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How Dramatic Are Your Homes?
Aug 12th
As a Lifestylist®, I spend quite a lot of time touring homes in different cities looking for new ideas and trends. Last week I was in South Haven, MI meeting with a client and discovered a great store – Props – who’s slogan is: “Your Home is Your Stage… Add Some Drama”.
So many times the drama is missing from our homes, and the customer loses interest in the home before they finish their tour. Here are some inexpensive Lifestylist® Designed ideas that you can use to add some drama to your model homes.
Color Color can be a really easy way to wake up a home that has been sitting on your lot too long. Paint is one way, but you also do something as simple as changing out the pillows on your upholstery to give a room a new look. Artwork is also a very effective way to change the feel of a room and make it more memorable.
Emotion Do your homes pull at the potential buyer’s heartstrings or just leave them uninspired? Accessories and textures can add warmth and emotion to a home. One of my favorite staging tricks is setting the dining table and having it look like the new buyers are getting ready for a dinner party. Plates, napkins, and glassware can only cost a few dollars each but can give your home a festive feel that the buyers will remember.
Shake Things Up Have you ever noticed that by moving furniture around and changing out accessories you can make the room have a completely different feel? Freshening up your homes might not cost you a dime – it might take a little muscle.
These are only a few ideas that we would love to share with you. If you don’t have the time to work on your models yourself we would be happy to provide the services necessary to make your sales center more dramatic. The Home Idea Factory is All About You, and we would love to become your “go to” resource for all of your design needs.
Feel free to contact us to find out more about what we do at: info@lifestylist.com
Getting Inspired by Your Surroundings
Jul 28th
When I work on a model home, my first priority is bringing the outside in – what’s going to make the buyer feel like what he experienced before he walked into the model continues into his model experience?
My son just gave me the perfect example – he is buying a new home in Florida, and was troubled after seeing the new model home because they didn’t like the colors or feel of the home after it was merchandised. It bothered them so much they actually considered canceling the sale. The colors and the lack of lifestyle felt like they could have been in any city in any community, but it didn’t have the warmth that they anticipated their home would have.
At Lifestylist® Design we focus on lifestyle, and what they buyer hopes to experience in his new life in your new home. We just finished doing a Lifestylist® Designed home for @home Builders in Baldwinsville, NY and I thought I’d share the thought process on how we came up with this home.
Timber Banks is a new incredible planned community near Syracuse, NY that features an 18 hole, Nicklaus designed golf course, river frontage with it’s own marina, clubhouse, and a stunning, natural beauty all around you that you can call home. It seemed only natural that I would bring this lifestyle and the colors I saw all around me into the design of the model. We went with some of the foggy greys, clear blue sky, river rocks and eco-greens that we discovered on our walks and as a result when you are in the home it truly pulls the outside in. Plan a visit to the Timbers yourself and see what we accomplished – contact Teresa Carpenter with @home Builders for more information at: 315-635- 6006.
New Book Being Published by mhmsm.com
Jul 12th
We found out today that Lifestylist® Design and articles by Lifestylist® Suzanne Felber are being featured in a new book – The Manufactured Housing Revolution. Published by mhmsm.com, this book will be full of great articles and information that you can use every day. We also got a mention on the back cover so we are very excited! To get your own copy, check out mhmsm.com today.
A Patriotic 4th of July
Jul 6th
The 4th of July definitely had new meaning for me this year after viewing Restrepo, and now when we celebrate I celebrate in thanks for all of the sacrifices our soldiers are making for us overseas. It also has made me appreciate my family even more, so this 4th of July was a meaningful celebration.
Since my parents are selling their beautiful lake home at Hideaway Lake this is probably the last 4th we will all celebrate there. After 20 years we have lots of great memories, but now it’s time for someone else to enjoy it. Hideaway is the place to be for the 4th! A private lake and community, the 4th is celebrated with great food, competitions at the pool and of course the infamous boat parade. We’ve entered a lot of years and have never won but we sure have fun trying! This is a perfect example of the Lifestylist® movement – people enjoying their lives in style.
The fireworks this year were some of the best I’ve ever seen, and getting to view them from the boat with my family made it even more special. Happy 4th of July to all and remember how lucky we are to have the freedom that we do.
XTreme Model Home Challenge
Jun 9th
I love a challenge, but when I got a call this week from Champion Homes of Texas I may have gotten one that is even more than I can take on.
They are introducing their new XTREME Home Value Series, and they are so excited about it they didn’t want to wait for the normal time it takes to put together a home show to introduce it to their buyers – they decided since these are factory built homes and they could get them built in a week, they would have a home show in a week! This means putting together 4 furnished model homes with Xtremely tight budgets in 7 days.
Can Lifestylist Design Inc. get this done? Check back in a week or so and find out how we did!
Lifestylist Advisory – It’s Free!
Jun 8th
We are starting a new blog – Lifestylist® Advisory Services. As Lifestylists® we are out in the trenches every day finding new sources, great foodie destinations and traveling from coast to coast truly experiencing life and style. On our new blog we will share the best and the worst of customer experiences, and we already have some experiences that might surprise you. The best part is that all of this is at no charge to you – please just let the businesses that you learned about here know where you found out about them.
Have you had some experiences you would like to share with us? Email us at: answers@lifestylist.com and we’ll share the best ones on the Lifestylist® Advisory.
Cavco Industries Awarded 2010 Manufacturer of the Year
May 21st
Congratulations are in order for Cavco Industries that was just named 2010 Manufacturer of the Year by the Manufactured Housing Institute. Cavco recently acquired Fleetwood Homes and I’m excited to see what the blending of these two great companies will mean for our industry.
I’ve had the pleasure to work with General Manager Craig 
Calkins and the team at Cavco Homes of Texas – they build an amazing home that is a great value. Their show houses and decors last year were Lifestylist Designed and I couldn’t be more proud of what we were able to accomplish.
If you haven’t taken a look at what Cavco and Fleetwood have to offer, now might be a great time to do so – I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Lifestylist Designed Home Debuts in Tulsa
May 10th
Our latest Lifestylist Designed Home debuted at the Great Southwest Home Show a few weeks ago and the response has been tremendous. The home was for Champion Homes of Texas, and it was a chance to show what the new Champion Homes is all about, and if you haven’t take a look you need to – great homes with great value and style.
Take a look at the article we wrote for MHMSM about the show to learn more about where the factory built housing market is heading.
MHI Congress 2010
Apr 11th
My bags are packed and I’m almost ready to go – tomorrow I’m off to Las Vegas to be a speaker at the 20th annual MHI Congress, and of course I made my reservations with the help of my Travelocity Gnome.
Held every year in Las Vegas, this convention brings together that biggest and brightest names in manufactured and modular housing. This year keynote speakers will be Jim Clayton – founder of Clayton Homes and Harold Gross of Market Research Answers so I know everyone that attends will leave with lots of great new information to grow their businesses with. I’m honored to to speaking in from if this group for the 7th year and I hope to be invited back for many years to come.
This year I’m speaking on how a Lifestylist approaches the fast paced world of Social Media. I bought my first domain name in the early 90′s and I’ve always been intrigued with this very cost effective way of doing marketing. Now I have expanded the Lifestylist Brand to include a presence on various blogs, Blogger, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare,Yelp and You Tube. Is it worth the time investment to manage and update all of these? Absolutely! One of my great new clients, American Custom Builders found me through my Lifestylist Blog so I feel investing the time in keeping up with Social Media pays dividends to my brand and my business.
If you happen to be in Las Vegas next week, come and join us at Caesar’s Palace. If you mention that you read this I’ll give you a copy of my new Do-it-Yourself Guide to Social Media and Networking. See you there!
Another Great Manufactured Housing Show in Tunica
Apr 2nd
What a busy Spring already! Houses to design, design centers to merchandise, and lots of great marketing ideas to talk about.
Last week I headed to Tunica, MS to attend the South Central Manufactured Housing Show which is held every year at Harrah’s Tunica. Considering the economy, the turnout was fantastic and it was fun to catch up with people I hadn’t seen in awhile. Let me tell you, the homes on display were not your grandma’s trailer – these homes compete in design and quality with any comparable site built home.
If you were not able to attend the show, MH Marketing Sales Management has my review in their virtual magazine and there is also a link to tell you where you can view the over 500 photos we took of these very exciting homes.
Please take a look and let us know what you think!