advanced home staging & business development …dining+module.pdfforever, or has it lost its...

2ADVANCED HOME STAGING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTMODULE EIGHT

1

2

Advanced Home Staging

& Business Development

DINING

3

Copyright

© Copyright 2012

Naomi Findlay,

International Institute of Home Staging and Silk Home Staging & Styling, Pty LtdAll rights reserved.

No part of this report may be reproducedor transmitted in any form whatsoever,electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording, or by anyinformational storage or retrieval systemwithout the express written, dated andsigned permission from the author andcopyright holder.

4

DisclaimerThis report and its contents are providedfor informational purposes only and allinformation and ideas are provided ingood faith by the author who believes suchinformation to be true and honest to thebest of the authors’ knowledge and belief.

Any and all opinions expressed by theauthor represent the views and opinionsof the author at the time of writing. Theauthor reserves the right to vary or changeany such opinions subsequently. It isnot possible to provide comprehensiveinformation and advice tailored to eachindividual situation within a report suchas this and it should not be regarded asany kind of substitute for appropriate andpersonalised professional advice.

Nothing in this report can be consideredto be any form of promise or guarantee.Implementation of any of therecommendations mentioned in this guideare entirely at the reader’s own risk.The reader is totally responsible for thechoices and decisions they make, andfor any and all consequences of thosedecisions. SILK Home Staging and Stylingor International Institute of Home Staging shall not be liable for any special, indirect,incidental, or consequential damages,including without limitation lost revenuesor lost profits that may result from the useof these materials or information.

5

Contents...............................................Learning Outcomes: 6

...............................Rediscover Your Dining Room 7

........................................Identify Your Ingredients 8

....................................................Trimming the Fat 11

..................Topping it off with the Right Garnish 13

When the (Furniture & Accessory) Cupboard is ........................................................................Bare 15

.............................Don’t Forget to Wipe the Plate 16

....................................................The Assessment 17

6

At the completion of Module 8 - Dining, you will be

able to:

1. Identify the key elements to preparing this

space in a property when going to market

for sale

2. Describe the key items to be changed or

reviewed when preparing a dining space for

sale

Learning Outcomes:ModulE 8DINING

7

hen was the last time you used your dining room? While you may not be able to remember the answer to that question, it’s crucial you don’t forget the dining room when it comes to preparing a home for sale.

Casual eat-in kitchens may have become the most popular space for the family meal, but a traditional separate dining room is still a desirable feature for buyers keen to ensure their next house has a stylish solution for celebrating that special occasion.Step back and take a long hard look at your dining room space – what does it say to you? Will it lend itself to creating happy family memories that will last forever, or has it lost its identity through a lack of use and instead morphed into a study, hobby room or storage place?

The first step to rediscovering your dining room – and the elegance and appeal it can add to your fully-staged home – is to strip it back to the essentials. The dining room is often located at the front of the property and first impressions count when it comes to making a potential buyer want to explore beyond the initial areas they encounter.

This unit will cover the main considerations you need to take into account in order to truly make your dining room shine.

Rediscover Your Dining Room

W

It’s crucial you don’t

forget the dining

room when it comes

to preparing a home

for sale!

8

hen you’re planning a meal, the first thing you need to think about is your ingredient list.

Similarly when you’re looking at a room that needs to be staged, you

first need to identify what elements you are working with. - Consider the dimensions of the room – its length, width and the height of the ceiling. This will dictate the pieces you use to furnish it later in the process.- Study the walls – their colour, finish (paint, wallpaper or something else) and condition (are there any cracks, stains or mildew?) Damage needs to be repaired while out-of-date decor will instantly create the wrong atmosphere unless it is freshened up or replaced. Wallpaper can sometimes be painted over to give an interesting textural finish, but it’s best to consult a professional painter for advice.- Don’t forget to look up – the ceiling may be the last place your turn your thoughts, but it can leave a lasting impression if there are stains from minor water damage (which may make potential buyers think there are most serious problems); a patchy paint job or cracks creeping across the ceiling. Repair and repaint if this is the case – although, as with walls, don’t just repaint the patched area, give a new coat to the entire surface or you risk raising red flags with potential buyers or building inspectors.polish.

Identify Your Ingredients

W

9

- Don’t forget to look down too – while the floor may not suffer in the same way as the high traffic areas of the house, the fact it is a dining room increases your chances of having a more unattractive problem underfoot than natural wear and tear – food or drink stains. Ensure your carpet is clean and blemish-free before you dress it up with furniture, while hardwood floors would benefit from a thorough wash and polish. While wooden floors look good, they are also noisier and colder than carpeted surfaces. Try adding a striking rug, large enough to comfortably fit your table and chairs – not only will it help muffle the sound, it will also ensure your wooden flooring becomes a real feature.- Light it right – the lights you use can have a major impact on the look and atmosphere of a room. Even the most basic set-up needs to be examined to test whether it suits the style of the property and is bright enough to throw sufficient light on the room. Check out the bulbs – are they the highest possible wattage you can use for that particular fitting? Keeping your fixtures clean and dust-free will also make a noticeable difference to the amount of light in the room.Lights can be easily and affordably replaced with up-to-date and on-trend new fixtures, however there are plenty of other options out there if you want to make a real splash. A chandelier will suggest old-style glamour, but there are certain rules to follow when deciding on the size and placement of any f i t t ing. L ight f i t t ings should be insta l led approximately 1000mm (1m) above the surface of the table and be in proportion to the room. This is where the height of your ceiling comes into play. There is a formula that can be used to ensure your light fitting is the right size for your room. For standard 2400mm ceilings, the diameter of light fittings can be determined as 8.5% of the sum of the length and width of the room (see table below).

10

2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 60002500 425 468 510 553 595 638 680 723

3000 468 510 553 595 638 680 723 765

3500 510 553 595 638 680 723 765 808

4000 553 595 638 680 723 765 808 850

4500 595 638 680 723 765 808 850 893

5000 638 680 723 765 808 850 893 935

5500 680 723 765 808 850 893 935 978

6000 723 765 808 850 893 935 978 1020

CEILING HEIGHT: 2400mm

DIAMETER OF LIGHT FITTING (mm)

ROOM W

IDTH

(mm)

ROOM LENGTH (mm)

As a rule of thumb, for every 300mm rise in ceiling height, the diameter of the light fitting should be increased by 25mm (see tables below for incremental reference guide).

2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 60002500 450 493 535 578 620 663 705 748

3000 493 535 578 620 663 705 748 790

3500 535 578 620 663 705 748 790 833

4000 578 620 663 705 748 790 833 875

4500 620 663 705 748 790 833 875 918

5000 663 705 748 790 833 875 918 960

5500 705 748 790 833 875 918 960 1003

6000 748 790 833 875 918 960 1003 1045



ROOM W

IDTH

(mm)

ROOM LENGTH (mm)

2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 60002500 475 518 560 603 645 688 730 773

3000 518 560 603 645 688 730 773 815

3500 560 603 645 688 730 773 815 858

4000 603 645 688 730 773 815 858 900

4500 645 688 730 773 815 858 900 943

5000 688 730 773 815 858 900 943 985

5500 730 773 815 858 900 943 985 1028

6000 773 815 858 900 943 985 1028 1070



ROOM W

IDTH

(mm)

ROOM LENGTH (mm)

11

ow you ’ ve assessed the ma in ingredients of your dining room, it’s time to decide how to bring them together to c r e a t e a n a p p e t i s i n g - l o o k i n g destination.

There is often a temptation to cram as much furniture as possible into a dining room, especially when it is used to store the overflow items from the kitchen.Furniture catalogues are guilty of making people want more than they need or can actually fit, by showcasing gorgeous dining room settings complete with a grand table, eight chairs and a matching china cabinet, sideboard or buffet.In reality though, few dining rooms are big enough for all or most of these pieces, especially as the furniture is often quite large in size.The key to making a dining room dazzle is by creating a sense of space while still making it look capable of catering for the buyer and their extended family. When staging a dining room, you need to allow for adequate walking space, sometimes referred to as a “passing lane”, around the individual pieces of furniture so that you don’t have to squeeze past items or be constantly worried about knocking against something as you pass it. A distance of about 500mm provides ample room to move between pieces and not have potential buyers brushing up against each other during an open home inspection.Home stagers are more likely to trim the fat from the dining room by removing excess items of furniture in order to achieve this desired result. Sometimes the answer is as simple as moving the china cabinet or sideboard into another room of your house that needs additional storage. But don’t be tempted to just shift the clutter into another area. Instead consider renting a storage shed or utilising that unused space in a friend or family’s garage and move the unwanted items there for the period the property is on the market.

Trimming the Fat

N

12

Even if the dining room is spacious enough to fit all the furniture, the space can still become cluttered-looking if you display too many items on your cabinet, buffet or sideboard. Accessorise sparingly – pack up all your treasured china, dinner settings and silverware and instead leave a few key pieces to really create that “less is more” look.A china cabinet can be perfect for highlighting an interesting architectural feature or niche in the dining room. If the piece becomes too visually overpowering try removing the top hutch section from the base (if the item allows for this). Doing this will create an impression of having more room.The placement of your sideboard or buffet is also useful for creating a sense of space – the most successful position, particular in a rectangular-shaped room, is on one of the shorter walls.Too many chairs can also soak up precious real estate in a dining room. Some of the larger tables have removable sections – if so, take one section out and reduce it down to a four, or at most six, chair setting. Put the remaining chairs and leftover section of the table into storage – if you leave them in the corners of the room you will only add to the impression that the room is too small.

13

efore a meal is served, most chefs can’t resist adding a garnish or two to lift its final presentation.

In the same way, a room will not look complete to a home stager without the

right accessories. Too many can overwhelm a potential buyer, taking away from the main features of the room itself. But too few accessories will leave it looking a little bland. The trick is getting the balance right.Lighting can once again play an important role here. While the main lighting fixtures and fittings were sorted out in the initial stage of the process, ambient lighting added at the end can be used to manipulate the mood of the room. A lamp or two on the buffet can look on-trend and also create a warm and cosy feel if desired. Up lighting positioned at the bottom of a large leafy pot plant can highlight the foliage, which itself is used to soften and add texture to a space predominantly filled with the hard surfaces and straight lines of the major furniture items. Pots are often placed in the back, right corner of the room, which studies suggest is where a person’s eye naturally rests when they first enter a room.Aside from plants, live flowers can also add texture and colour to the dining room. Bigger is not better though – a small arrangement in the centre of the table is best, but make sure the flowers are always fresh, particularly for an open house or private inspection.

Topping it off with the Right Garnish

B

14

When it comes to the table resist the temptation to set it for dinner every time you have an open house inspection – it may look good in a brochure, but in real life it feels too contrived. Also avoid using a tablecloth, which somehow seems to make the room feel smaller. If your dining table top really isn’t up to scratch, consider borrowing from friends or renting a setting until your property sells.Artwork and mirrors can also add a splash of colour or the illusion of space to a room and are useful accessories. Don’t overcrowd the walls – one major piece or a collection of art in one area is enough. You also need to ensure the frame of the mirror suits the overall style of the room. The height you hang these pieces will obviously depend on their position in relation to the furniture resting against the walls in the room, however a good rule of thumb is to have the middle of the item at about 1700mm from the floor.

15

o you don’t own the right items to make your dining room feel five star, rather than op shop?

While some owners mistakenly believe an unfurnished room will look bigger, the

opposite is true because without the necessary items to give it a clearly defined purpose, potential buyers can be left feeling unsatisfied, unable to picture how they could use the space.If you have friends or family who are able to lend you the items that you need (and will, most importantly, suit the style of the room and overall property), then certainly make use of their generosity.Purchasing some of the smaller items you need, particularly if they are things you would be happy to take with you to your next house, can fill some of your gaps, however one of the most practical solutions can be renting the furniture. This will ensure you have access to the latest trends and right styles – and you won’t have to pack it up and take it with you (it will simply be returned to the shop at the end of the rental period).

When the (Furniture &

Accessory) Cupboard is Bare

S

16

he final thing a chef does before a dish leaves their kitchen is check there aren’t any drips of sauce or food out of place on the plate.

So too should you complete one final check of your dining room (and the rest of the property) before it goes on the market, has photos taken for marketing purposes or is opened for inspection.Give everything a thorough clean – woodwork, baseboards, cornices, walls, floors, furniture and even light switches. Make sure windows sparkle and are free from dirt or hand prints.Dust down your window furnishings – if the window opens up to a pleasant view make sure the blinds or curtains are pulled back during inspections to highlight this feature, as well as letting in as much natural light as possible. Windows without a desirable view can be disguised by placing plants with architectural foliage near them – this will let in the light while distracting a buyer’s eye from what’s outside.Doors should open and close freely and without noise – squeaky hinges should be oiled and doors that stick should be adjusted.On the day of the inspection, complete a last minute assessment to make sure everything is in its place – you only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it is a good one.

Don’t Forget to Wipe the Plate

T

17

Please complete and return the assessments that are outlined below as per the direc4ons in the course two outline and overview.

Task -‐

Please find two examples of dining spaces that require work on their presenta4on before going to market.

For each dining space I want you to prepare a “report” or “list of recommenda4ons” that you would make to the client around the prepara4on of their dining space. These rooms can belong to friends, family or neighbours or ones that you may find online that have adequate images so you can complete the task successfully.

In regard to the layout and format of the submission, present this task in a way that you would present it to a client.

In the report/list of recommenda4ons for each room please include:

• Images of the space

• Your recommenda4ons for upgrades and es4mated cos4ng

to give the client

• Your recommenda4ons for maintenance and es4mated

cos4ng to give the client

• Ideas on presenta4on and enhancements

• Please calculate the correct pendant size for each of the

rooms based on what you have learnt in this module. Please

show all the “workings” for this calcula4on.

The Assessment

18

Starting your own Home Staging Business

This course (3) is designed for those who

are ready to take the exciting next step

and start their own Home Staging/Property

Styling business. It is also of great benefit

to those who already have a Home

Staging and want to cement yourself in the

market. As a result of completing this

course your business will grow and

prosper.

Course content includes:

• The magic of mindset

• Business planning

• Branding and design

• Rates and services

• Social media

• PR and marketing

• Client consultations

• Advanced client communication

skills

• Inventory management

• Industry promotion

• Working with estate agents

ENROLLTODAY

19

Mentoring

“Mentoring is the art of teaching and

training another person in what the mentor

knows and does”. Naomi Findlay is a

professional Home Stager with vast

experience in starting up, developing and

building a successful home staging and

property styling business, all whilst

working out of a home office and raising a

family of four. Naomi will mentor you

through the process of creating a

successful home staging business.

EnquireTODAY

20

Business Coaching

Andrew Dart is a professional and

personal coach with a passion for helping

people live their dreams. He has a

Certificate IV in Business and Personal

Coaching and has worked with many

individuals as well as organisations such

as Pfizer Australia. Andrew’s coaching is

all about empowering people to achieve

their goals and dreams. He uses tools

skills and frameworks to inspire and

motivate people. Working with Andrew is a

perfect way to consolidate all the new

skills you have learnt in your home staging

training.

EnquireTODAY

21

The members only section is brimming

with great member only content, discounts

and workshop offers that will continue to

support your learning, property staging

and business development now and in the

future.

Membership Benefits include:

• Discounts on workshops, webinars

and events

• Discounted rates on courses and

services

• Access to members only website

that is full of staging tips, resources,

members only forum moderated by

experts in the field of styling,

staging, business and marketing.

Cost $197 per year

or $17 per month

Membership

JOINTODAY

advanced home staging & business development …dining+module.pdfforever, or has it lost its...

Documents