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HOME STAGING

Home Staging – More than just Furniture and Fluffing Pillows…

home-staging-more-than-just-furniture

We have been staging homes for a number of years now and what we can tell you is that staging is more than just ‘pretty-ing’ up a place.  Making a property pretty is of course important but there are other important factors when it comes to home staging that don’t involve furniture at all.

1 – Smells.

Are you nose-blind? You might be and that’s not uncommon.  We all get used to our surroundings the warts and all and that includes the smells.  When someone comes to your home for the first time, like a buyer would, they see it all and smell it all.  So be sure to tackle those unpleasant odours.  Ask a friend or neighbour to do a smell check – can they smell the pets? mold? mildew? A professional cleaning can often make a big difference and it’s worth it!

 

2 – Repairs.

Loose or cracked tiles, leaky faucet, loose hardware, burnt out light bulbs, noisy fan, chipped paint, the list goes on…tackle that list or get a handy man who can.  When buyers come through they will take notice and that will be come the focus.

3- Upgrades/Updates.

Is your home in need of some updates? You may not know for sure and this is a great conversation to have with your agent.  They can tell you what has sold and for what price.  They can show you photos so you can see the condition of the sold property.  They can also show you this info for your market competition.  You may need to price accordingly or make some updates. But this can really determine your length of time on the market. Your agent can also let you know which updates are worth investing in and which to pass on.

 

4 – Clutter.

We all have it and we all can’t stand it but it happens.  When you sell your home you need to deal with the clutter.  Sure you know the usual – kitchen counters, desk in the office but don’t forget about the little clutter like bathroom counter surfaces, table tops, closets and even above those kitchen cabinets.  When you are selling your home – make a date or 2 or 3 or…to conquer the clutter – it’s better for you, it’s better to deal with it before you go to the new place but it’s important that the buyers don’t see it.  Short on time and can’t deal with the clutter? It’s better to have papers and other items that clutter tucked away in containers – it looks neater and tidier. Clutter sends the message that ‘this home lacks storage’, so don’t let it pile up!

 

5- Not just inner beauty.

The interior of your home is very important but so is the exterior.  Did you know that buyers often do judge a book buy it’s cover? You might be missing out on a buyer if the exterior of your property doesn’t show well.  So pay attention to the exterior.  Is it clean? Maintained? Welcoming? Well lit?

 

6 – Take out your personality.

Lots of buyers love a home with character but that doesn’t mean your character.  Remove the bold wall paint colours, family photos, collections and anything that is really representative of your personal tastes and styles – bring that to the new place.  Neutralize and depersonalize.  It might sound boring to you – but it is important, buyers need to visualize themselves in the space and a neutral palette or a clean canvas allows them to do that.  You want a home buyer not a house guest!

 

 

Be prepared for some feedback that might not be glowing – it happens to every property.  It’s not personal.  Use that feedback and discuss with your agent what you can do about it.  If you are noticing a pattern in your feedback ‘like the family room is dark’ – lighten it up with lighting or maybe paint.  Listen to the market and work with your agent.

When it comes to selling your home remember the buyer is looking for their new home, not your old home – make it shine and stand out from the crowd!

 

 

Buyers are looking for their ‘new’ home and not your ‘old’ home – so presentation is really key to get your house sold so you want move on to your next chapter with ease…

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HOME STYLING, INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS

Fix My Living Room: Easy tips to re-arrange your furniture

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Sometimes, it only takes moving a few things here and there to make a house look better. The stuff we already have in our home, in order for them to work together and give the space a great flow, means furniture needs to be put in its best position. This is true for everyday life and for staging your home for sale.

 

Unfortunately, not all of us have the artistic eye to enhance the beauty of our home by just moving and grouping furniture and accents, if we did, we wouldn’t have a job!

 

Knowing how to arrange furniture, work with colour and place the right accessories can boost the overall appeal of your living space.

 

We’ve listed easy and practical arrangement tips for the living room.

Below you will find the furniture arranging basics and furniture sizes and placements.

Let’s start with the basics.

Living Room Basics

When arranging furniture in your living room, always remember to:

 

  • Establish a focal point.It could be a decorated wall, a centerpiece a window, or a fireplace where you can arrange and match the furniture around it.
  • Create a conversation area. It will be awkward for guests if they will need have to strain their necks and shout in order to be understood by one another. If you have a large living room, instead of spacing out the furniture and create a big gap between seats, create different conversation groupings instead.
  • Don’t forget about traffic flow. Make sure that people have enough room for walking so they won’t trip or graze each other whenever in a hurry.
  • Pull furniture away from the walls. One of the biggest mistakes that people do, is to leave their furniture touching the walls. If the pieces are closer together, they create a more intimate setting.

 

Furniture Placement and Sizes Guide

When it comes to interior design, size matters. Look at the size of your area first and make sure that the furniture you put it in will complement the space.

 

Side tables.

People usually think that side tables are not important… but they are actually are. It is a common practice to have side tables at both ends of a sofa. But, if you only have a limited space, a coffee table is much advisable. For the height, always remember that side tables, should as high as the arm chair height of the nearest sofa or chair.

 

Coffee tables.

A coffee table is a must have piece because it is practical and can serve many purposes. The height of a coffee table should be slightly lower than sofa and chairs, but not too low to the point that the guests will feel uncomfortable putting down their wine glass or a cup of coffee.

 

 

Rug.

The secret to making rugs work is to go for a bigger one. An area rug that is too small will stunt your vision of the seating area. However, a big rug can define and make the seating area bigger and more inviting. But don’t go too big (like wall-to-wall) as that can cut off the space too and chop the room  in half, you should see some hardwood flooring around the rug

 

 

Sofa and chairs.

Consider the amount of space you have before buying new furniture. There is no small or big furniture, the sizes should depend on the amount of space that your living room has. What you can do is create a simple sketch or a basic floor plan with measurements to see how much stuff you can put in there and to really capture personal style, try not to purchase a matching set with sofa and chairs.  Find some great chairs that compliment the space and are of proper size and scale (some visual interest too)

 

Sometimes all a room needs is a few small changes,



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HOME STAGING

Why you need to stage your home

why-you-need-to-stage-your-home

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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