Who We Are at Enhance Your Home, Staging & Interior Redesign, Inc.

Gayle Jussel, the "Residential Illusionist," owner of Enhance Your Home, holds an MBA, CSS, CRS and a RESA-Pro designation.

Enhance Your Home specializes in Staging for occupied & vacant properties and is an expert at Interior Redesign Services as well. 

Gayle is a member of the Lake Forest / Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce, the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce,  RESA (Real Estate Staging Association), and The Women's Council of Realtors, North Shore chapter.

"Gayle transforms ordinary homes into masterpieces which results in dramatically shorter sales cycles".  David Welte, President, Capital Maintenance Group

This all adds up to absolute confidence that Gayle Jussel, "The Residential Illusionist" will magically Stage or Redesign your home the right way, the first time and for the right price!

   

www.enhanceyourhome.net

847-748-7777

gayle@enhanceyourhome.net

Tips for Taking Photos of your House for Sale

Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

In today's  high tech Real Estate market most perspective buyer's see homes for the first time on their computer screens, not in person.  Which is why taking photos of properties that are for sale is so important.  Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.  Which is why the photos buyers see have to be great, not just okay.  If buyer's don't like the way a house looks in a photo they won't bother to get into the car and drive across town to see it.

 

If you've ever tried to take a photo of the interior of a

house you know how difficult and frustrating it can be.  A house was designed to be lived in not photographed.  So, if you can't use a professional photographer, here's 3 simple tips to taking photo that will help sell those properties!

1.  Use a wide angle lens.  When it was time for me to buy a new digital camera I researched wide angle lens.  I actually took my old camera to the store to compare.  I turned on my camera and one with a wide angle lens and looked in the view finders.  I was amazed to see the difference.  A wide angle lens really helps photograph more of the room, which will show off how large it is .. and isn't that what you want?

2.  De-Clutter first.  Always make sure to de-clutter the rooms before you take the photo.  Ask the homeowner to help you 'straighten up' by removing excess shoes, clothes, toys, magazines, newspapers and miscellansous items.  And, be on the look out for the stray garage can that always seems to end up in the middle of the room, spoiling the shot.

3.  Take different shots.  Try taking several shots of each room and then judge which one is best.  Always use the best shots, don't settle.  After all you're using a digital camera, so taking more shots isn't more expensive.  Go to each corner and take a photo.  Also, stand outside the room, with the door frame just outside the viewfinder.  Then take a 1/2 step into the room, take the shot again and check out the difference.  Or try kneeling when you take the photo.  Or stand on a foot stool.  Often times changing the angle can make a room appear larger.

4.  One of the most imperitive things when taking photos of interiors is making sure all your veritcal lines in the room are represented as vertical. Seeing warped walls and curves where they shouldn't be is not good for selling a home. We suggest not taking vertical shots. Sticking to horizontal shots makes rooms look wider, more spatious and avoids getting those long straight walls misrepresented as warped and wonky.

I hope these tips improve your photos and your sales.  And, of course if you need assistance with the de-cluttering you can always give us a call at 847-748-7777. 

Fun Faux Finishing

Many people want to do their own fun faux finishing or create a mural in their home.  But they don't know the simple ways to create and make them last.  So here's today's tasteful tip:

"If you're planning a mural or faux finish, the most important part isn't the painting - it's prepping your surface!  The first step is to clean your wall with soap, and water.  This will help make your paint adhere more completely and will make your creation last longer.  The next step is to do any necessary spackling and priming.  Once the wall dries, make sure to use a cloth that won't leave fiber residue behind.  Then you'll be all set to create your masterpiece!  Happy painting!"

- Amy Trummer, Enhance Your Home, Muralist

Helpful Tips for your Documents

What Should You Shred, and When?

When we Stage or Redesign homes, often times we discover that people have a huge amount of documents.  And, they're never quite sure when to shred or destroy them.  I found this article with some great advice, from the September 2010 issue of AARP Magazine and thought you might find it helpful ... especially with tax season fast approaching.

"Shred everything with your signature, birth date, Social Security number, account numbers, passwords or PINs. When?

1. Shred credit card statements after 45 days unless you need them for proof of purchase or for tax purposes.

2. Shred bank deposit slips, and ATM and credit card receipts as soon as the transactions appear on statements.

3. Shred bank statements, pay stubs and medical bills after one year.

and finally ...

4. Save indefinitely any paperwork that is related to taxes, mortgage payments, improvements on your home, and medical and prescription records."

I hope you find this information helpful!

Women's Council of Realtors, North Shore Chapter involvement for 2011

I will be working with Todd Lazar, Protection 1, in 2011 to coordinate affiliate sponsors for the Women's Council of Realtors, North Shore Chapter luncheons.  We plan to emphasize the importance of affiliates to the Women's Council and to promote more referrals.  And, especially for those affiliate members who provide financial support by being a luncheon sponsor.

The luncheon dates are 1/13, 2/10, 3/10, 4/14, 5/5, 6/9, 7/14, 8/11, 9/22, 10/20, 11/17 and 12/8.    We do have a few sponsors committed for 2011 but, I believe at this point the schedule is pretty open. 

If you are a WCR Affiliate please let me know, by email, which month you would like to sponsor, and give me a 2^nd choice just in case someone else beats you to the punch.

There will never be more than two sponsors per month, and I will never schedule two similar companies in the same month (i.e. Residential Plus & Harris Bank).  Last year we filled every available slot and, unfortunately, we were not able to accommodate all the requests for sponsorships. We fully expect to do the same in 2011.

The cost is $250 and you & your company name will be featured on all advertising materials at the luncheon and on the monthly

newsletter.  The day of the luncheon you will receive an introduction and you will have an opportunity to address the membership.  Additionally, you will be allowed to distribute advertising materials, knick-knacks & etc. to all in attendance.  

If you are not yet an affiliate member please let me know and I will forward you membership information.

Thank you in advance. I'm confident, with you and your company's support, 2011 will be another great year for WCR.

www.enhanceyourhome.net     847-748-7777      gayle@enhanceyourhome.net

5 Reasons to Buy a Home in 2011

5 Reasons to Buy a Home in 2011  

Daily Real Estate News  |  December 27, 2010 

Michele Lerner, author of Homebuying: Tough Times, First Time, Any Time, offers reasons why real estate is likely to improve in 2011. Here are five reasons she thinks consumers should consider a home purchase next year:

1.  Mortgage rates will stay low. Even with rates climbing - maybe as high as 6 percent by 2012 - they are still well below where they have been historically.

2. Tax cuts could help. Extending the tax cuts could encourage a more rapid recovery for the economy.

3. Americans want to be home owners. A recent Fannie Mae survey showed that Americans still believe a home is a safe and desirable investment.

4. Builders are about to begin building. Home builders have been sitting on the sidelines. This year, they think pent-up demand will create an appetite for new homes.
 

5. Homes are shrinking. Homes are getting smaller, which has made them more affordable.

Source: Investopedia, Michele Lerner (12/24/2010)

A Little About Gayle Jussel, The Stylish Stager

  Meet Your Design Consultant

Gayle Jussel, the “Stylish Stager,” has lived all over the world.  When working with the U.S. Army, Gayle met and married her husband Philip. Since then, the Military has moved them an astounding twelve times. Gayle now operates her company Enhance Your Home from Highland Park, Illinois.

Making a home in so many different places has given Gayle real hands-on experience in home decorating.  Each of her homes was vastly different, giving her plenty of opportunities to experiment with a wide variety of decorating styles. Needless to say, she has become an expert at de-cluttering and packing.

This affinity for decorating inspired Gayle to pursue a formal education and training in Staging and Redesign.  She received her dual certification from The Academy of Staging and Redesign in Southern California in 2007.  In addition, Gayle has also earned a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Marketing.

Gayle is among the foremost trained Staging and Redesign Specialists in the country.  Where many “Stagers” merely take a weekend workshop, Gayle completed an in-depth course of study, which culminated in a demanding final exam.  The last step included submission of a Staging and Redesign portfolio to a panel of experts for approval.  This earned her the prestigious designations of Certified Staging Specialist (CSS) and Certified Redesign Specialist (CRS).

This all adds up to absolute confidence that Gayle Jussel, the “Stylish Stager,” will Stage or Redesign your home the right way, the first time, and for the right price!

Enhance Your Home, Interior Redesign & Staging, Inc.   847-748-7777    www.enhanceyourhome.net