🍀 The Power of Green 🌿

Every buyer needs a little help imagining themselves in their new home. Our secret “good luck” charm for sellers? Adding green! There is something about greenery, artificial or real, that adds so much life and beauty to a space.  Plants offer a natural touch and warmth to any room and definitely enhance buyer appeal.  Small plants can bring personality to a side table or open counter space, while larger plants bring that little something extra to an empty corner. In fact, plants not only add warmth, charm and personality, but are also a budget-friendly accessory with a big design impact. 

A few tips for staging with plants:

- Less is More - plants should not overpower the decor. No jungles please!

- If opting for live plants, purchase ones that are super healthy and low maintenance like succulents, ferns, philodendron, a fiddle leaf fig tree, etc. (don’t forget to give plants the water and light they need!)

-Yep. We're fans of artificial plants. And, no, we aren't talking about Grandma's dated silk floral arrangements. We prefer small & simple designs like small round box woods, succulents, small herbs, topiary plants, etc.

-Artificial plants placed in decorative pots, baskets, or on-trend containers are another fun way to add a welcoming pop of color to any interior space

-Greenery can be used outdoors, too. Use live plants on patios, front entrances, planters and more! 

Below are a few of our favorite good luck “green moments” from our 2018 Parade of Homes listing (which will be featured in the Acadiana Home Builders Association magazine this month!!). See if you can spot the real versus the faux green. 

Photography by Haylei Smith Photography

Freshen up your Foyer

"Old ways don't open new doors"

The foyer of your home, whether large or small, should be functional and beautiful.  After all, it’s the first glimpse of your home!

Questions to consider:
Does it set the tone for your home’s interior?  Is it a snapshot of what’s to come? Does it exude a warm welcome? Is it decluttered and clean?

The goal of foyer freshening: it should keep an interested buyer wanting to see more! Let’s capture potential buyer’s interest instantly with some key foyer ingredients.  House Dressings “top secret”  foyer checklist will definitely energize your entryway: 

•     a chest or table
•     mirror
•     rug
•     lamp
•     fresh flowers or blooming plant
•      small bowl for real estate agents’ business cards
•     a small bench with pillows is great for a small foyer/entryway or to create a foyer “feel” if you don't have one at all! 

Spring has sprung!

It's officially Spring. Read on for a few of our favorite tips for Spring sellers!

• Remember - first impressions sell. Make sure you capture your buyers' interest and excitement right from the curb. 
• Yards must be well-maintained and trimmed from top to bottom including small trees, shrubs, weed-free beds, fresh mulch and perfectly edged green lawns. Make sure sidewalks and pathways are clear and easy to walk through. 
• Eye-catching seasonal blooming color is the final coat of lipstick you'll need for this first date! Summer shades of pinks, lavenders, reds and blue are perfect enhancements for creating that winning curb appeal in beds and in pots near the front door.  

Photo Day Styling - Flora Springs

Photo Day Styling is a new service we just made official for 2018!

A House Dressings Accredited Stager gets your home ready for its "closeup"! We bring in our own on-trend accessories and complete finish styling before your real estate photographer arrives -- making sure your listing is "picture perfect".  We stay during photos for tweaks, if needed, and then pack up our accessories afterwards. Pricing starts at $90 for homes under 2000 SF.  Targeting Kitchen, Living & Dining Rooms. 

Click through above to browse photos of a recent styling sessions we completed. 

Seller Tips for Christmas Decorating

As the leaves begin to fall outside and temperatures finally dip, our thoughts quickly turn to fun decorating for the holidays – Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Mardi Gras. But, what does this mean for sellers? We suggest no visible holiday décor in any MLS photos, and a holiday decorating “lite” approach when it comes to interior spaces for showings. Enjoy the holidays but save your “all-out” decorating for the new/next house.

Here are a few more of our favorite tips from HGTV: 

• Clean and stage. “Before you decorate, your house needs to be staged,” Powers says. If your living room is already piled high with clutter and tchotchkes, your ceramic reindeer collection is only going to add to the sense of overcrowding.
• Create a cozy vibe. The less-is-more mantra of home staging may tempt you to forgo holiday cheer this year. But a few subtle touches like a bowl of pinecones, an evergreen wreath, or a pot of cider simmering on the stove can create a warm and festive feeling in your home.
• Complement your palette. Before you start untangling your tinsel, make sure your holiday collection matches your current decor. If your living room is painted a soothing ocean-blue hue, skip the clashing red garland and opt for white snowflakes or a silver glass-ball wreath. If you’ve got an earthy color scheme, accent with rich tones like cranberries, forest greens and gold.
• Go light on lights. Step away from the inflatable snowman, Clark Griswold. One man’s “merry” is another man’s “tacky,” so tone down any garish light displays while your home is on the market. (No, your neighbors didn’t pay us to say that.) Instead, use simple string lighting to play up your home’s architecture or draw attention to the gorgeous fir tree in your front yard.
• Clear the clutter. A few decorations can stir the holiday spirit, but don’t feel obliged to hang every last ornament. “A lot of people, when they decorate, tend to use all the extra space in their house,” Powers says. “You still want each space to look as spacious as possible.” Limit yourself to a few hints of holiday flair, but stash the rest in the basement for now. If you start to miss your Santa figurines, just remember that with a little luck, you’ll be celebrating next year’s holidays in a new home. And you can decorate that place any way you please.