Home Staging Secrets

We have all heard – via the news, our real estate agent, of HGTV – that home staging is the way to get a house to move off the market. But, why is it that this works so well? Why is it that a few simple pieces of furniture and leaving the curtains in place have such an effect on how a potential buyer sees the property?
Perhaps the best way to answer this question is to consider a recent article posted in the NewsTimes Online. The article was titled “Beware of Home Staging” and advised home buyers to avoid being oversold by the staging of a house for sale. It says, “Home staging makes houses look bigger, flawless and best of all makes you want to buy it.” That is the simple truth of it. Home staging is mean to make a house look more than livable. It is meant to make it look as near perfect as it can.
Think about the small blemishes your home may have. Think about the ding behind the count from when you were moving it in. Consider the large scratch in the floor from when you were rearranging the bedroom a few years before. Even recall the added décor provided by the children when they were young and armed with markers or crayons. These things can become very apparent when the home is bear, but it is not only the little things that are made so evident. Even big problems – issues with plumbing, heating, foundation, or other structural components – can sometimes be overlooked if the house “appears” perfect. After all, the thing that sells most buyers is the “feel” of a home. Thus, it is no surprise that research states that staged homes sell twice as fast and for a higher price than those not so equipped.
Home staging is really not a difficult thing to accomplish, but it is important to note that this does not necessarily mean that you should leave your furniture in place. You are aiming to make the place look better than it ever has. This might mean making minor repairs, touching up with a fresh coat of paint, and even potentially renting furniture for the space until the sale goes through. It can be very beneficial to seek the help of professional stagers to get your home sold.
So, if you have a buyer to buy rather than just look, home staging might be the perfect tool to have in your back pocket. Better yet, if you are looking for a new career that can sustain through the poor economy, then it might be time to consider home staging as an option. When one stops to consider that home sales are coming harder than ever before, it is no surprise that headlines all over the nation are reporting the vast benefits related to properly staging a home.

There are companies and people out there that can provide the insight you need to make one project – or a lifetime of projects – pure success.

Body Butter Recipe

Dry skin is universal, and most, if not all of us have suffered with it at one point or another. This shared discomfort is something that you, as an artisan product producer, should leverage to your benefit!

Creating skin-softening and soothing body butter bars is both easy and inexpensive. The basic ingredients are readily available; and, you can create seemingly endless variations by swapping them out with their moisturizing counterparts.

The Basic Bar – Small Batch

By starting out with a relatively small batch recipe, you can test a formulation without incurring a great deal of expense. The formulation can be changed by swapping out the oils or butters. You can fragrance your bars with essential or body-safe fragrance oils, or leave them unscented.

• 2 ounces Mango or Cocoa Butter
• 2 ounces beeswax pastilles (white or yellow is fine)
• 3 ounces sweet almond oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon body safe fragrance oil

Method:

Combine the butter and beeswax into a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Heat slowly in the microwave in short segments of 5-10 seconds at a time, stirring in between each segment. Once the mixture is fully melted, remove from microwave and stir in the sweet almond oil, mixing until completely combined.

Allow the mixture to cool for 1 to 2 minutes, and then add in the fragrance oil. Stir until completely combined. Immediately pour the mixture into your desired packaging (push up lotion bar tubes or lip balm tubes are recommended options).

Putting Your Product to Use

There is no disputing the fact that offering samples will help you sell more product. Among the most affordable samples that you can offer are body butter samples. If you make up small batches and package them into standard lip balm tubes, they become smooth operators that open doors to potential customers.

Examples for Using Body Butter Bar Samples:

• As a “thank you” gift with purchase
• Promotional giveaway at craft shows and fairs
• Hand them out with business cards to new contacts
• Offer them as party favors at spa-at-home parties
• Sell them with a full-size version as a set

Interested in more spa product recipes and ideas? Subscribe to my FREE Make Your Own Spa Products E-Course.