Pearland - Friendswood Edition | July 2023

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2023 HOME EDITION

HOME IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE

ASK A HOME STAGER

Jenn Neitzey is an accredited staging design professional who started Dream Team Home Staging at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COMPILED BY RACHEL LELAND

WHAT INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING? So this shift is to more creamy neutrals, more textures and using that to enhance the space rather than bright, bold colors. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VACANT AND AN OCCUPIED STAGING? An occupied stage means that the homeowners will still live in the home while it’s trying to be on the market. So an occupied staging could mean that the stager would just be coming in and bringing accessories and art. Or say it’s a young family and they were using their dining room as a playroom and they need a dining room set to be brought in. A vacant staging would mean that the homeowner has already moved out and there’s nothing left in the home. So stagers would come in with our furniture … and rugs and accessories and just create the space with our things only. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE PRICE RANGE consultation is approximately $225 for the stager to come in as well as give a written report back so the homeowners have a checklist as to what to do to get the home ready. FOR YOUR STAGING SERVICES? So I would say a typical staging If you’re talking about an occupied home, that has a range because it just depends on the number of items that you’re bringing in. So, it could go anywhere from $500 to $4,000. It’s just a really big range depending on what’s there. A vacant stage would typically be a living room, dining room, the primary bedroom and then accessories in the kitchen and bathrooms, and that starts around $3,000. Dream Team Home Staging 281-507-2696 www.dreamteamhomestaging.com www.instagram.com/dreamteamstaging www.facebook.com/dthomestaging

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST VALUE IN HOME STAGING FOR HOMEOWNERS LOOKING TO PUT THEIR HOME ON THE MARKET? If your home is staged when buyers come in, they’re actually able to see themselves in the house rather than you. Sellers have their own personal design idea, which is important when you’re living in a house. But if you’re trying to sell a house, you want to depersonalize it as much as possible and create a space that is approachable for a variety of buyers. It also helps sellers to start the process of kind of preparing themselves for the move. So I like to say “prepacking” rather than “decluttering” because really, you’re just getting yourself ready. So you can identify, “Well, yes, I’m going to keep these things, but I’m going to actually donate these other things.” WHAT SHOULD HOMEOWNERS PREPARE FOR WHEN WORKING WITH A HOME STAGER? I mean, honestly, there’s no prep to working with the stager. A stager will come in and take the sellers room by room and give them suggestions and ideas of what to prepack and possibly what a stager could bring in to enhance that space. So [sellers] don’t have to prepare for the stager; it’s the stager that helps them prepare to move. IF THE SELLER ONLY HAS THE BUDGET TO STAGE ONE ROOM, WHICH SHOULD THEY PRIORITIZE? We recommend always the main living spaces, so that would be your living room, your dining room and the kitchen area, as well as the primary bedroom. The buyers are the ones who will be in the primary bedroom, so you want them to see that it’s a beautiful space. Another thing is, with so many people working from home after the pandemic, it’s wonderful if there’s a dedicated oce space, but if there’s not, it’s a good idea to transform a secondary bedroom into an oce to show that it’s possible.

ASK A HOME REMODELER

Je Davis grew up in a family construction business that has been established for more than 30 years. His upbringing helped him build a knowledge base and attention to detail that helps him best serve his customers.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS SOMEONE SHOULD KNOW BEFORE REMODELING THEIR HOME? Realistically, get multiple estimates on the project. Do your research on the contractors. There’s a lot of good ones out there, but there are some that give everybody else a bad name. Then, if you’re going to continue to live in the house while the work is being done, just mentally prepare yourself that you are going to be living in a construction site. It’s going to be dirty, there’s going to be dust. You’re going to have strangers in and out of your home, you know, so just kind of mentally prepare yourself for that. WHAT SHOULD HOMEOWNERS KEEP IN MIND WHEN DECIDING WHICH CONTRACTOR TO HIRE? References. Denitely check your references and make sure they are associated with the Better Business Bureau. References and examples of work denitely go a long way. Verify that the contractors use licensed trades. Make sure that the electricians and plumbers are licensed through the state. Finally, check a copy of the declaration page of their insurance.

WHY SHOULD A HOMEOWNER CONSIDER REMODELING THEIR HOME OR KITCHEN? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST VALUE TO REMODELING? The main thing is for resale value. Updating kitchens and bathrooms denitely help on the sale of a home when you’re getting rid of all the builder grade and kind of going more with a custom, personal touch. Secondly, remodeling makes people feel better. In fact, with the master bathroom in my own house, I need to remodel it, and it irritates me every day I walk into it. I just don’t have time. So it’s kind of a two-fold answer: resale COMPLETE REMODEL, WHAT MINOR RENOVATIONS CAN THEY DO FOR A BIG IMPACT? Just paint. It’s amazing what paint can do. It changes the room in a way that’s very aordable, and even the homeowner can do it themselves. You don’t have to have a professional come in, but just changing the color of a space denitely changes the feel. Also changing out light xtures [has a big impact]. Upgrading the light xture here and a ceiling fan there can denitely change the look of a room. value and personal preference. IF SOMEONE DOESN’T HAVE THE BUDGET OR TIME FOR A

Construction Masters Residential 3908 Third St., Pearland 346-221-9664 www.cm-residential.com

HAMPSHIRE ST.

11555 Magnolia Pkwy., Suite 170 Pearland, TX 77584 713.852.6700 TexasBayCU.org

PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • JULY 2023