She may be familiar to you as the House Doctor, but Ann Maurice looks set to become even more popular with her new reality TV series. Ann Maurice: Interior Rivalry promises to be even bigger than Alan Sugar's The Apprentice.
After eight series for Ch5 on the House Doctor, Ann has a new production company, and as we went to press she was in the throes of deciding on the winner out of 30 wannabes who'll follow in her footsteps as a successful House Doctor in their own right.
The idea was inspired by the success of her advanced Property Presentation course.
It's a five-day, live-in situation where we make over two houses and learn much more of the hands-on techniques involved in home staging, including clearing the clutter and feng shui,' explains Ann. 'It was like watching the best reality show you have ever seen. You have the makeover, the personality clashes, the joys, the tears and the frustration.'
Ann took the idea to the woman who discovered her back in 1994, Daisy Goodwin of Silver River Productions. 'I wanted to work with her,' says Ann. 'I like being on the ground level of something new. She was very excited about the idea of doing the programme and training people to do what I do.
The new programme takes people who think they have what it takes to become a home stager. Ultimately the winner will receive a large sum of money to start up their own home staging business. More people showed up for the auditions than for The Apprentice but we knocked it down to 30 to start with.
I'm the associate producer on this programme ' it's my baby and I can't turn my baby over to someone who's never given birth,' says Ann. 'You have to be careful about your image.
I don't want to come out of it looking like another Alan Sugar or Simon Cowell. I'd never say to somebody, 'You're stupid'or 'You're crap'.
I would say, 'Your house smells of dog', though, because it's not a personal observation.
This programme is about trying to teach people new methods to improve their home and nurturing their talent, it's not about making somebody look foolish.'
On course
For those who haven't made it onto the TV programme but are still keen to learn about home staging, Ann's two-day Introductory Property Presentation courses are suitable for homeowners, landlords, real estate agents and property investors. There's also an additional third day so candidates can learn how to use their newly acquired skills to run a business.
After the two-day course I was getting so many people asking how they could get started and how much they should charge that I thought I'd set up day three on starting up a business,' explains Ann. 'For their fee they also get potential membership of the Home Staging Network, and there's a six month mentoring programme with people already in the business who've achieved practitioner status. After that, the attendee has to submit three actual projects for critique by their mentors.
There are other people jumping on the property presentation bandwagon but if I'm going to put my name to the network and these are my trainees, I want them to at least show me on every level they have the experience necessary.'
For details of Ann's property presentation courses visit www.housedoctor.co.uk or call 020 8408 0122.
10 Ann's home staging top tips
Maximise its appeal. You need to present your house so that it will appeal to the broadest possible buying audience. The trick is to ensure that they can imagine themselves living there as soon as they walk in. Clear the clutter. Mess all too easily becomes familiar junk, which you are used to having around. It makes rooms look smaller and sends unhelpful messages to your buyers. Tidy away family photos and books. If you can't find space to store the less personal stuff, take it to the nearest dump. Have a spring clean. Elbow grease can add more value to your house than almost anything else. Clean, clean and then clean some more. The kitchen and bathroom are the two most important rooms, but don't stop there. Dust every surface, ornament and lampshade you possess. Let in the light. You can make a world of difference to a dark entrance hall with a strategically placed mirror. Carefully positioned, it will add space and maximise the available light. Ensure that it is hung at eye level. Go neutral. Potential buyers won't be able to visualise themselves living in your home if the walls are bright or patterned. Paint them in light, neutral colours. You can introduce splashes of colour with rugs, cushions, throws, table runners and flowers. Create a clear entry. Make all entrances warm and welcoming. Mark the path to your front door with potted plants on either side. Make sure the doors open properly and aren't hampered by a row of coats or muddy boots behind. Check that furniture doesn't stop any of the internal doors from opening or shutting properly. Finish your DIY. Do all those little jobs round the house that you've always meant to finish. Broken window catches, a front door bell that doesn't work or half-finished shelves convey an air of neglect and signal to a potential buyer that there may be other, more significant aspects of the house that have been left undone. Define your space. Ensure that every room has a clear function and purpose. Play up the existence of a dining room by clearing away all the children's homework and games. A third bedroom could be a bedroom, a study or a dressing room, but not all three at once. Organise some storage systems so that the principal function of the room remains clearly defined. Sort out the flooring. Replace carpets that are old, worn or just dirty. This may seem an unnecessary expense, but it will lift the appearance of the room and your buyers won't be imagining the extra cost of replacing the carpet themselves. Freshen up the air. Be ruthless when it comes to dealing with your pets. It's easy to get used to their smell ' so ask a friend to be brutally honest with you. Does your house smell' Before each viewing eliminate unpleasant smells and banish pets to a willing friend's while you are showing people round. Get rid of pet hair, too ' brush and vacuum until you're sure it's gone.
All about Ann
Californian interior designer Ann Maurice introduced the concept of Home Staging (how to prepare your home for sale from both a practical and aesthetic point of view) on Home Front in the UK nine years ago.
But as Ch5's House Doctor, she gained a huge cult following as fans tuned in to watch her transform Britain's un-saleable properties into saleable ones.
When she's not in England filming House Doctor, Ann divides her time between her main home in San Francisco, California, and her holiday home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Both properties were long-term design projects in their own rights. Her San Francisco home is a 1930s, two-storey townhouse located in the Marina District, with a view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Although overall quite traditional, it's also a reflection of Ann's eclectic tastes and lifestyle. Both Ann and her partner Timothy are avid art buffs and the walls are lined with original artwork done mostly by friends and other local West Coast artists.
Ann's San Miguel home ' featured in the last issue of At Home with Ann Maurice ' is what she calls her fantasy home. The main house (now completely restored) is an original Spanish Colonial residence dating back to 1717. She and Timothy later bought the property next door in order to combine the two, build a guesthouse and develop the gardens and roof terraces. The entire restoration and build took three years.
Away from home improvement, Ann has two grown-up daughters, Lauryn and Melanie, two granddaughters, a grandson and a dog called Floyd, who all live in California.
House Doctor Changed my Life
Lynn Pick, 41, from Nottingham, gave up her job in retail management to become a full-time home stager
'Like millions of others at school, when the time came to choose my future career, I hadn't got a clue.
'Eventually I chose a BSC degree in hotel management. I wasn't convinced it was my dream career, but hey, they have hotels all over the world and I'd always had itchy feet. I enjoyed hotel management for several years, especially when I lived in exotic places such as Jersey, Guernsey and Bermuda but the time came to return to England and settle down. Hotel management became more serious, more competitive, and much
more stressful and I decided to channel my experience into retail management instead.
'I soon proved my theory that creative presentation was equally as important for hotel rooms, menus and table settings as it was for window and shelf displays in shops. In fact, I realised, everything had a better chance of selling if it was presented well.
'I spent several successful years in retail until I had my daughter, Elizabeth, who's now nine. I no longer wanted the long hours, the huge responsibilities, and the urgent deadlines. I still wanted challenges, but less pressure and I couldn't decide what to do.
Then one evening four years ago, I switched on the television and saw House Doctor for the first time. There was Ann Maurice on my TV screen telling everyone that their homes had a better chance of selling if they were presented well. Hold-on a minute, I thought ' that's my theory ' hotel rooms, menus, shelf display and now houses. I liked this programme.'
A new direction
'I was so taken with Ann's theories that I went to search for her website. Not only was it full of hints and tips, but there were also weekend seminars to attend to learn more about home staging. Apparently, people actually made a career out of it. I was fascinated. I thought if they could do it, why couldn't I' I'm creative, organised and practical, I've always loved home interiors and had often advised friends on colours and schemes for their homes.
I knew instantly that I needed to set up my own home staging business.
'I attended the next House Doctor weekend seminar and met Ann and her team. I was selected for her first Advanced Property Presentation Course, and we staged two real homes ' one of which increased in value by '18,000 following an investment of only '2,000. I had the same enthusiasm for home staging as Ann and was delighted to join her team.
'Last year, I was one of Ann's stylists at the BBC Good Homes Show, which was a wonderful experience. I now help to organise the various House Doctor courses, and I mentor delegates who are training to join the new House Doctor Network.
'On top of this, I now have my own business. Home Stylers Ltd is based in the East Midlands, offering de-cluttering and home-organising services whether the client intends to sell their home or just wants to enjoy living in it more comfortably. I have also undergone de-cluttering training with Dawna Walter, from BBC2's Life Laundry, and have found that 95% of my clients benefit from my Clutter2go! service before they make any further changes to their home.
'If a home is to be sold, I combine de-cluttering with some organised packing, to create more visual space, then stage the home to appeal to potential buyers. If the home needs a re-style or an update, I combine de-cluttering with organised storage for an amazing transformation.
'I recently expanded my services to advise homeowners all over the country via photo consultations ' where I assess a home from a series of photographs sent to me, and offer home styling advice accordingly.
It means I can work while Elizabeth's at school which is more or less full time and although the first year was very slow I make a good living out of home staging. I'm so pleased I sat down and switched on the TV that evening. Ann and House Doctor changed my life!'
