bennett property shop Archives

HOME STAGING

5 Easy Fixes to Make your Home ‘Buyer-Ready’

July 18, 2017

A home buyer can be picky so when it comes to selling your home you always want to have your best foot forward and if it is a tough market you really cannot afford to be anything less than showcase perfect!

One of the secrets in catching the eye of potential buyers is to highlight the features of a home that are important to them. Showing buyers that you have what they need, will help sell your home fast and get the best price.

But of course, not every home is perfect. You might not have the best location, neighborhood, space and other factors that are important in choosing a home. But those imperfections, especially the ones you have control over, should not hinder you from having a great showing.

We listed 5 tips that will make your home appeal to a home buyer:

#1 Style according to location advantages:

There is little you can do about your property’s location. Instead of masking location disadvantages with adjectives in your listing, you can factor the location to your marketing plan. Is your address in a hip, urban location? You might want to stage your house in a way that it will appear attractive to young professionals. If your home is located near a high school, designing your home in a way that it will reflect the style that would appeal to a growing family is important. In short, visualize the needs and characteristics of a buyer and set up the property accordingly.

#2 Fix and repair before the showing

Before your first showing, make sure that everything is in working condition. Do you have leaking faucets or clogged pipes? Fix anything and everything that is broken because those become a major turn off. Prospective buyers wouldn’t want to figure out those repair needs on their own and they will just look at the listing down the road instead. If you are working with a realtor, ask them if they have a list of preferred professionals that they could recommend to fix those repairs around the home, or you can check out a recommendation website like Angie’s List

#3 Make scents!

First of all, if there’s unpleasant odor in the property, get to the root of the problem and fix it! No one wants to live in a smelly house. Secondly, don’t overdo it with air fresheners. Most people like the look and freshness of lemons, so a bowl of lemons pierced with a fork will do the trick. Lightly scented candles are good as well; scents like fresh linen or clean laundry are usually safe bets. For cooler months, try baked cookies or even just a bowl of water with cinnamon and sugar in the oven at a low temperature

#4 Sufficient lighting for every room

Buyers find bright rooms really attractive. Draw back the curtains, open the shades, and make use of artificial lighting if you need to.

A tried-and-tested technique to achieve the most balanced room lighting is to place three lighting sources in a triangular configuration. For example: a floor lamp, table lamp and ceiling light fixture are three sources of light in a room. Another tip is to replace dated lighting fixtures; an inexpensive and quick upgrade that can have significant impact on the look of a property. Remember when you are preparing for an open house have all of your lights turned on – the house will look and feel bigger and brighter!

#5 Declutter

When home buyers tour your house, you don’t want them to focus on the clutter. If you have personal belongings on display, like family pictures or collection, or just anything that will distract potential buyers, tuck these away. Think of it as a ‘pre-pack’, you will want to have those items with you at your next home, won’t you? A second benefit to a properly decluttered space is that is makes the place look larger. Bigger is always better for buyers. A bigger space encourages them to imagine how they will add their own personal touch to the property and without your personal belongings; they can start to mentally move in with their things.

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to prepping your home for the resale market. But we hope these 5 steps help you get it ready and sold!

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We Answer Wednesday – How home staging helps sell your home

November 9, 2016

“My fiance and I are now living together, and we want to put my place up for sale. Is it worth it to stage the house? It is empty, so doesn’t that make it look bigger and that way a buyer can picture themselves in there? We just want to know what staging will do to help us sell.”

This is something we can definitely help you with. We have staged lots of properties for clients to help get them sold.

Home staging is a great tool to help buyers visualize how to live in the space, it helps to highlight the features of your home and also show off the size of your home. Home staging isn’t just about furniture that’s only one part of it. Selling an empty or vacant property is actually really tough. Empty rooms are cold and emotionless – that means buyers aren’t connecting with the house. Have you ever seen photos of an empty room? It’s really hard to tell if the room is large, small or just the right size…Many people do not have the ability to picture their things and their life when looking at a vacant property. There is no WOW factor with a vacant property so buyers don’t take notice.

A good home stager will come and view the vacant property (usually with you and often with your agent) and he/she will give suggestions on any repairs, cleaning, depersonalizing, decluttering and updates that are needed. A home stager knows what buyers are looking for, your agent can also give you some insight as to what your competition is offering (renovated kitchen, counter tops…) but also what the buyer expectation is at your price point. Buying a home is an emotional connection – it is something the buyer feels when they walk in the door. Home staging helps with setting the scene and connecting with buyers on an emotional level.

Plus buyers are looking to buy their NEW home, they don’t want your old one – so do the

prep work to get it looking it’s best!

Your home stager will work with you and your budget to get the property up to par before moving in any furniture items.

Details are so important when selling:

– A new paint job in a current tone can do wonders for any property.

– Small updates like new cabinet hardware and a tile back splash can totally transform a kitchen

– Brighter light bulbs in existing light fixtures can really help any room

-Fixing up any small repairs will give buyers a good feeling about ‘their new home’

-A good and thorough cleaning feels great! You want to make a fantastic first impression on your potential buyers.

When it comes to the final step of furnishing the home with staging furniture, your stager will have a plan. He/She has figured out how to best show off this property by making it look clean and bright but also large and current. The proper scale and placement of furniture make a big difference in flow plus using the right accents like colour and texture really give your photos a ‘pop’ and set the scene!

So why would staging help you?

Well, having your home professionally staged will set you apart from the competition. Having the right pieces, colours, updates and more will make you stand out from the crowd in any market.

1. Your staged property will always photograph better and in this day and age, your online photos are basically your first showing – when your photos look great, the phone starts ringing and the private viewings are booked! Home staging will increase the amount of showings at your property.

2. Now that you have more showings, the agents start to take notice and that piques everyone’s interest – your property is hot!

3. A hot property means offers – could be a quick offer early into the process because the buyer agent knows this one won’t last long or it could mean you have a number of interested buyers leading to multiple offers.

Home staging helps :

-make your property looks its best and present what buyers want

– by giving you the best online photos to be used in marketing materials and social media

– get more interest in your property and more viewings

– get the property sold for top dollar and quickly

Best wishes on the sale of your home and remember it’s really important for your own stress level and bottom line to work with true professionals who will help you feel good about the presentation and sale of your property.

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HOME STAGING, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

We Answer Wednesday – How to create curb appeal in the early spring

May 11, 2016

“My house is hitting the real estate market very soon. I know we have a great house on the inside but right now in this early spring weather, it’s not looking great. What can we do to increase our curb appeal when our gardens aren’t in bloom?”

You are so right!

Depending on where you live this time of year isn’t the prettiest. The good news is there are simple things that you can do to show off your great outdoor space. But your home is on the market now and you don’t want to wait until the gardens are in full bloom.

The gardens aren’t quite in bloom yet and the garden centers are gearing up for the season but in some areas it is still a bit early for planting. But the grass is green, so use what you have and make the best of it. So start with giving your yards (front and back) a good raking. There is always some dead leaves and branches on the ground – just getting those off the grass will give the exterior a clean look. Depending on your area you grass might be a bit on the long side. So give it a mow and you will notice how much neater everything looks.

Flowers are a great way to add a splash of colour but because you are selling you might not want to make a huge investment in flowers this spring season plus it is still a bit early for planting. A great alternative is planters at the front of the house and if you have a great deck space, some planters at the back are a nice touch too. So in these early spring days which flowers can handle this fresher weather? Potted Pansies are a great option – they are sturdy and colourful and if you take care of them, they will last all summer. A bit of height is a good idea when creating your planters – in the spring we love forsythia – the pop of yellow draws the eye in!

Remember these 3 words when creating a planter:

Spill, Fill and Thrill

– in other works, have some greenery or flowers that hang over the edge of the planter, have some plants and flowers that fill the majority of the pot (of medium height) and some height – the image below is a great example of a spring planter.

Create a welcoming vignette at the front door – this is the buyers first impression of the home so make it count! If you have a porch put out a bench with a pillow for a pop of colour. Try a wreath on the front door.

Just because it isn’t summer yet doesn’t mean you can’t set the scene for buyers. So pull out and dust off that patio furniture – maybe this is a bit early than usual but remember you are show casing your home for buyers so you want them to see how they would enjoy summer BBQs and get togethers outside. So place the furniture like you would if you were entertaining so have a dining area and a seating area. Roll out the BBQ and take off the cover. Now that the furniture is set up and clean, make it pretty with some outdoor pillows and maybe even an outdoor rug – it creates a welcoming scene for buyers.

Want to take it to the next level?

For the photos you can set the dining table or at the seating area, set up a tray with a pitcher – this will help make that emotional connection with the potential buyers who are looking online.

If you have a pool, make sure to have it open and running. A pool always looks better (and photographs better) when it is blue and beautiful!

If you have incredible gardens or a beautiful flowering tree look through your photos and see if you have some beautiful ‘full bloom’ summer photos to share with your agent – these would be great to show buyers as well.

Other curb appeal factors to look into:

– check all exterior lighting are the bulbs in working order ?
– brush away any cobwebs or other debris that may have collected over the winter
– check the mailbox, is it rusted or loosely affixed to the house?
– does your doorbell work?
– how is the paint on the front door?
– how is the roof?
– sweep the walkways, driveway, porch and decks

Buyers are looking to buy their new home not your old one – so take the time to set the scene and get it sold quickly!

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HOLIDAYS, HOME STAGING, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

We Answer Wednesday – Selling and Seasonal Decor

October 28, 2015

“We will be selling our home during the holidays. We love the holidays and especially the decorating. Is it OK to decorate our home for the holidays while it is up for sale? “

We love the holidays too and the decorating is our favourite part but when it comes to selling your home you need to be careful. Holiday decorating can be a negative when it comes to selling your home.

We love how simple and subtle this entry way decor is. It is perfect for the fall and Thanksgiving season. It is clean and tasteful.

Although we love this because it is both fun and festive for Halloween, it is too much if you are selling your home. The mantle is too cluttered and crowded, and taking away from the fireplace – a great feature for any home

Here’s why:

1. Certain holiday decor may be religious and that can turn (some) buyers off. You need to keep the home neutral and depersonalized.

2. Holiday decor (in most cases) adds clutter. You might think adding a large Christmas tree in your family room shows off the size of the room but it actually doesn’t. It cramps the space, adds bulk to the space and although beautiful it may even cut off the flow of the room.

This is a lot of fun and totally chic for a Halloween party but it’s very cluttered and is very distracting.

3. Holiday decor can be distracting. Lights, trees, baubles and bling really take the focus away from features like flooring, new paint, large windows and just about anything else that is included with the home

4. Holiday decor dates your photos. We love holiday decor but if you are decked out for the holidays during your photos, those photos will get old and quickly. No one wants to see a fireplace mantle with garlands and wreaths in late January or February (and depending on your market and price point that could be a realistic time frame).

This is clean and simple plus it isn’t religious. This would be cute on a mantel or as a centerpiece during the season.

Now if you just can’t come to terms with not decorating for the holidays while your home is for sale, here are some ideas.

1. Tone it down and keep it tasteful. So keep to less than 50% of what you would normally do.

This is a great addition on the front porch or by the fireplace. It’s clean and simple and it can be up over the months of December and January as it is pretty generic. But remember to maintain any natural plants – you don’t want a fire hazard or pine needles everywhere!

2. Keep your decor up for a shorter period of time. So don’t put up your items too early and keep them up too long.

3. Don’t have your decor ‘up’ for your photos. That way you will be giving buyers (who are looking online) a true snapshot of what the home looks like and you will be able to use the photos longer as they won’t be dated after the holidays.

4. Hosting the holidays? Be sure to let your agent know and coordinate with him/her any showing restrictions in advance – you don’t want to turn away showings if you can avoid it. It can set a bad impression.

Don’t forget the exterior – keep your decor simple, clean and tasteful. White lights are very flattering and work beyond the Christmas holidays. Also with the days getting shorter, these lights help buyers and agents see the house better!

This is really fun and very festive and probably a neighbourhood attraction but it is distracting and a look to avoid when selling your home.

Remember once you are in your new home you can make up for not being able to decorate during the sale of your last home! Happy Holidays and happy Selling!!

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HOME STAGING

How to make an old home look (and feel) new

May 19, 2015

My husband is a real estate agent and he often finds himself in homes that just look old and tired but many seem to have great potential, they just need a few updates to bring it into current day style. He shares a lot of easy tips and tricks with his clients on how to make an old home look and feel new again without compromising on character. As an interior decorator and home stager, I couldn’t agree with him more. Plus these are great tips if you are thinking of selling your home in the not-so-distant future – keep it current looking – buyers will take notice

Here are some easy tricks to get an old home feeling new, again….

1 – Clean or replace carpets.

Make the space feel fresh with new carpet. It will instantly add a brand-new feeling to your home. If you are living there and like carpet than that’s fine but if this is an update for sale – price out replacing the carpet with hardwood or a laminate (that looks like hardwood).

2 – Make it cohesive.

A lot can be lost through the years—an update here and an update there can leave your house in a state of mismatched chaos. Determine whether you want room-by-room finishes to be the same throughout the house. The cohesive pattern will help your home feel polished, thus giving it new life.

3 – Install new doors.

If you really want to go all out, replace your doors with Shaker-style doors or six-panel ones. A front door can also add a lot of curb appeal. If that doesn’t fit in your budget – paint the front door!

4 – Update outlets, light switches, and plates

My husband and I have found that this is something that made a significant difference in all three of the older homes we’ve lived in. Some may have yellowed, been painted over, or have had various shapes and styles.
Update your house by switching all of the light switches and plates. Note: If you’re not experienced in doing this, hire a licensed electrician or find a great online video source and watch a few tutorials. It’s relatively simple, yet tedious work. We also updated yellowed alarms, thermostats, doorbells and smoke detectors.

5 – Repair walls.

In the past, we had purchased our home, it was apparent that years of poor quality DIY patching had taken place.
We had our painter fix the blemishes and fill all 240 nail holes. Yes, 240. Now when the light shines on them, it looks like new drywall.

6 – Add light…

Whether it’s adding curtains, replacing light bulbs, or removing screens, adding light in your home is an easy way to breathe new life into each room. Remove vertical blinds they are so dated!

7 – …and paint.

A current and cohesive paint palette brings your home into the present and makes it feel fresh. If you stay away from yellow based tones that is recommended, when this get ‘yellowed’ they look aged.

8 – Remove dated fixtures.

Updating lights and hardware on kitchen and bathroom cabinets are easy ways to make your home feel like new.

9 – Refinish hardwood.

Choose an appropriate stain and give your hardwoods new life. I remember being astonished at how inexpensive it was to do the living room in our previous home and it made such a huge difference!

Every house needs a little sprucing up, I hope this inside info helps you out!

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HOME STAGING

Home For Sale? Open House Tips

April 19, 2015

If your home is up for sale on the market – this is a busy and possibly stressful time for you. On top of your everyday responsibilities you also have to deal with the showings and open houses at your home. You have your next property in mind and you have prepped and staged this house for sale. Getting ready for every showing is work!

You want to sell your house and you know in order to do that buyers need to see it but prepping for a viewing can be very stressful and a bit hectic – so much to do! You want your home to look it’s best – Here is what you don’t want to happen. A showing is suddenly scheduled for that evening and you realize you have zero clean towels in your house. So now, not only do you have to pick up, wipe down surfaces, etc — you also have a load of laundry to do as well.

Have an open house box!

Sounds easy, right? It is!

Here’s what you need:

– a box, like a Banker’s box is a perfect size and it has a lid
– a set of clean, fresh white towels (one set for each bathroom)
– small (cutlery size) baskets (one for each bathroom)
– clean tea towels
– a mason jar for counter clutter like coins, small pieces of paper, elastics etc…
– a large envelope to store papers from the counter like school news letters, mail etc…
– Clorox wipes or Lysol wipes for quick counter top cleaning

Before you begin showing your home, take an empty box and fill it with clean bath, hand and dish towels. When you have a showing scheduled, walk around to each bathroom and the kitchen grabbing all the dirty linens, and putting out the clean linens – get the kids involved and have them grab the ‘dirty’ towels. Just throw the dirty towels in this box to pull back out after the showing is over. So the clean towels in the Open House Box never actually get used, only shown.

Store the box in a closet that isn’t a huge feature like a guest room closet – once the show is over. Collect all of the ‘showing props’ like the clean towels, tea towels etc… and put it all back in the box.

So easy!

Here are some other easy tips for managing your personal items when living in the house that you are selling:

1 – Containers. Small and big are needed to just keep things tidy. This is especially useful in the bathroom for make -up, tooth brushes, personal care items and toilet paper. If leaving your items out, having them in containers looks much better but if you want to tuck them away, having them in containers makes it easy!

2 – Keep the office tidy with boxes for loose papers and other documents you don’t want left out in the open. Keep pens and pencils in a holder too – a messy office can send the message that there isn’t room for everything and leave a bad impression

3 – Keep the lights on! Even on a sunny day but especially for evening showings – the light will make everything look bigger and brighter

4 – Big baskets are your best solution for showing a family home. Just toss all of the toys in some baskets,try not to have too many just a few that are big enough to fit the kids’ things.

5 – Please take the pets out! Not everyone loves your pets and even if they are friendly, the presence of pets can be distracting and uncomfortable. So make arrangements for your pets – maybe during the day a neighbour could help out by taking them or maybe you can take them with you while the open house is happening.

Home selling is stressful but following these staging tips will help ease that stress and help you get your house sold!

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HOME DECOR, HOME STAGING

Get the ‘Model’ look at Home

September 18, 2014

Have you ever toured a model home and wished your space could look like that? Or admired some key pieces and wanted them for your own home?

Well wonder no more…..with the help of KIKI Interiors and Wayfair.com you can get the model look in your home.

It’s easy too. Click here to get directly to the kiki interiors gallery and you will see a series of different looks. Each image has various highlighted items and wayfair.com has already done the shopping for you!

To get the look at home you may just need a few pieces or a fresh new colour palette. We hope our gallery inspires you!

Here are just some examples of the model homes you will find in the KIKI Interiors gallery on Wayfair.com

An urban condo with high gloss grey cabinets, quartz counter tops, over sized industrial pendants and pops of orange and turquoise. The pops of orange came from the Pantone Colour of the Year (at the time) ‘Tangerine’.

A mix of modern and ethnic elements. Lots of layered neutral tones with texture and clean lines. Don’t be afraid to mix natural materials and textures with more modern pieces.

A condo where classic and contemporary meet. Pattern, bright pops of apple green, yellow and teal, nail heads, glass and more…

Where contemporary meets industrial, a mix of metal, brick, shades or grey and stone…

You might be thinking – “Wow, that’s a lot of different styles of model homes” – When we design what the model home is going to look like we take a lot of different factors into consideration. Who is the buyer? What is the price point / budget? What are the current trends? What are we working with in terms of space (lots of light, interior finishes etc…). When we design and decorate we aren’t doing it for ourselves – we are thinking of it as a sales tool and not just a ‘work of art’. A model home is meant to inspire and attract…

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HOME STAGING

Why you need to stage your home

September 7, 2014

First impressions matter the most when it comes to selling a house. In the real estate world, impressing prospect buyers is already half the battle. That’s why many seek professional home staging services to bring out the full potential of their home.

But not all people are convinced and we understand their hesitation. Some prefer to do it themselves instead of asking for professional help. Many home sellers ask us – why should I spend money to sell my home, can’t the buyer do it themselves and make the changes they really want? The problem with that is most buyers can’t see potential and in this current real estate market most buyers don’t want to lift a finger! So if you want your home sold and fast, you need to do the ‘grunt’ work for them. Remember when a professional stager comes to your home for a consultation it isn’t a personal attack, we are there to help you get your home sold and for as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time.

If you are in the process of selling your home and are having second thoughts about the benefits you can get out of professional home staging, here are a few reasons why you should consider it.

#1 The best short term investment a seller can make

In a study conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average cost of staging is between 1% and 3% of the asking price and this investment can yield on average 4-10% more of the final selling price.

Moreover, Homegain.com explained that sellers who invested $500 in home staging recovered over 343% of the total cost when they sold their home. That’s a pretty good investment.

#2 Staging help you sell faster

If you’ve done your research beforehand, you must know by now that the longer a house sits on the market, the more likely the price drops.

Based on controlled tests initiated by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), wherein a number of identical homes were sold, professionally staged vs. not staged, the non-staged houses sold in 102 days, while the staged houses sold in 45 days.

Just imagine all the carrying costs you need to manage if your home stays longer on the market. By staging your home, all the inconvenience, stress, plus additional expenses such as mortgage and taxes, can be avoided

#3 Avoid a price reduction

A home that’s in “as in” condition are a tough sell, unless it has already been the victim of a substantial price reduction. Ensure that your property is in tip top shape before listing. Most traffic and interest will come up within the first two weeks so make it a point to maximize the potential of your home to make it to a buyer’s shortlist.

#4 Stand out among competition with professional MLS photos

Over 95% of buyers look at online listing before making an actual visit, so it is important to have professional MLS photos to convince them to see the place for themselves. As professional stagers, we know how important first impressions are and we employ various techniques to make the best impression possible. Colours to use, the right amount of decor pieces, furniture placement and more…so our ideas for your home might be completely different than yours but we are here to help you show case this home to buyers and make your home look like their dream home!

#5 Most sellers are having hard time viewing their home objectively

If you can’t view your home objectively, it’ll be hard to package it for the buyer’s eyes. A professional home stager can help you with this. They know how to minimize the problem areas and maximize the potential of the best features. You decorated your home to suit your lifestyle and personal tastes but now that you have decided to move on, you need someone to come in and help you present your home in its best light and have it attract as many buyers as possible. It can be very tough to be objective in your home as it holds so many wonderful memories, so again don’t take it personally when a home stager gives your ideas or stage your home in a way that you ‘never’ would.

#6 Only 10% of home buyers can visualize a house’s potential

This is why home staging is so important. It gives the buyers ideas how they can play with interior design. You need to bring out and show the potential of a house the best way you can.

#7 Peace of mind

Staging your home by yourself can be a tough job. It entails detailed planning, sorting out things, decluttering, trips to the home depot, finding contractors for paint jobs and repairs, etc. By entrusting the job to more capable hands, rest assured that you’ll get the best return on your investment.

Staging your home really is a must in any market. Why? Because no matter the market conditions you want to stand out from the crowd, sell quickly and for top dollar! You can’t afford not to stage your home,

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CELEBRITY HOMES

Celebrity Style – Mila Kunis

August 21, 2014

Mila Kunis and her finance, Ashton Kutcher are always in the spotlight and their lives will be even more center stage once their little bundle of joy arrives this Fall.

The hot is couple is often praised for their easy yet chic sense of fashion and you might be wondering what their California home looks like. well wonder no more check out this slideshow for a sneak peek into the couples’ surroundings.

Located on a private cul-de-sac, this incredible property spans an impressive 14,554-square-foot and carries a laid back Mediterranean vibe and look. The home itself, built in 1958, is fully outfitted with five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, one half bath, movie theatre, two car garage, outdoor pool, spa, hot tub, and so much more we can hardly handle it.

Up in the Hollywood Hills West, in a gated community, it’s a coveted location and this compound is ready to sell! With a baby on the way, this home is looking for a new owner as Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher start a new journey together, leaving this suped up pad for the next bidder with $3,995,000.

Interested? Here are the details and listing:
– Split-level home
– 5 bedrooms
– 4.5 bathrooms
– 2 car garage
– Home movie theatre
– Chef’s kitchen
– Indoor/outdoor living room
– Spa
– Full service cabana
– Outdoor pool
– Hot tub

You will notice a mix of soft and hard materials like the linen upholstery and wood beams with some real natural materials mixed in like the jute area rugs. The rooms are designed for entertaining but also comfort.

Throughout the home you will notice lots of layering of neutral tones, elements of nature like reclaimed wood and jute and subtle pattern in the upholstery accents and even wall paper.

The kitchen is perfect for entertaining but also for a gourmet at heart. The colour palette is timeless but still chic. A great balance of contemporary with some classic elements, masculine and feminine. The over sized island offers a lot of workspace and storage but it’s also perfect for guests.

What an amazing place to the lucky person (or people) that get to call this ‘home’.

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HOME STAGING

9 Easy Ideas to Help Sell Your Home

July 31, 2014

If you’re determined to sell your home fast, there are frugal home staging ideas that you can do right now. These ideas we will share with you are home staging tips that everyone can apply if they want to, on their own within a very limited time, without breaking the bank. The goal here is to make your home look squeaky clean, big, and attractive for a faster sale in a matter of days.

Here are 9 inexpensive ways on how to stage your home fast and cheap.

Paint in Neutral tones

Paint should be on top of your list because this helps you set the mood and theme of any given room. Use light, neutral colors that would be appealing to most. Neutral colors do not only make a room brighter, but also provides a blank canvas that a potential buyer can play with. You can hire someone to do this for you, but if you have the time and the skills, it’ll save you a few hundred dollars.

Declutter and depersonalize

Get rid of your personal stuff. Allow home buyers to imagine themselves living in your house so our pro tip is to declutter your books, pictures, knickknacks, and anything else that is a personal reflection of you. Think of this as a pre-pack before the big move!

Clean your light bulbs and update light fixtures

Sometimes, you don’t have to replace your light bulbs at all. Try wiping the dust off first and see if they still have some of the brand-new type of brightness in them. However, it is also essential to make every corner of your home lighted, so light fixtures like table lamps, floor lamps, and even battery-operated candles are amazing additions to make the house look brighter. Lots of light makes any space look and feel bigger and brighter!

Set the scene by dressing the table

When staging, pay attention to your kitchen. It’s one of those rooms in the house that makes the sale. Is your table set? If not, you can do so…at the very least there should be an amazing centerpiece on the table. Otherwise, it will look boring and less interesting to look at. A large dining room table looks warm and welcoming with place settings, fresh flowers etc….for a smaller eat-in kitchen a simple plant or fruit bowl can do the trick.

Add mirrors, strategically

This is another effective tip to make your home look larger. They don’t have to be really expensive. If you can only afford second hand, then by all means. Just make sure that they are in pristine condition and that they don’t have cracks in them. Mirrors do wonders in smaller areas like entry ways or smaller bedrooms. Also take a look at the mirrors in your bathroom, do they look dated? A framed mirror in a bathroom has a customized look which makes the bathrooms look expensive

Transform your bathroom into a spa

We recommend buying solid white towels and shower curtains, cream and white tones look clean and lush. These are inexpensive and they can make a huge difference. See if you can also throw in a few luxury soaps, bath oils, and candles on the side of the tub or on top of the sink to capture that spa-like atmosphere. Some fresh towels rolled in the tub corner or on the towel rack add some luxurious texture too

Keep Furniture Proportional to the space

Too much furniture can overcrowd a room. It can make the space look smaller and hard to move around. When placing furniture, think minimalist. It is better if a buyer starts talking (or visualizing) bigger items in the room instead of smaller; this makes them think the rooms are larger which is what most buyers want.

Clean like you have never cleaned before…..

Clean, scrub, sweep, repeat! Then do it over again until it shines. Make the place sparkle! By maintaining a clean, staged house, buyers will notice that and they’ll be impressed to know that you take care of the place very well. Also keep your eye open for any small repairs; those should be taken care of too.

Don’t forget the curb appeal

Most often than not, people tend to focus on the inside and forget that the first thing home buyers will see is the front yard. Make sure that it is cleaned and trimmed. Remove dead branches, replace withered plants, and add some decorative pots if you can. And in the cooler months, sweep or shovel the walkway and driveway and try to create an inviting first impression perhaps a wreath….

Yes, it is a lot of work to get your home ready for the resale market but it is worth it – think of it as time invested now so you don’t sit on the market and wait, and wait and wait…the end results are worth the work!

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