photos can make or break a sale

The power of pictures – how your photos can make or break a real estate sale.

The role your property photos play in the selling of a house are easily overlooked. It seems like the photos that represent your listing might play a minor cosmetic role in your overall sales efforts. It is rather a fallacy to assume that it is more important how the house looks in real life. The way houses are found by buyers have changed drastically from just a few years ago. The internet empowers buyers to scout the market, to compare properties based on the virtual representation they find online, and to educate themselves about property values and past sales. One of the main reasons why savvy real estate professionals hire professional designers to decorate their listing is that they understand the power of the first impression. And the first impression does not always happen when the potential buyer sets foot over the threshold, but when a prospective new homeowner takes a look at the pictures of the house online. That split second impression will influence the decision for the buyer to pick up the phone and call their agent about the house. So the house needs to show its best; and so the pictures. We all have seen the blurry picture of an empty room corner, taken with a 90’s flip phone. Or the narrow iphone pictures that only show half a fridge and part of a cabinet while claiming this is a representation of the kitchen. Unless you are trying to sell partial appliances, those tunnel vision photos don’t do your listing any justice. Buyers are quick to rule out your dungeon property, just because the pictures were taken after dark. Not putting any photos of the interior in the listing when it hits the market first is not the best move either. Buyers don’t fall in love with the description of a house. They want to see it. They respond to visual aids. That’s why we mostly watch TV instead of listening to radio at home. “You only can sell what you can see” is an old real estate truth. The most important task is to get buyers in the door. They have to see value in the house before they even see it in person. If you don’t grab their attention right away they are off to the next house, the next listing or the next agent. The next choice is only one click away. The buyers agent might not even put your house on the list because it misses one of the narrow criteria the buyers have set. It may not be in the right school district, the size might be just a bit too big or too small, the target price range was different, or it has one bedroom less than they preferred. Buyers frequently add homes to the showing list if they like what they see. And often they find the house online first. Online shoppers have the attention span of a fruit fly. If they don’t see what they are looking for within a few seconds they might be gone for good. And sellers and listing agents don’t even realize it.

the kitchen becomes the command center for family activities - the counters here invite to put out a spread

Will buyers like it? The decision is made in an blink of an eye.

If you want to learn more about how staging and professional quality photography impact the sale of your listing contact us at www.idesigntosell.com

Ready to saddle the horses? Go mid-western

Ready to saddle the horses? Go mid-western – The Midwestern style was quite popular in the 90’s and produced a plethora of native Indian artwork, pueblo inspired architecture and the occasional imitation artifact to complete a Mid-Western themed design. If you have a space that lend itself to a more rustic look, you can revive the style and take liberty with your vision of the mid western style. Think ranch, horses, the big sky. In this example of a Midwestern inspired room the designer Helene Bonello Strauss combined a cowhide with another rug for more depth of a layered look and some feel of an urban and conventional styling. You don’t have to go too much overboard with your barn look. Just take a few elements and play around with it. Make sure that you keep it simple and light enough. You want the feel of it without a myriad of small items cluttering the space. Instead of the dated 90’s artwork use photographs of horses or western landscapes for a contemporary aspect of the style. Take items that speak to you and incorporate them in your space. Create a simple color palette composed of neutrals and earth tones, and you will like the outcome. Don’t be afraid to use contemporary items like the modern leather sofa in the picture. The antique barrel takes up enough of the theme without making it look forced. The skull is a replica from the Homegoods decoration store. A fresh twist on your grandpas trophy. This room is proof that you don’t have to own a farm in New Mexico to pull of a mid western theme. So saddle up and ride in the sunset. Even if the destination is no further than your own backyard.

A contemporary den with a few rustic elements play with a somewhat mid-western identity.

Winter Park Bungalow – set up for success

This freshly renovated little 3/2 home sits just a few blocks from all that Winter Park has to offer. Ravaudage, Winter Park Village, and Lakeside Crossing are only a few short blocks in one direction. Hannibal Square, Park Ave, The Sun Rail Station, and Rollins College sit in the opposite direction also a short walk away! This solid block bungalow boosts over 1050 sq/ft of living space 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, an updated kitchen, 2 updated bathrooms, and a large privacy fenced backyard area.

Stager Helene Bonello-Strauss gave this cute Bungalow a new look with a modern staging job. It showcase the livability of the small home and gives inspiration to the new homeowner to be. Realtor Amy Perez is offering this property at a price of $ 274,900. Further information under 407-919-8248.

Previously listed for 6 month – now sold in a day

See what made this house sell in a day. It was listed for 6 month before and did not receive a single offer. The staging made the difference. The house sits on a nice lakefront lot in a gated community in Deltona and was not selling for 6 months time. The owner contacted Helene Bonello-Strauss and asked for assistance with the sale. The house needed not much. A bit of touch-up on the paint and a few single walls were painted in an accent color. Then the Orlando staging expert suggested to rearrange some furniture and adding area rugs as well as some window treatments. These small inexpensive changes made all the difference in the world. After a moderate price adjustment of $ 7000 the house went back on the market and the first day it received a showing of a family who submitted a full price offer. The house closed smoothly and both seller and buyers are extremely happy with the outcome. It pays off if your house shows well. That is something the homeowner took to the bank.

Custom Home re-invented

This beautiful custom home in the city of Edgewood, just south of downtown Orlando, shows its true potential after it has been celebrated with a custom staging job. The decoration enhance the features and give visitors an idea how the house can present itself.

The property is currently offered for sale by Realtor (R) Kilsy Vargas (phone 321-299-3552) or email kvargas.rebroker@gmail.com.

How to make your man cave a success with the ladies

This is a hangout space for the whole family

When you are thinking to convert the empty bonus room into a nice hangout space or man cave you might want to consider everyone’s needs and create something that will be a great hit for all of your family and friends. For many men a large TV, a comfy sofa, and a mini fridge will create the ultimate hangout space. But that would be quite one sided and limit the use quite a bit. You may consider furnishing the place so that it has many uses. In this case the place is a converted garage that was decorated as a family hangout room. The far right end had a closet that was converted to a desk area for homework and crafts. The TV was set in a space with nice built ins to give the room a more finished look. The sofa is comfortable and can function as a guest bed. So if the room is needed this space has more than just one function. The set up is colorful and vibrant and probably one of the most inviting spaces in the house. Due to its various uses it is a hit with everyone and will not leave any family member out. The fact that this space used to be a garage does not come to mind right away. It does not have to cost a fortune to create a space that can function well and look great. If you think of selling a house with a bonus room make sure it does not only show one side. The more sensible use you can put in a space the more value perceive potential buyers. Just make sure the design looks coherent and gives a clear enough message about its potential. If a prospective buyer takes the time to sit down, there is opportunity to sell the house. You are not selling brick and mortar. You are selling a space the buyers can use, you are selling to the emotion that they have when thinking about the next Superball party, entertaining with friends, or the rainy afternoon watching a movie. It is not about the 4 walls that is important for a buyer. It is how they are using the space. It is all about the memories they are creating and how they can give the time they spend in their new home some meaning. If you paint a vivid picture of their future, your are on the right track. The bonus room might make the difference.

How to make your kitchen sell your house

Open Kitchens bring value. Here the living room becomes an extension of the Kitchen – or vice versa.

If you are planning a kitchen remodel in order to boost the sales price of your house, you are on the right track. Kitchen and bathroom remodels bring the highest return on the cost if done correctly. And herein lies the problem. What should you do and how should the remodel look? I have some advise stemming from years of experience in the real estate field.

1: Make the remodel appropriate for the house. If you have a high end luxury home, a kitchen remodel with a cheap laminate kitchen will sink you sale quicker than an iceberg the Titanic. Buyers expecting a custom kitchen with high end finishes and anything less will end in disaster. You can be somewhat frugal in the cabinet brand as long as it has the same quality and appeal. You might go bargain shopping for model year sale of discontinued versions of the high end appliances and you don’t have to pick the very most expensive granite for the countertops. But you have to pick a quality and style that is appropriate for the type of house.

2: Pick the right style. In Kitchens there are trends that come and go. No one likes the plain cheap white laminate kitchen cabinets of the 70’s. Almost no one prefers the raised panel oak cabinets of the 80’s. While a few people still pick them, they have gone out of fashion a while ago. If you prefer traditional style there are a few choices of designs. some like the classic shaker style which is a good choice for older bungalow style homes as well as for new construction, others like the Mediterranean look that was so prevalent in new construction in the south during the 90’s. Those type of homes will have more ornate door panels often with painted doors and a glaze treatment to mimic wear and tear of old kitchen cabinets.

3: How much to invest. This is a crucial question that every homeowner will ask. Will I get my money back? The goal is to invest enough to generate a sale and to maximize the sales price. Buyers are happy to pay a hefty premium for a great kitchen. They will even pay more than you might spend on the renovation if you shop wisely. In the average house it does not make much difference which brand of cabinets you choose. Imported hand crafted custom cabinets from Italy will not yield you a dime over nice high quality cabinets manufactured in China and custom installed by a skilled tradesman. Sad as it is, it only counts what is there, not where it comes from. Buyer look for good quality like solid plywood construction boxes versus cheap pressboard. Solid wood doors in attractive finishes and wood selections like cherry wood or Maple. Buyers like dovetail finishes on the drawer and soft close hinges and drawer rails. So go comparison shopping with different vendors. The nicer the showroom the larger the upcharge. The best deal comes from smaller shops that do their own installation and have a limited selection of product lines. Ask around which vendors local homebuilders use or check with your real estate agent who have home flippers as clients. They typically have figured out where to find good value. Don’t buy the name brand. Don’t buy because of the vendors impressive showroom. Buy quality at a good price and you are in a good shape

4: Which countertops to choose. I have three words: Granite, Granite, Granite. Yes, There is Corean or some other version of it. But in some sense that is just another word for plastic. Solid surface counters were the hit in the 90s and a great improvement over the laminate. Granite has long become the ultimate favorite. Your average house does not need to get an exotic 200$ per sq ft granite that hand cut from a remote mountain in the Himalaya. Standard builders grade qualities as Baltic brown, Ubatuba or Venetian Gold range in the 20 to 30 $ per sq ft and can be cost effective choices that will be a hit with your buyers. And no, your idea of putting glossy tile on your counters will not work well for your sale. It will let your buyers scatter quickly. Also if you cabinets are old and worn the expense of putting granite counters up will just irritate the hell out of many people. Now they feel they have to pay a premium price for granite that will be ripped out when they have to redo the kitchen anyhow. Make sure the cabinets are in tip top shape before putting up granite. There are quartz countertops the are very popular but the mostly are more expensive than basic granite choices. In many cased these additional cost will not translate in more profit in a sale. So be cautious.

5: Which appliances to pick. Stainless steel appliances are the single most wanted feature in average real estate sales in the United States. Yes they might show fingerprints and require frequent cleaning, yes they are a bit more expensive, and yes they might have a black double door refrigerator on sale at your home improvement store, the buyers still want Stainless Steel. It is best if they are new. Some vendors offer packages at discount pricing offering double door Refrigerator, Diswasher, Microwave hood and glas top stove for around $ 2000 to 2500. For a bit more money you can upgrade to a French door refrigerator with a freezer drawer underneath. See that your fridge has water and ice dispenser in the door. If we have a larger kitchen to redesign we add a under the counter beverage cooler. That adds some sparkle in buyers eyes. Remember these are things that can not be added later without extensive efforts and cost. If your house is the only one offering such added feature and they like it, you just jumped in front of all your competition.

6: How to coordinate colors When picking kitchen colors you have to think about how it photographs. We like to choose items the give some sort of contrast that will read great on photo and video. Your first goal is to get buyers in the door. The photos have to be stunning. So when we pick dark walnut cabinets we go for a lighter “Venetian Gold” or “Fantasy” granite. This is a lighter beige color with sprinkles of grey and brown but an overall golden light hue. Popular are also white painted cabinets which are well accented with dark “Ubatuba” or “True Black” countertops. If you have questions about the best choices consult with your designer.

7: Don’t forget the backsplash. It will cost you a few hundred dollars to install a glass mosaic backsplash but it sure will impress a lot of buyers. We pick something that has some of the corresponding colors of the cabinets and look well with both the cabinets and the countertops. In California’s high end design the glass mosaic has already passed its prime. But in mainstream markets the frenzy with the glass mosaic has just started. So unless you are selling a posh abode in Beverly Hills, go for the glass. It creates a wow factor well worth the money. Shop around and look for bargains. You only need 30 to 4o sq ft for average kitchen size. So you can splurge a bit and you may find the perfect one on sale.

8: Labor can be costly. Consider the labor cost of your remodel. With old floor plans you can create tremendous value when opening walls and creating larger spaces. Consult with a contractor on those cost. If you want to change the kitchen floor plan you have to be careful. While an improved layout can be greatly beneficial it can get very costly if you moving plumbing lines or electrical wiring. So the cost and benefits have to be weight here. It is advised to consult the professionals about such changes. You can quickly overspend on your project if you are not careful.

If you keep these aspects in mind you are bound to make some additional money when renovating for sale. Your house will sell quicker and appraise at the top of the market. It truly creates value. Your pocketbook will be thankful you did it.

Dark walnut cabinets give a strong contrast

This kitchen just received new cabinets, counters and appliances. The layout remained the same

Opened up kitchen with plenty of counter space. Even a small dine in space fits in at the end.

Another staging job in Deltona

I just noticed we did not post this staging job in a newer house in Deltona. It had some strong wall colors which let the room to be kind of dark. We came in with lighter furnishings to brighten up the space and to give some contrast in the picture. The tray ceiling has a modern look so the white sofa and the contemporary dining set brings the room together. This combination of formal dining and living can look like a narrow empty space without its furnishings. Here it clearly defines purpose and function. We show the buyers what the space will look like and how it can be utilized best. This house had already sold.

Contemporary looks for a newer house.

I have beautiful floors – why using a rug?

I have beautiful floors – why using a rug? Well you have spend a small fortune to put in those gorgeous wood floors and now your designer wants you to put down an area rug. That sounds like a waste of money you just spent on the wood floor. If you are fitting your own room, do what you like personally. Don’t listen to anyone, if you are sure of what you want.

If you are going for something other people like too, you may want to listen to the professional. The area rug has other functions too. If your space has different usages, the area rug can help to define the different sections of the room. It can anchor the dining area and separate it from the sofa and chairs that can be defined by a separate area rug. Think of different vignettes that the rugs create. They pull the sofa and chair together to a real living area. It creates some balance rather than having disconnected furniture pieces cluttering a room. The other quality rugs have, is to change the acoustics of a room. Have you ever been in a large empty room and hear that weird echoing sound the room has. Well your area rugs help to improve the acoustics and make the room more comfortable. It also warms up the space and gives a feeling of balance and simply completes the design a bit more. The area rug is an additional opportunity to introduce texture, pattern and color. The great things about rugs is also they can be fairly inexpensive. So if you grow tired of it you can very easy replace it without problems. Try that with your hardwood or tile floor. There are some home decoration stores who carry a great selection of area rugs at reasonable prices. Online store offer even greater bargains, if you are willing to take somewhat of a chance on the purchase. Colors sometimes come out a bit different than in the picture, and you can not touch the rug and feel its texture, but if you are looking for a bargain option the internet can offer great choices. Don’t think of covering the nice new floor. Think about protecting it from excessive wear and tear while softening your interior design with layered textures. It may lead you to take the shoes off and kick back. Not the worst of all side effects, don’t you think?

View from the staircase down to the formal areas. Now the room makes sense and shows its potential use to buyers

Finding your audience – how to design for a client you don’t even know yet

An Asian wall installation appeals to people who like eclectic design

A sleek breakfast nook that shows its contemporary side

A rustic day bed offers spare sleeping quarters while offering comfortable seating

Nice updated fixtures can bring a current appeal in otherwise traditional design themes

Finding your audience – how to design for a client you don’t even know yet. Great staging has a lot to do with anticipating the wishes and dreams of a client you have not met yet. In a sense you have to imagine who you are catering to. So who is the person or who are the people who should respond positive to your design. When staging a house for sale, I always think of the potential buyers for the space. Will my audience will be a family with children or will we sell to a retired couple? Will a single person feel drawn to the house or do we think a younger newlywed couple will start a future here in Orlando. The neighborhood statistics play a role here and if I have access to the statistics, I look at those to find out who will be most likely attracted to the neighborhood. Will it be a young professional that is draw to the Downtown Orlando area, will it be a couple looking for a College Park home in walking distance to restaurants. Will the house in a desirable school district in Lake Mary, Winter Springs or Longwood attract a family with children? Once I have a rough idea about the audience we will be catering to, I can start making plans on how to design for them. It will be easier to determine if I need to decorate for a home office or kids room. I can make design and material choices that will be more appealing to my core target group. Off course it is important to keep it universal enough that you don’t alienate other potential buyers. So in any case the house has to be attractive to all potential groups of buyers. However, we can focus a bit for a group that will be most prevalent in the mix. We anticipate that we have a buyer that has seen design shows on TV, and perhaps browsed occasionally through a design magazine. That way we can showcase current trends and a great appeal for maximum effect. We want the buyer to pay todays prices. We have to show them a fresh design vision. For buyers less inclined with decorative trends the house appears as a refreshing novelty, for the ones this represents what they are looking for in an ideal world. It is creating a sort of competitiveness. Not all living quarters are created equal. Lets tip the scale in our favor with a bit of icing on the cake. If you are planning to do some cosmetic renovations, consider a consultation with your design professional ahead of your work. That is a sure way to put your money where it counts. You can focus on the key factors that will help to bring your property into the new millennium and to create a current design that will include paint colors, fixtures and flooring choices. It can be quite devastating to find out that your expensive renovation set your property back into the 90’s. While nostalgic flash back parties are a lot of fun, your house should not hang on to the past too much. Your clients typically want to live in the moment and not relive someone’s past.

Why you should not buy a whole room at once

Why you should not buy a whole room at once – Furniture stores want to make shopping easy. They often advertise a whole room for sale. “8 Pieces for the price of 5”, says the ad. The designer sees this like the screeching sound of chalk on a blackboard. A bedroom set with its big four poster king bed, matching night stands, dresser, a highboy and all in the same shape, wood and color. Your room will look exactly like the furniture catalog and that is a look that can be very boring and predictable. Just because the furniture manufacturer offers any possible type of furniture piece with the same design, no one dictates you have to have them all. Designers almost never take a so called “bedroom suite” and stuff it in a room. They mostly take time and judgment and select single pieces that they combine for a visual interesting look. The reason those professionally designed rooms look so great is that the designer takes inspiration from a myriad of shapes, colors and textures and select the pieces that tell a story and set a mood. Consider a basic rule. The items you pair should unite in either of the following ways. Select them by color or material choice. You also can combine items by similar shape. If you go with something wooden, see if you can find another piece with a similar color and texture of the wood grain. If your elements have metal, seek similar metals. So if your bed has chrome feet you may want to find similar metals and perhaps don’t use nightstands with aged bronze hardware. Or you can group a number of vases that are made of different materials but show a similar shape. The elements in the space have to reference each other enough to form a somewhat coherent design without being matchy matchy. Even your nightstands can be of different shape if they are made of the same material or vice versa. It is a bit tricky and if you are not sure consult a designer to assist you with the choices. Last not least, keep in mind that if you think of buying all of the available matching options from the store, you have to have a bedroom the size of the furniture showroom. Chances are your space is not all that big. If the room is overstuffed with a huge bed, enormous nightstands and three large dressers and you live in a tiny apartment, your bedroom will be so full that there is hardly any space left to feel relaxed and welcome. Make sure you leave room to live your life. This is the space that you and your loved ones will occupy. Your house is not a museum, but a space that surrounds you and that should cater to your very own needs. One of the most important things to consider in your interior design is the room you leave open. It is essential and it is easily overlooked. No one likes a room that does not leave enough space for their own being.

The low headboard fits perfect under the awkward windows. The two stools provide a place to sit and put on shoes. The chair in the corner accentuates the large space. All colors in neutrals with a weight on green tones work well with the wood floors.

Instead of matching drawer chests we went with built in closets in classic white. They come reasonably priced from the furniture store and were easy to trim out for a finished look.