Interior Rivalry - Series 2

Week 8 - The Final

Well I wouldn't have predicted the outcome of this show from the start and there was certainly a few surprises in this, the final episode of the series.

Rolf & Kate have battled their way through, and you couldn't have two more different contestants to finish the series off.

In Interior Rivalry, Ann Maurice has been looking for someone who can join her in the business of Home Staging.

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Ann Maurice handed over the keys to two different properties in Central London.

Kate was given a bizarrely decorated house that was awash with clashing colours and dated furniture.

The property seemed to be in fairly good order, OK kitchen, reasonable bathroom, decent space but there were issues with too much colour everywhere and too much furniture in the bedrooms.

The other issue was the lack of any focal point in the living room and a lack of attractive accessories or art.

Rolf was given a Victorian conversion property and, I think by far the more difficult task.

He also had lots of strong colours to contend with but also a very narrow and cramped hallway, the result of a poor conversion I assume.

He also had to deal with a mountain of clutter and some very dodgy artwork and accessories ... namely a coffin!

On the plus side he had a lot of nice features to deal with such as a Victorian fireplaces & period moldings as well as a choice of some of the more tasteful accessories and furniture.

Both candidates had £2000, five days and the use of two painters and a chippy to help them.

They also had the choice of using one of the previous contestants as an added pair of hands.

Kate chose Neale and Rolf chose Dani.

This added a nice twist to the proceedings because it would be interesting to see if the two finalists could control people who may have other adgendas

Kate walked through the property noting the issues and problems and verbalising the possible solutions.

Kate, in her usual calm way, puts together a plan of action, sets the helpers off and then got going on the shopping.

It's always good to stay calm and go with first thoughts, but sometimes it is worth stopping and considering the possibilities, which I think Kate sometimes fails to do.

She focused on some of the minor details in the kitchen .... machines jutting out and a few cracked inset tiles ... when there were more major things to consider ... what the potential buyer might want to see ... see later and my comments on the bedroom!

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Debra Gould, The Staging Diva™ runs
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put your business on the right tracks.

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Rolf walked through his property with a look of shock on his face.

He definitely shows his emotions more than Kate does ... great for the camera as you really get to see his thoughts on the property.

It was clear that he had taken on board most of what Ann has been saying over the last 7 weeks however when Ann came 'a calling' she had to remind him, again, "get your head out of the clouds Rolf, it's not interior design"

Rolf was talking about removing an original Victorian fireplace surround and replacing it with a more modern one.

Kate also came under the questioning eye of both Gordon & Ann.

She moved appliances around in the kitchen unnecessarily. She was also proposing to cover a tiled floor with lino?!* ....

Why?

I kept feeling that Kate had forgotten what she learnt just the week before .... work with what you've got, use what you've got

Unless it is really, really dated or offensive .... Work with it!

Ann & Gordon were also skeptical about her stripy wall & TV cabinet focal point.

As Gordon put it so nicely

"It didn't have the 'Wow' factor it had the 'Why?' factor"

The use of the previous contestants added a marginal spin on things.

I thought that the TV company have been very unfair to Dani who seems to have been shown in a very poor light.

Truth is Rolf didn't have anyone else to choose from as Kate had bagged Neale and Liza had turned down the option.

Rolf and Dani are like chalk & cheese in their approach so it was never going to work.

Well it is TV after all.

As we see the two houses progress we start to see how tricky it can be to home stage.

I must say that £2000 is well under the 1% that Ann normally suggests as a reasonable figure to work on... was this to test the contestants that much further?

It is really hard to cover the cost of paint, flooring and furniture and leave enough for accessories too.

I felt for Rolf in the staircase situation ... but he did seem to have a very nice team to keep him up ... the dark haired carpenter was especially helpful.

Kate hit her own obstacles as she ran out of money ... but where did the money all go?

She used her resourcefulness and borrowed carpets and neighbours flowers to help her achieve the finished look.

NOTE: Anyone who is home staging for real can't rely on this sort of borrowing. It is all very well to use the things for the purpose of finishing the project and letting the estate agent and cameras look around, but in reality those carpets and rugs would not be able to go back to a shop after potential buyers had walked around on them.

I'm not sure that this sort of resourcefulness should be allowed in the competition as it isn't reality... sorry Kate.

And so we come to Ann & Gordon's judgment.

First Rolf's house.

I have to say that I really liked what he had done. Naturally you don't get to look close up at everything, but the transformation was amazing.

What I especially liked was the 'real feel' it had, quirky touches that made you want to linger and look for longer.

Top marks as this is one of the most important things you can do ... get buyers to linger in the home, helping to form a bond between the property and the buyers.

Rolfs use of space and colour was also really impressive. The earthy feel, slightly bohemian, really worked for this period property.

Even Rolf agreed that the fireplace, he had proposed changing, looked great.

If I'd been the buyer I would have liked what I saw.

Well done Rolf.

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Then we were shown Kate's finished property.

It started off quite well, nice use of mirrors in the hallway, reusing what was there.

The living room was better, but the TV cabinet still looked lumpy and I thought didn't really work.

The kitchen was tidier but where were the nice little touches, the fruit, the flowers the feel of homeliness? I thought it lacked real soul.

Upstairs was fresher, all the colours calmed down, but the bedrooms were rather too pinky purple and the whole look was quite 'show home' staged rather than welcoming and warm.

I felt that Kate had forgotten about half of the potential buyers ... the guys!

Would they have liked the purple organza curtains?

I was rather underwhelmed by the end result.

We were finally shown the two estate agents viewing the properties that had been staged.

Rolf's property had, in their estimation, been raised in value by £35,000.

Now that's not a bad return on £2000 and 5 days labour (well actually it's 25 days labour if you count all five people working on the property).

Kate's property, in their estimation, had been raised in value by £25,000.

Again not a bad return on the investment.

And the winner is ....

Well after all the tasks and trials Ann had to make her mind up between 'Artistic' Rolf or 'Show Home Stylist' Kate.

Now if it were just on this weeks efforts then there would be no doubt who the winner would be... Rolf would have won hands down.

But Ann was looking for that person who could really make it as a property stager, someone who may have a lot to learn but had the makings of a good business person.

Remember that Kate did well in last weeks 'dealing with real home owners' tasks.

She also did well in the task in week 5, the magazine styling competition.... also thanks to Liza.

Ann said the decision was difficult and that both of the finalists were winners.

She also said that both could train with her.... so remind me how that works....

At the beginning of each show the voice over guy keeps telling us how

'Only 1 person can win the competition etc etc....'

However at the end of the day Kate was crowned the overall winner.

It's been an interesting 8 weeks, I wonder if there will be a third show in this series or whether that will be it.

If there is then I'll keep you up to date with what is going on in Interior Rivalry.

Thanks for reading the reviews.

Week 7

In this, the penultimate show of Interior Rivalry 2, we are about to see who, of the last four, will go through to the finals and who will be told...

'You're not the one'

Tonight's show focuses on one of the most difficult skills that any successful home stager needs to develop...

How to speak with and handle 'real' clients

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The first part of this show saw all four candidates do more photo analysis in front of Ann & Gordon.

The idea was that they give the photo analysis as if they were speaking with a client and offering constructive advice.

Now this is really hard to do.... just think, your client wants to know why their property isn't selling or what to do to increase the chances of selling.

If this same client has dated decor, dodgy taste or doggy smells ... but they love their home

It's really hard to tell them the truth.

But They are paying you to do your job ...

To tell them what needs doing and how to do it.

I have to say that when I first started out I'd pray that the owner would let me walk about the property quietly, before they asked me ...

"So Brian ... what's the problem and
how can you help me?"

Why?

Because having a little extra time to think, really helps you to phrase the issues and the solutions in a palatable way for those clients

Are you running a
Home Staging business?

Do you want to learn how to run
the business more successfully?

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva™ runs
courses and mentoring programs to
put your business on the right tracks.

www.stagingdiva.com

How did the 4 contestants do?

Well Neale was up first .... he blustered and mumbled and didn't talk about any of the positives of the room or sell 'why' he would make any of the changes.

Clients will take your advice if they believe that the changes you are proposing 'make sense' and they can see will be cost effective ... that is

Generate a bigger return
than the cost.

Neale didn't explain why he would do any of the work or what the benefits to the home owner would be.

Next came Liza given a dated bathroom with a camel coloured suite.

I thought that Liza made some sensible suggestions and clearly focused on how she would make the changes and keep the costs down.

She also reminded the imaginary client that the bathroom needed to look as fresh and new as possible.

She talked about re using what was there.

Ann & Gordon were really harsh with her telling her that she had been overly positive about the niceness of some of the fittings...

Give the girl a break!

She did well... tell her!

I can't help feeling that the producers of the show have decided that Liza is not going to make it through to the final... even though she is obviously one of the only two really strong candidates left.

Next Rolf ..... Given a spacious living room with high ceilings and large windows.

Rolf did start off positively by focusing on the good aspects of the room ... then he just sort of lost it.

He mumbled and talked of 'possibly', 'perhaps' and 'maybe'.

He didn't justify any of the things he said and didn't sound like he would make a great deal of difference ... if I had been the client I would have said.

"Thanks I can probably manage to take down the nets myself...."

Lastly Kate .... given a tough one, a dated, dirty and damaged kitchen.

She began by reminding the client of the goal.

"To sell you home and
get you out of here"

Great start, it focuses the mind of the seller to take on board the changes and why they need to do so.

Next Kate said a positive ...

"There is lots of space."

Then she focused on the work to be done ... without being negative.

"We are going to tidy up, freshen up, repair the cupboards and put down some inexpensive lino."

This all sounds achievable and affordable... Keeping those homeowners on your side and positive.

Finally Kate finished off with the reminder of the goal and more positive thoughts.

She did really well.... Ann & Gordon praised her and rightly so.

The best way to give constructive criticism is to sandwich it between positive comments.

Another approach is to get the home owner to say what they feel might be the issue.

This way they are halfway to accepting that there is a need to make the changes that you recommend.

This approach will only work if they are at all aware of the issues in the property .... not often the case, but it's worth a try.

What ever you do don't insult your clients!

It's hard not to when they have something that is obviously 'dirty', 'offensive' or just 'unpleasant', but presumably they like it or don't notice it so don't say ...

"Can't you see why ......"

Obviously they can't and you are rubbing their noses in it by saying this.

The next part of the show saw the four taken to an expensive and overly personalised riverside apartment.... owned by a friend of Duncan Bannatyne!

This was a real Lad Pad ... walls decorated with naked women, bold colours on some walls, undressed areas on others, mirrors above beds.... Hmmmm what are they for?

The 4 were given the task of assessing the property then giving a pitch to Duncan and Ann.

To be honest I thought that they were all pretty unconvincing ... sorry guys it may have been just the way that the TV company edited it... but you all waffled and didn't get to the point.

Neither Duncan or Ann were impressed.

This show has been one of the most interesting of all because it has focused on an aspect of business, not just Home Staging, but any business.

All businesses need one thing.

Paying customers.

You need to convince those customers that 'you' are the one for them.

Think about what happens when someone calls you up to ask about your services.

Are you ready for their questions?

You should be, as there are only so many that they might ask.

• What is home staging?

• How much does it costs?

• How does it make a difference?

• Can I do it?

• Why should I use you?

• What do I do now?

• When can you come around?

• Can I see your work?

The final part of the show saw the four split into 2 teams. Rolf & Liza, Neale & Kate.

They were told to do a survey on a North London property.

This property had several major issues that were there to test the contestants on their skills of persuasion, diplomacy and budget.

Could they convince a real home owner that the work needed to be done.

The issues weren't easy either.

• Dated decor - but the owner had strong memories of his family and wife so didn't want things to change.

• Dogs ... say no more.

• No understanding of the process or why it would make any difference

This last point was the one to really focus on...

If the buyer hasn't any understanding of the service then you can't really sell the idea.

All good sales people will tell you that you need to create the 'need' in the buyer for them to want to 'buy'.

How did they do?

Rolf and Liza didn't really get a plan of action going. We saw more of Rolf not really understanding what home staging is all about.

More of him going on about his own feelings about the property, than about how to visualise what could be done to improve things.

They both got carried away with mood boards and Interior Design terms.

When they gave their pitch it was obvious that they were not getting the homeowner to understand the issues and the goals.

When you are talking with client use 'their' language not 'yours' or rather 'your industries' i.e. cut out the jargon.

Accessorise, depersonalise, declutter, tones, hues, chroma

All these terms may be unknown to your clients.

Words like:

Attractive vases & pictures, tidy up, use colours that make the place feel fresher.

These words can be easily understood.

Kate & Neale seemed to have learned huge amounts in the last two tests.

They greeted the owner and immediately established the reason that they were all meeting.

'Sell your property for a good price and quickly'

They also said that they wanted to re use most of what was there and that they wanted to keep the cost and the work to a minimum.

A great start led them to gain the home owners trust and eventually win the business.

When Ann & Duncan asked the owner who he would choose he said Kate & Neale.

And so to the eviction.

Ann chose to send home Neale & Liza, keeping Kate and Rolf.

Sorry but why Rolf? He has shown little or no understanding of Home Staging.

Granted he may be an artist, but that does not make a good home stager.

Surely the final should have been between softly spoken Kate and the more direct and forceful Liza.

Both could make really good home stagers and the final would be really interesting.

As it is if Kate doesn't win then I'll be wondering why.

Week 6

This week I am writing a slightly different review about Interior Rivalry.

Later I'll tell you about how the 5 became 4 and who was sent home.

But what I saw this week set me talking with my partner.

Why were these contestants here?

What makes, not just a good Home Stager but a good Entrepreneur?

I think above all else, you need to be able to think 'Bigger' than yourself.

What do I mean? Well many people set up businesses thinking

"This is what I want to do"

Which is really important of course, but much more important when setting up your business is to ask the question.

"If I achieve my goal of doing what I want to do, will anyone want it?"

At heart this is what Home Staging is all about. When Ann or any home stager says ...

"It's not about you"

They are saying think about who your intended audience is and make sure that you are staging for them.

I think that being a good home stager or business person is about being smart enough to know how to balance your own personal goals with the wants and needs of the buying public or paying customer.

This Week ....

The final 5 contestants were given the daunting task of pitching their business to 2 estate agents.

This is a tough thing to do if you are unsure about what it is you are trying to sell... and three out of the 5 didn't seem to really understand what it was they were doing in this pitch.

Now you might think that it would be easy to sell Home Staging to an Estate Agent... don't they all watch the property shows?

The answer ...... "No"

I know how tough it is, I spent my first year pitching to Estate Agents all over London.... these two companies included....

You think it would be easy to sell the services, after all aren't you helping them do their job?

Well that's not how they see it.

Estate Agents don't like the idea of being told that they need help to sell 'Hard To Sell' properties.

They also don't like the idea of telling a client that their home needs work...

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You can just imagine the conversation between a prospective client and the estate agent....

Home Owner "So why won't my property sell at the same price as the one down the road?"

Estate Agent "Well it's dated, a bit tatty, smells of your cats and needs some maintenance, so we would market it at a lower price"

Hmmmm not exactly a recipe to win the Home Owners business.

So don't imagine that Estate Agents will just welcome you with open arms.

You need to appeal to the business side of them.

What's in it for them?

Rolf & Kate went first.

Bursting with enthusiasm for making homes 'gorgeous' and 'lovely' Rolf didn't really seem to mention the cold practicalities of 'Making the property easier to sell for the EA' or 'Making more commission because the property sold at a higher price'

Kate talked beautiful homes as well, but no hard business talk.

The Estate Agents liked the brochure ... which was colourful but I am not sure that I saw any actual 'Before & After' shots.... why?

It's what you're selling after all

Liza, Neale & Jane went next

Liza was forthright and positive. She got quickly to the point of staging.

Clearing clutter, Calming down colours, depersonalising and making a property more appealing to the buyers.

She also talked business... easier sell, more commission.

Then Neale fluffed his pitch and forgot his sales talk... Jane said almost nothing that would convince me that she was running a business.

The show seems to have picked the ones who are going to be shown in a good light...

For some bizarre reason the EA said that Liza was too forceful... hey she's pitching to some of the most forceful men on the high streets... she is hardly going to make an EA cry... she did a good job ... give her a break.

They said Rolf was the best... but he just talked about what he wanted to do... make things gorgeous... that's not a pitch that's just a chat.

Finally we saw the two teams makeover the ground floor of a property with just 9 hours and £100.

Rolf & Kate did a fair job, no great shakes but it ticked most of the boxes.

I reckon that what we are seeing is two people who are into Interior Design....

When they don't have the money or the basics to do that, they aren't really excited about the job in hand... and I think it shows.

Liza, Jane & Neale.

Well we now see what is really going on.

Liza being a trouper type quickly saw the issues and the solutions to them and got going.... the other two were in her wake.

As Ann said "Liza was the underdog" yet she showed that she really understood the process of home staging.

• Sum up the issues
• Assess what you have to work with
• Find the solutions
• And plough on ... even when you have pinky and perky messing about.

I've only seen one contender for the crown... Liza...

Ann & Gordon were genuinely impressed by what they saw in the conservatory and the dining area... and rightly so

So down to the eviction.

Ann chose Jane to go... well I said last week that Jen shouldn't have worried...

I am afraid that being confident is one thing but being too sure of yourself if something quite different.

I am really looking forward to next week when we see the final two emerge.

Program 5

So we're down to the final 6.

This week Ann gave the last 6 contestants the challenge of staging a kitchen.

This challenge had an added twist.

'Real Homes' interiors magazine had agreed to photograph each of the kitchens and, if the results were good enough, one of them would be featured in the magazine.

Now this was an interesting challenge because not only did those finished rooms need to look well staged, they also needed to look good in a magazine spread.

I know how hard it is to get this right having styled 'Room Rescue' - see my media pages - for 'Real Homes' sister magazine 'Your Home'.

The funny thing is that my original 'Room Rescue' feature went monthly 'Head to Head' with Ann's 'House Beautiful' feature... that was before she joined the 'Real Homes' magazine.

The key to all these magazine shoots, if they are to be successful, is to ensure that there are enough 'wide' and 'detail' shots for the magazine to be able to justify putting them into the magazine.

When staging rooms for magazines you need to think 'Quality of Finish' too because those pictures show up all the details and won't be lost in the 'quick pan of a TV camera'.

I learnt this over time.

How did the last 6 cope?

The teams were split up into:

• Neale & Rolf.
• Kate & Lisa.
• Jane & Jenny.

Now I will say that I think that of all the teams, Kate & Lisa had the hardest of the kitchens with the most issues, Rolf & Neale probably the least difficult.

They all had 4 days and £600 to use for materials and accessories to stage and style the rooms.

Team 1 - Lisa & Kate

They worked quickly and got to grips with the issues. As Ann pointed out... just work on surface issues.

They repainted the trims of the kitchen cupboards, rather than replace... see an example of how I did this in the kitchen makeover I have in my case studies.

They painted the tiles (though we didn't really see how well that paint went on did we!). Ann has always advised against painting tiles in the kitchen as they can be tricky to make look good.

They spent their money on new flooring and accessories.

I think that their 'resourcefulness' was quite good... but I wouldn't have used duvets for window coverings... it really doesn't cost much to buy and make simple blinds ... they were very close to the Curtain Factory Outlet - £6.00/ meter for most materials! The 'Real Home' editor spotted the blinds and said that the close up was a bit disappointing.

The table was a lucky find... but it really does happen and any good home stager should be tuned in to skips and recycle centres for bargains that can be reworked.

But overall the finished result was really good... I liked the fact that they wanted to appeal to all the senses and so boiled some cinnamon sticks before Ann & Gordon arrived.

I was impressed and I think that this is the first time in this series that I have seen true home staging... Well done.

Team 2 - Neale & Rolf

Again they quickly got to grips with the issues... though I don't think they used the room as well as they might have.

It looked rather boring to me... no real flashes of inspiration that the magazine would have liked to have seen.

I am not sure where all their money went... the floor area was quite small and they didn't replace the cupboards.

My guess, though the program didn't say it, was that they spent too much on some of those new accessories.

Ann was kind to say how the one side looked attractive... I thought it looked staged in a very dead way... where were the plants, the life the 'Real Homes' look?

And as for not boxing in the boiler... were they thinking about the magazine shoot at all?

What about the cooking side, no attractive oils, tea towels, nothing that suggested they understood that every area of the room needs to look good.

I was less impressed than Ann & Gordon.

Team 3 - Jane & Jenny

Oh dear. I know that the TV production company wanted to have a story for this show... and they got it.

These two were just ridiculous. I think of the two Jane was being the most silly... yet she eventually stayed.

I can only say that the TV producer must have clapped his hands and done a jig when, in spite of Ann saying

"If it were me doing this room I would NOT paint the floor, I would work with it"

What did they do? .... Paint the floor.

Not just paint the floor but paint it BLACK!

I suppose Ann chucked out Jenny for caving in to Jane even though she could have justified saying

"no we can't paint the floor because Ann said don't"

So they painted the floor and made the place look like something I would expect a 10 year old to achieve.

So Ann told Jenny that she wasn't the one.

The poor girl did look crushed but I have to say that even if she hadn't gone this week it would have been next week or the one after.

Truth is that she hasn't shown the qualities that a good home stager needs.

• Quick and decisive decision making.
• Clear understanding of what needs to be done to make the biggest impact with the least cost.
• Working with what you have.
• Showing confidence in the decisions you make.

Still Jane hasn't got those skills either... so don't be too surprised if she goes next week.

Program 4

This week the remaining 8 contestants were given the task of staging a 'High End' property development 'Show Flat'.

They had 2 days to stage the property and then they had to market it for 1 day at the Ideal Home Show & generate as many viewings as possible.

The group was split into two teams of 4.

This was an interesting challenge to watch, especially for anyone who is interested in developing a business as a property developer or a home stager.

"Why?"

The reason this task is interesting to watch is because it is one of the most difficult of the tasks that many home stagers face.

Why?

You're dealing with a blank canvas.

• You have no set boundaries, other than those of time and budget.
• There is no set starting point, you don't have to work with what you've got, because you haven't got anything in the property.
• You are going to have to use all of your design, budget and marketing skills to come up with a 'knock out' concept' or the property developer, who employed you may ask for his money back.

I was interested to see how these 'wannabe' home stagers were going to cope with this task.

As I have already said, I think that most have shown little more than the ability to

'Decorate by numbers'

And the results of the program proved me right.... unfortunately.

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The two teams rushed off into their fantasy flat.

Both teams squabbled and bickered about the type of style they wanted to create.

It seems that the contestants in this show have done nothing but bitch and squabble through out.

Eventually the team consisting of Rolf (designer), Jane, Lisa, & Kate did better than their rival team of Neil, Dani, Jenny & Rachael.

But both teams did poorly in the final assessment.

Team 1 (Rolf etc)

This team quickly made a list of all that they needed for the flat. They argued about taste, but essentially got on with it and split up the tasks of dealing with the buying of accessories, and the marketing.

Ann needed to step in and remind them not to go too far to the interior designing end of the scale... they wanted to introduce red walls!

Way too much statement if they did this.

Their end results were, as I thought they would be, 'Euro Bland' and fairly soulless.

No soul, no real life living accessories e.g. books, plants, attractive clothes draped on a bed to suggest inhabitation.

The place was regimented and harsh... but they did finish the task and get their pictures to the designers.

Team 2 (Neil etc)

What was going on?

Well what wasn't going on was any joined up thinking or, it seemed, any thinking at all.

They showed themselves up to be childish and amateurish in their approach to dealing with this sort of challenge.

The two stropy shoppers, Rachael & Dani (have they never watched any of these reality programmes before?) They were made to look like muppets in their shopping skills.

Now I've worked in TV and so I know how things can be made to appear.

But they came back after an afternoons shopping with a flat pack candelabra and a piece of clothing material!

I think that the cameras definitely didn't lie this time.

And the result.... Shocking

The two teams then spent the day at the Ideal Home Show drumming up viewings for their show flats.

Of course those poor exhibition shoppers couldn't really tell anything about the rooms, from the few pictures, but team 1 was always going to do better.

My conclusion

I don't think that any of this bunch will be successful in their desire to be Home Stagers...

• It's not just about talent,
• It's not just about budgeting

You have to be happy with a compromise.

You see home staging is all about ...

Working with what you have

Someone like Rolf is a perfectionist ... well in staging perfection doesn't exist.

You need to be able to deal with someone's rather ugly 'meringue' sofas or dated dining furniture ... you wont often have the luxury of going out and hiring all the furniture.

So if you are going to be constantly dissatisfied with the end result then you will have a miserable time as a Home Stager.

Rolf take note!

So how would I deal with the challenge that they were given?

The key, as always is ...

• Who are your likely buyers
• Who is this property being marketed to.
• Where is this property being marketed.

Remember that this property was to be marketed to an Ideal Home Show audience ...

Now there is a certain sector of the population that visit the show ... clue ... it used to be called the 'Daily Mail' Ideal Home show.

So you can work out who your likely market is.

Where would I have started?

I would have made up a name for my likely couple who were going to look around.

I would have invented an imaginary life for them.

From this I would have developed a design scheme that fitted with that couples likely desires and aspirations.

I would have said that the likely buyer was more 'BBC Good Homes' than 'World of Interiors'.

At the end of the show.

Ann booted out Dani& Rachael ... well it was obvious.

You may have noticed that I didn't write up my review on last weeks show... sorry for the delay but sometimes the clients and the jobs come first!

It's been a busy week for me... but that doesn't mean that I stop doing things that need to be done...

I don't think, from the evidence so far that I have seen anyone on this second series of Interior Rivalry who is someone I would trust to stage a property, sorry guys but it's time you proved me wrong!

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The Property Coach™

The Elements of Home Staging

Out June 2007

The three teams on this weeks program had to deal with the two rooms that we didn't see much of last time round.

Bathrooms & Bedrooms.

I have to say that they were all given really hard tasks, rooms with real issue going on underneath the ghastly decor.

But here's the crunch guys... Do you really think that this is unusual?

Why do you think that these properties, and so many others that you get called to help the owners on, haven't sold?

Truth is these are not unusual!

These are Usual .... Really.

If you are thinking about going into this business and hoping you are going to get simple dressing up jobs... think again cos

Hello! You're not.

You get called in because the owners can't solve the problems.

You get called in because buyers won't even consider putting in an offer because they can see the trouble clearly.

My opinion, based on what I've seen over the last 3 weeks is that some of these guys have been reading their interior magazines and think that Home Staging is just a watered down version of Interior Design.

We keep seeing glimpses (in program 2) of homes that they have staged, in their time before the show... They haven't staged they have reproduced carbon copies of 'Euro Bland' rooms that every magazine on the shelf has been pumping out for the last few years.

Now of course they are going with trends that are popular, but anyone can buy the accessories that a magazine shows you and then drop them, a la magazine shoot, on the property.

So back to the show...

You may say that I am being a little harsh... I am but if any of these contestants really want to be Home Stagers... be prepared for even more harsh words.

Doing what those girls did in that bedroom... emulsioning a dodgy wall is just madness... they haven't taken on board the first principle of staging....

Read my, or Ann's, lips.

You have to use what you've got.

New Course From

The Property Coach™

The Elements of Home Staging

Out May 2007

Truth is you have to work with what you've got.

That means working with the conditions of the property too!

All three teams seemed to skip this whole point.

You don't replace a carpet because it has a whole under the bed that you know is there but wont be seen... You didn't make the whole (that would be different).

You don't damage the structure of a property by doing the wrong work on it.... Emulsion on loose paper!I don't know what Ann said off camera... I didn't work as Location Coordinator on this show... but I can guess.

So Ann didn't send anyone home... as she also said

'I could send you all home'

Ann you know what, I think you should have.

But of course there wouldn't have been a show if she had so, for the sake of channel 5 and the show... they are all coming back next week.

I really can't say who I think will limp past the home line but on the evidence so far none of them are a patch on the last 4 of last years show.

And Scott Waldron is light years ahead of them.

This time round we're promised even tougher tasks to sort out those wonnabes from the true Home Staging professionals.

Ann & Gordon have upped the game this time round and are really going to test those who dare to try.

Did you watch the last series of Interior Rivalry?

If you didn't then catch up on it by reading my week by week account of how those contestants got on... Interior Rivalry Series 1>>>

But I recommend that you catch Interior Rivalry this time round for some corking observations from Ann.

If any of you are interested in learning the skills of Home Staging then keep your eye's peeled as I will be bringing you much more info in the near future... keep a look out for the all new look to the Property Coach Website.

New Course From

The Property Coach™

The Elements of Home Staging

Out May 2007

From the thousands down to the 12

Keep a look out as I give you all the news from the Interior Rivalry show as it goes out, week by week.

The first show will air on Thursday 22nd March at 8pm.

This first week sees Ann Maurice and Gordon Whistance watch as three teams of contestants get to grips with 3 messy and unloved living rooms.

The deal is to turn these decorating disasters into rooms that leave the viewers speechless, for all the right reasons.

Each team has £450 and just under 24 hours to prepare this room to the best of their ability.

Watch as tempers fray and tantrums are thrown.

Perhaps one of the best things about these shows is seeing just how mean contestants can be to each other... Big Brother with a paint brush!

Truth is TV shows will choose certain personalities that they think will create a good set up for the camera... I dare say that a fair few of the hopeful hundreds ( I have spoken with quite a few since the auditions) would or will make great home stagers... but they were just too ... well ordinary!

What some of the contestants seem to forget was that they were there to show their skills of home staging not 'show off'.

You know, of course, that there are going to be those hopeless but lovable candidates who don't have a clue how to present themselves let alone a hard to sell property ... there will be the underdogs, the overly confident and ultimately the shining star waiting to be crowned Britain's next House Doctor...

Interior Rivalry promises to be every bit as entertaining as The Apprentice

So we had three living rooms.

1. Grey 3 piece and swirley grey carpet. No wall decor and no focal point.
2. Thin through lounge with nasty forest green carpet... in good condition but furniture too big.
3. Elegantly boned room... nice windows but black 3 piece in good condition and nasty gas fire.

Seriously these rooms weren't too difficult to deal with.

Team 2 - Neil (calm, mature attitude), Rachael (seems bossy but gives a good argument ... watch those personal comments love!), Trudy... (forgettable did she say anything?) and Joe (seemed to go along with the team.. needs to make more decisions).

Their room was the most difficult, being narrow and awkward to work with.

They started to make good joint decisions but forgot about working with what you have... easy to do under pressure.

Their room was also rather cold with no impact, except for the over domineering carpet... as Ann said with the walls such a light value compared with the carpet the two were polarised.. i.e. at opposite ends and therefore not blending or working.

If you are keeping a strong statement... work with it.

Woah strong personalities really reign this time round.

Seems like bossy women are going to dominate series 2... Hmmm have they been watching too many makeover shows?

Team 2 is interesting... at first they were calm... But then Neil & Rachael all of a sudden seemed to be getting to each other.

They are making good decisions... hope they don't spoil it with an argument.

Final Thoughts....

I would like to have seen more on 'What' being a home staging consultant is all about.

In the first series we saw contestants dressing a shelf and Ann talked us through the basics.

I thought this was interesting and would help those watching... but this time we hardly saw any 'staging' and not a lot of explaining...

Hope this changes over the weeks.

.