Here’s the information from the Pasadena-Foothills Association of Realtors:

Starting January 1, 2013, it will be unlawful to smoke in any common area, patio, balcony, or inside a unit within any multi-family building (defined as two or more units.)

Effective January 1, 2012, property owners/managers must post No Smoking signs in the common areas of their building.

Also, effective January 1, 2012, all leases/rental agreements AND purchase agreements must contain a reference to the prohibition AND a copy of the ordinance.

What does this mean for you if you are a smoker? If you live in a condo, townhome or apartment complex in Pasadena, you cannot smoke in any common areas (for example, halls, meeting rooms or around the pool) on your balcony or patio, or within your condo, townhome or apartment.

If you are a Pasadena landlord, as of January 1, 2013, all leases and rental agreements must contain information about this no smoking law and you must include a copy of the ordinance.

If you are selling a home or are a real estate agent involved in a real estate sale in Pasadena you must include a reference to the no smoking ordinance in the purchase agreement as well as a copy of the ordinance.

Here’s a release from Laura Olhasso, Pasadena Government Affairs Director. 626.795.2455

Pasadena City Council Passes Ordinance Banning Smoking in Multi-Family Buildings
Earlier this week (July 11, 2011), the Pasadena City Council passed an ordinance which will ban smoking in all multi-family building (defined as two units or more). Smoking will be banned in all common areas and within the unit themselves, including balconies or patios.
The ban goes into effect immediately for apartment units which are newly constructed or which are being leased or rented for the first time.
It will be unlawful to smoke in ALL multi-family units (including condos and townhomes as well as apartments) effective Jan 1. 2013.
Property owners, managers, homeowners associations, etc. will be required to post signs noting the no smoking law but are not responsible for its enforcement. Enforcement of the ordinance will be through the city’s health department.
All lease agreements entered into after Jan. 1, 2012 will incorporate ordinance disclosure information. All purchase agreements after Jan 1. 2012 are to include a reference to the ordinance and a copy of it. PFAR will be working with city staff to develop disclosure forms and information.
Questions: Laura Olhasso, Government Affairs Director. 626.795.2455

And here’s a copy the the no smoking ordinance:

8.78.080 – Posting of signs.

A.  Every owner, operator, manager, or other persons having control of a structure where smoking is prohibited under this chapter shall conspicuously post in such buildings “No Smoking” signs with capital letters not less than one-inch in height on a contrasting background. The international “No Smoking” symbol (consisting of a pictorial representation of a burning cigarette enclosed in a red circle with a red bar across it) may be used in lieu of the written “No Smoking” sign, or a sign approved by the city’s health officer.

B.  The “No Smoking” postings may be limited to first floor entrances and exits, lobbies, restrooms, and elevators.

(Ord. 6548 § 2 (part), 1993)

8.78.085 – Reduction of drifting tobacco smoke in multi-unit housing.

A.  The following words and phrases, whenever used in this section, shall have the following meanings:

1. “Common area” means every interior or exterior space of multi-unit housing that residents of more than one unit are entitled to enter or use, including, without limitation, halls and paths, lobbies and courtyards, elevators and stairs, community rooms and playgrounds, gym facilities and swimming pools, parking garages and parking lots, shared restrooms, shared laundry rooms, shared cooking areas, and shared eating areas.2. “Multi-unit housing” means residential property containing two or more dwelling units but does not include a hotel or motel that meets the requirements set forth in California Civil Code Section 1940(b)(2) or a mobile home park.3.  “New unit” means, for new construction, a unit that is issued a certificate of occupancy on and after July 1, 2011, or, for buildings already constructed, a unit that is leased or rented for residential use for the first time on and after July 1, 2011.

   4.  “Nonsmoking area” means any unit or common area of multi-unit housing in which smoking is prohibited by this section.

   5.  “Unit” means a personal dwelling space, even where lacking cooking facilities or private plumbing facilities, and includes any associated exclusive-use enclosed area or unenclosed area, such as, without limitation, a private balcony, porch, deck or patio. “Unit” includes without limitation: an apartment; a condominium; a townhouse; a room in a long-term health care facility, assisted living facility, or hospital; a room in a single room occupancy facility; and a room in a homeless shelter.

B.  Nonsmoking Areas in Multi-Unit Housing.

1. It is unlawful to smoke in all common areas of multi-unit housing.
2. It is unlawful to smoke in all new units of multi-unit housing.
3. It is unlawful to smoke in all multi-unit housing units on and after January 1, 2013.

C.  Disclosure of the Requirements of this Section.

1. Every lease or other rental agreement for the occupancy of a multi-unit housing unit entered into, renewed or continued month-to-month on and after January 1, 2012 shall contain a reference to this section and attach a copy of this section.
2. Every purchase agreement for the sale of a multi-unit housing unit entered into on or after January 1, 2012 shall contain a reference to this section and attach a copy of this section.

D.  Violations and Enforcement.

1. It is unlawful for any person to violate the provisions of this section.
2. Notwithstanding Section 8.78.110 or any other provision of this code, a violation of this section shall be punishable under the administrative citation procedures set forth in Chapters 1.25 and 1.26. The fine imposed for a particular violation shall be in the amount set forth in the administrative citation schedule established by resolution of the city council pursuant to Section 1.26.060.
3. The provisions of this section shall be enforced by the health officer of the city or an authorized designee in the environmental health division. An owner, operator, manager, landlord, homeowners’ association, or other person having control of a multi-unit housing unit shall post signs as required by Section 8.78.080; however, said persons may, but are not hereby required, to assist with enforcing the provisions of this section and shall not be deemed in violation of this section by failure to assist its enforcement.

Please note, the information contained in this post is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. You should consult with an attorney or licensed real estate professional before acting on any information contained in this post.

If you are selling or listing a Pasadena home and need help getting rid of smoking odors read Home Stagers Tips: How To Remove Smoking Odors From Your Home

Photo credit: Nirbhao on Flickr

This past week we staged this beautifully remodeled Pasadena cottage located at 3580 E. Del Mar Blvd.  The homeowner really did a terrific job and all I can say is Wow! The bathrooms are gorgeous with European fixtures and rain showers. All the closets have been fitted with the latest closet fittings and frosted plexi loft style closet doors. The floors have been refinished with an espresso finish in the latest style. The kitchen is brand new with solid quartz counter-tops and a micro-mosaic backsplash. Very au courant and very unique for Pasadena!

I love being able to stage beautifully remodeled  homes and this one is a real winner! Usually you will find traditional, Spanish or Craftsman homes in Pasadena. This home really stands out for it’s clean contemporary lines and finishes. This home was staged for a real estate investor.

We staged this home 2 days after the Pasadena wind storm that wrecked havoc all over town. When we staged, we didn’t have any electricity, either at the house or at our warehouse. We had to pack up for staging this home using flashlights. And when I photographed the house, I wasn’t able to turn on any lights as I normally do.

This home is a pocket listing (Its for sale, but not listed on the MLS yet). If you are interested, contact the listing agent Patrice Jacobs, Coldwell Banker (626)221-0213. Once again, the address is 3580 E. Del Mar Blvd.  and it does have a Supra lock box.

Here’s a list of a few other Pasadena homes we’ve staged recently (all are sold!) and two testimonials from our very happy clients:

Pasadena Home Staging – Prospect Park Home For Sale

Pasadena Home Staging – Who You Hire Does Make a Difference

Home Staging Pasadena – What A Client Had To Say

Charming Cal Tech Area Home Staging

Pasadena Penthouse Condo Pops With Home Staging

A little more than 2 months ago, Moving Mountains Design was hired to stage a cute Prospect Park Pasadena area cottage. The home received several offers and went into escrow very quickly, thanks in part to the fact that the home owners had hired us to stage it. Unfortunately, the buyer had a difficult time securing financing at the very end of the escrow period, and it looked like the home had to be put back on the market. The home went back under contract, and happily, closed escrow last week – with the original buyers! The sellers were on pins and needles with all the uncertainty, and wanted to wait until just before closing to destage. Because they had given us enough advance warning, we were able to coordinate a down-to-the-last-minute destaging.

Here’s a link to the original post about this home: Pasadena Home Staging -Prospect Park Area Home For Sale

This morning I awoke to a very lovely testimonial on Angie’s List:

We were putting our house on the market to sell and needed someone to furnish and get it market ready. Moving Mountains was one of four companies we reviewed. Michelle was by far the most knowledgeable and professional. She clearly knew the market and what needed to be done to get the house sold.
Michelle and her team beautifully staged the house in time for photos to be taken and posted on the MLS before the first open house. She also helped our Realtor to publicize it by leveraging her own network of brokers.  We were concerned about getting traffic to the open house as there was another similarly priced house on the market across the street that had very light traffic during the previous weekend when they held an open house. We ended up getting over 100 people at our first open house and were in escrow 2 days later after receiving multiple offers and getting over asking price.
We were supposed to be closing after 45 days so Michelle and her team were scheduled to de-stage the house a few days before the scheduled closing date. Her team was on the way to the house when we learned that the buyer was having issues with their loan and there was a possibility we’d need to re-market. Michelle was able to call her team back and re-schedule the de-staging about 5 times before we knew the loan was ready to go and it was safe to finally de-stage. She was incredibly flexible even though we were supposed to give her 5 days notice. Michelle juggled her schedule to accommodate us. Finally the loan came through and she emptied the house.
When the house was empty at the final walk through, our Realtor praised the staging and said that it definitely helped to command a much greater selling price than we would have received if the house had been empty. We would highly recommend Moving Mountains to anyone looking to sell their home.

Because Moving Mountains Design is well organized, with lots of staging projects under our belts, we were able to coordinate the truck rental, furniture pick-up and assistants on a very fluid and uncertain schedule.

If you think it doesn’t matter whom you hire to stage your home, think again. You want to have the best team, with the most experience and staging skill watching out for you when selling your Los Angeles or Pasadena home. Click here to read How To Choose A Home Stager

Moving Mountains Design offers home staging in Los Angeles, Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Glendale, Burbank  and the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys. Call us today to find out how we can help you sell your home faster and for the best price. (626)441-8975.

Here’s a money saving home staging tip: hire a professional home stager for a home staging consultation and then do the recommended work yourself.

By calling Moving Mountains Design for an occupied house staging consultation, you’ll get expert advice and house selling tips at an affordable price:

1. Verbal Home Staging Consultation – We’ll walk through your home , inside and out,  and discuss the work that needs to be done to get your home in market ready condition. We can make paint color recommendations, suggest the optimal furniture layout and discuss what items need to be pre-packed or donated. You can ask any questions, show us carpet samples and paint chips you may have picked up. You take all the notes. Do the suggested work on your own schedule.
2. Comprehensive Home Staging Consultation – We walk through your home with you (including exteriors) and outline the work that needs to be done to get your home in top market ready condition, same as above.  Afterwards, I’ll email you your  custom and very specific comprehensive home staging consultation report. Your report will contain all the recommended changes and tasks that we discussed. In addition, I’ll include information about how to prepare for open houses and showings, how to stage your closets, how to stage your garden, how to stage your garage, and how to stage your kitchen cabinets. Once again you save money by doing the recommended work yourself.

Once you’ve completed all or part of the suggestions in your Home Staging Consultation, the Moving Mountains Design team will come in and complete any portion of the work you would like. Our services are completely a la carte. The more work you do yourself, the more money you will save. 

 Here’s what a recent Pasadena home staging consultation client had to say:

…The best decision we made in this whole process was hiring you. It’s no exaggeration to say that we couldn’t have gotten any of this done without you — we didn’t even know where to begin.

We also offer cost-effective interior design, decorating or redesign consultations. Many homeowners are not planning on moving in the near future, but want to redecorate or refresh their current interior decorating. Once again, you can do all the work yourself, do some of the work and hire us to complete the project or hire us to complete your project while you put your feet up and relax. We can handle everything from light redecorating to full-on kitchen and bath remodels (we only work with licensed and insured contractors and sub-contractors!)

To schedule a home staging consultation appointment, call (626)441-8975 or send me an email at Michelle@MovingMountainsDesign.com.

Moving Mountains Design – We know what makes homes sell!™

Here’s the listing agents notes:

Enjoy entertaining in this beautiful 1949 traditional home located adjacent to the prestigious Prospect Park neighborhood. Conveniently located near Old Town, the Rose Bowl, Chandler School and Brookside Park this immaculate home offers beautiful hardwood floors, a classic formal living room with a wood burning fireplace, 3 bedrooms and a separate dining room with a convenient pass through that looks into the Eaton Designs custom kitchen with top of the line appliances. The bathrooms have been updated and include Italian glass tile and Kohler fixtures. Both the master suite and second bedroom offer serene views into a completely private Mediterranean garden with raised vegetable beds, gas fire pit, fountain and a terra cotta tiled open patio. The new 40 year roof was added last fall and the central AC and Furnace were also replaced new in 2010. The house is freshly painted and is move in ready.

MLS# 11552985

If you need help selling your Pasadena home, call Pasadena’s Best home stager, Michelle Minch, at Moving Mountains Design 626-441-8975. We know what makes homes sell!™

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