Home Solutions finds its place
Owners will be featured home show speakers
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Amherst residents Jamie Shaner and Lynn Clark, Home Solutions of Western New York owners, will debut their tips and techniques for home organizing and staging at this weekend's Buffalo Home and Garden Show.

Home organizing and staging professionals Jamie Shaner and Lynn Clark know about putting things into their place and recently they found the right niche for their business, Home Solutions of Western New York.

After being acquaintances for more than 10 years, Shaner and Clark combined their expertise and natural talent to form Home Solutions in September 2005.

Clark, an accredited staging professional, said they assist residents in preparing their homes for the real estate market. The duo visits the home and suggests how to make it appealing to the largest number of buyers. This is done by removing personal items and clutter and leaving the room open for the potential buyers' own vision of the space.

"The goal is to sell the house faster and for more money," Clark said, adding that statistics support the staging method. "It's about knowing what to eliminate and grabbing the attention of the broadest number of buyers."

Home Solutions also offers organization for the home and office. Shaner, a professional organizer, said the first step to getting organized is to call for a free consultation.

She said many people hang on to things they love and can't decide if they should get rid of them. Home Solutions helps those people sort through their belongings to decide what should be kept and how to organize what they want and need.

"We listen to the client and instill what works for them," Shaner said, adding that the system has to be comfortable for the clients because if not, it won't work.

Shaner said the duo officially started their business in spring 2006. Less than a year later they have already been asked - for the second time - to be speakers at Buffalo's Home and Garden Show at the Buffalo Convention Center.

In total, they will present six seminars - 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 9; 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10; and 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 11 on the main stage.

The earlier shows each day will be, "Home Staging - Preparing a Home for Sale," and they will explain the process of staging and offer tips.

The later shows, "Home Organizing" will feature general tips for practical organizing solutions.

Attendees can enter to win a home organization package valued at $100.

"We have and enjoy what we do and we want to convey that," Clark said in preparing for this weekend's show. "Its an introduction into the community to say 'We are here, and this is what we do.'"

Shaner is encouraging those planning to attend the show to come with specific questions and photographs of an area in their home that needs organizing.

"We want people to understand that getting organized helps reduce stress and creates a calm, productive environment, and we can help them have fun in the process," she said.

Shaner and Clark said they have come across many people who feel embarrassed about their clutter, but they shouldn't.

Home Solutions offers a 30-minute free consultation to assess the home environment.

"Don't let money or embarrassment be the reason not to call us," Clark said, adding they can help, from organizing a filing system to an entire house.

Shaner and Clark started Home Solutions after years in the professional world. Shaner is a professional accountant. They are members of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Amherst chapter of Women in Networking.

For information, visit www.homesolutionswny.com or call 316-7040.