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what is home staging

HOME STAGING

Home staging works !

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Home staging is a must in any real estate market.  We have been staging homes since 2003 and even though decor styles have changed the benefits of home staging have not.

Why have your home staged?

Hot or cool market home staging sets you apart from the competition. You want to stand out from the pack and with home staging you do just that.  This is how it works – you have your home professionally staged and then photographed.  Your home staging team will know what works on camera and what connects with buyers in your target group – the staging and styling team have those two important factors in mind. Now that your photos are taken and they are now online – that’s really when the viewings start.  Buyers these days are looking online first – when they see something they like they then reach out to the agent.  Now if your home looks good in photos – there will be lots of interest. Lots of interest means lots of showings which leads to an offer or possibly multiple offers.

Doesn’t a property look bigger when it’s empty?

You would think so but this is not the case.  When a house is empty – it is very tough for buyers to visualize just how big the space is.  Sure they could come with a tape measure and measure the rooms and measure out their furniture in the space but that’s pretty time consuming.  Home staging not only demonstrates the size of the rooms but there is also an emotional connection that buyers get in a staged home.  It is depersonalized enough that the buyers don’t feel like they are guests in someone else’s home but it is welcoming enough that buyers can visualize themselves in the space – living day to day but also for gatherings with friends and family.

See the difference home staging makes? These before and after photos are of a home we just staged. We chose furniture, art and accessories in colour tones that would make the space warm and inviting – we arranged the furniture in a functional way that also shows off the space and the decor selection appeals to the buying demographic, too!

Home staging works!

Home staging works because your home stager and your real estate agent are both working together to get your home sold – they are involved in the presentation of the home and the overall marketing of the home.  When a property looks good in person and in photos – you will generate lots of interests which leads to showings and offers and that means you don’t have the stress of sitting on the market…Home staging works and is a must in every market!

Home staging is a sales tool to help buyers visualize themselves in the home and making it their own.  We love to help real estate agents and their buyers sell their homes quickly, maximize their profit and with limited stress,


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HOME STAGING

Does Home Staging Really Make a Difference?

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Home Staging ….we have all seen it on the TV shows and heard our realtor friends and family talk about home staging!

What is Home Staging and does it really work?

I’ve been staging homes for for about 10 years, and yes – it really does work!

The concept seems strange and I still have people ask for clarification….”So the furniture that was there is removed and then you move furniture back in?” In a nutshell, yes but there is much more involved than just furniture. Cleaning, de-cluttering, repairs, updates, de-personalizing and then the staging / styling – it’s all a part of the process!

 

Home Staging is all about the present the home in it’s best light and setting the scene to attract the buyer. Home staging involves a number of steps to get the property looking it’s best and every house has different needs. Many think that a vacant home allows buyers to see how big the space is, how they can use it and visualize how they want to paint, furnish etc…

 

 

When we stage homes, we also get some ideas from the realtor about the buying demographic and target group – this really help us find a focus for the decor style, colours and also staging the property with the lifestyle in mind.  A young newlywed couple would live differently that a busy family of 4 or 5! So we take that into consideration.

But that’s not the case – an empty home looks cold and uninviting plus it doesn’t present well in photographs, which is how most buyers will see their home for the first time.  Buying a home is an emotional experience – the buyers connect with the home and an empty one is just that, empty and you can’t connect with empty!

So this is what Home Staging does…

Home Staging is about setting the scene so buyers can visualize living in their dream home.  They can see how you can live in the space. The furniture and styling add warmth and help plant ideas of lifestyle and usability of the space and layout. The proper scale and amount of furniture balance out the room and allow buyers to ‘mentally move-in’. 

 

 

Can you believe this is the same room?

This before and after is incredible (photos above).  We did a few things to make this home look it’s best.  For starters, take a look at the drapery.  That heavy espresso brown panel drapery was replaced with some much lighter – look at the difference in the room – it looks open, bright and airy!  We also moved the fireplace (it was an electrical fireplace, so it could be moved). The original placement made the room look long and skinny (almost like a hallway). By moving the fireplace, we have created two spaces.  A living room with fireplace and potentially a wall mount TV and the other end of the room, we staged as a seating area for reading and a small work space.We were careful to pick furniture that was of the correct size and scale. We kept the tones light and airy (see that pop of yellow, a staging favourite).  We have some simple accessories that really complete the look and add warmth to the space.  The art, pillows, plant…they all make a difference in the presentation.

 

                   

 

Home staging sets you apart from the rest.

When your home looks good , buyers (and their agents) take notice! We had a recent property sell in under a week for more than asking (and they weren’t in a multiple offer situation).  The agent said to the buyers “give them an offer they can’t refuse, or you will lose this house”. So they did! Good looking properties look great in photos, these photos are seeing online, then the showings start to happen, lots of showing traffic means good (some times many) strong offers and next thing you know – your house is sold.

Home staging is a MUST – Home staging gets properties SOLD!

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HOME DECOR, HOME STAGING

Home Decor vs Home Staging

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I get asked this question all of the time especially from clients looking to sell their home.  Just this week, in fact, I had to deal with some sellers who were confused (and a bit argumentative) that the terms home staging and home decor were the same thing – they are not!

Most people are very surprised to hear that they are almost the opposite of each other. 

Preparing a home to sell is very different than preparing a home to live in.

So this image is a great looking living room BUT if this person was selling, we would highly recommend painting those walls in a more neutral and lighter tone.  We would also suggest removing the personal photos from the side table.

Home Decor –

When you move into a home (and everyone does this, it’s totally normal) you want it to work for your lifestyle and reflect your personal tastes. You likely bought the home in the first place because it accommodated your lifestyle. Maybe you don’t need a kitchen nook but and office or a piano would be better for you, maybe you love bold and bright colours all over the walls, maybe you don’t have a dining set but a pool table instead – those are all your taste and lifestyle choices – that is home decorating.

Buyers are looking for light, clean and bright homes with neutral and quality finishes.

 

Home staging –

When it comes to selling your home, buyers will focus on the crazy colours, the choice and location of furniture even though they are just buying the home not the contents inside. 

Visualization is so important. The buyers need to see themselves in the space and mentally move in.  So keeping it clean, neutral and some furniture (in a simple set up) that can help buyers visualize their furniture in (hopefully) their new home.  The furniture, art and accessories should compliment the home and not be the primary focus – what are you trying to sell ?  the home, or the furniture?

If you are selling your home and want top dollar (who doesn’t) you must put some work into it – re-paint in a neutral tone, clean the house, place furniture in areas or in a formation that would work for most buyers – this is called home staging.

Neutralize and De-personalize-

Remove the personal touches from your house.  That includes: bold paint colours and accent walls, personal family photos that are on display, religious items, collectibles and any unusual furniture arrangement (see the comment about an eat-in kitchen as an office).  You need to make this house as appealing as possible and buyers will see it in photos first and those photos need to shine!

 

 

For selling your home (and staging your home) this dining space looks great! It’s light, neutral and minimal decor.  The drapery is pulled back and letting the light in.

 

Going overboard with decor –

I also get sellers who want more and more furniture and art and accessories – every corner and every wall space covered or filled – again that’s not home staging.  Yes, once the new owners move into any space they will fill it up with items and accessories of their choice but when a home is shown/viewed by potential buyers and there isn’t any wall space or any room to move – they feel cramped and overwhelmed.

 

No one ever says to their agent – “It’s cramped, dark, dirty and feels small – I love it!” If you follow your home stagers advice your home will be more sale-able – it will appeal to more buyers and you will get good offers.

 

This personalized family gallery wall is so cute but NOT for selling your home.  You don’t want buyers to feel like they are visiting, you want them to imagine their life in the house.  So personal decor like this gallery wall would have to be packed away.  Instead replace it will landscapes or simple photography (not family images) – the gallery formation is fine and it’s still a popular look – just be aware of what’s on display.

 

Mass appeal –

I hear from sellers all of the time ‘well, this is how I would do it if I were living here’ – that’s great but you have decided not to live here anymore SO you need to move on and allow someone else in and live how they would live in the space. 

A home stager is an impartial party who can help you place furniture (or just give you ideas) to create flow and mass appeal, they can also recommend paint colours for creating a calm and soothing space, they can also give you great ideas to create curb appeal.

 

How you live in a home and how you sell a house are very different….

 

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