All I did was....Home Staging Success Stories

You may be thinking by now that I like to think outside of the box and I do get some pleasure from it. This property was a simple war time house located in Scarborough and backed onto a ravine. I  suggested that we really make a point of how much fun it would be to live in the house as you could hit golf balls into the ravine anytime you wanted.

And who wouldn't like that? 

This home sold in three weeks and set the benchmark price for the neighbourhood.

Could it have been the golf tee off box?

Advantage Staging markets the features of your property every time to make it stand out from the competition.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priecless.

The first suggestion in most Home Staging consultations is to declutter. It starts in the foyer upon entering the home. Homeowner's cannot see how much stuff they have out everywhere as they see their belongings every day and it just does not register with them how overwhelming it appears to outsiders. Once the process of Staging has been finished the homeowner can feel a sense of ease come over them and they realize how much they were being affected negatively by all the clutter in the home. Not to mention that they can find whatever they are looking for quite easily now. 

In this home in Angus, it was suggested to declutter and keep only the spring jackets that they would be wearing in the next 30 days, one pair of shoes each, paint the black chair white and store the items in the exposed shelving in baskets. You can see the calm and welcoming effect it had on the foyer.

Advantage Staging will market your property to stand out from the  competition every time.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

We would all rather be doing something other than laundry so I try to Stage the laundry room to be as pleasant a room as possible. Most laundry rooms leave a lot to be desired, being located in the basement does not help. I grew up  on a farm and the only thing you kept in the cellar was potatoes. So here is my take on Staging a laundry room in the most simple way to make it look more appealing.

Start with decluttering. Is it worth the effort to Stage a laundry room? Every time in my estimation.

Advantage Staging will market the features of your property  to stand out from the competition every time.

This property in Scarborough  SOLD in three weeks and set the benchmark price in the neighbourhood.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

We have all been confronted with mounted animal heads in our work as Home Stagers.

Do you leave them up or take them down?  I have encounterd a horse's head mounted on a bedroom door. A little disconcerting when you are not expecting it. Shades of the Godfather if you know what I mean.

This property in Barrie had a very small one mounted in the living room but it did come down in the final decluttering during the Staging. Although the homeowner was not very happy about it, I let him know that it would look lovely in his new home.

Advantage Staging will market the features of your property every time to stand out from the competition.

This property is now SOLD!

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Think about it. Does anyone really enjoy doing laundry? Maybe if I had one of those new steam washers, maybe...

How do you make the one room in a house that says work all over it become an appealing destination room in a house? I Stage it with artwork that shows an outside view, put all soaps and cleaners in straight edged baskets to give a uniform, organized look to the room and place a wicker picnic basket and florals on the counter or on top of the dryer to make it look like there is a life after doing the laundry.

The feedback from clients is always positive. They love the artwork in the room and remember the house because of the picnic basket. I use a really old one with real china plates and silverware that I picked up at an auction. Always a conversation starter about the parks in the area and how the new homeowners can enjoy the neighbourhood. Great marketing to get them thinking about moving in.

Professional Home Staging will market the features of your property to stand out from the competition every time.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

You have seen before and after pictures how many times. The before is cluttered and has middle of the road furniture. The after is clutter free, clean, modern and looks like a model home. But does a Staging job have to be modern every time to attract buyers?

This property was virtually vacant except for a few pieces of furniture that were left there from when the now grown children had lived at home over 25 years ago.  I Staged the desk with the book and a floral. It created an intimate feel to the room which attracted buyers.

It sold in two weeks, $ 20,000 over list and set a benchmark price in the neighbourhood.  I prefer modern design myself but as a Stager you must work within your client's budget and what is on hand.

Professional Home Staging will market the features of your property to stand out from the competition every time.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Staging the outside is as important as Staging the inside. How many potential buyers pull up in front of the property and will never see your beautiful Staging job inside due to the less than stellar appearance outside?

I have a garden person that edges the lawn, sidewalk and driveway plus pulls out all those weeds. For $150 the place looks like a park when she is done. A true star on my team.  Clients always comment  that if they had known that they could have lived in a park like setting in Barrie for only $ 150 they would never let their property fall into such disrepair.  Stage the outside?  Absolutely!!!!

Advantage Staging will market the features of your property to stand out from the competition every time.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

What do you do with a wide hallway that is wasted space? Leave it empty and hope the buyer can envision a use for it? Or do you create a yoga/pilates area for mum! I try to do this in each house I Stage. If they do not have an exercise room I look for opportunities to create a retreat in the house. You have to sell lifestyle at every opportunity. People buy into the idea of good health and want to believe if they have a room to practice a healthier lifestyle they will use it.

This house sold in 5 weeks and set the benchmark price in the neighbourhood in Scarborough.

Advantage Staging will market the features of your property to stand out from the competition every time.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Teenage boys are wont to leave piles of dirty, smelly clothes on the floor (marking their territory?) LOL!! Just kidding.  How do you get them to cooperate with the Staging process?  I suggest to the parents that they offer some sort of reward to keep the room neat and tidy that the teenager can look forward to. Either getting to pick new bedroom furniture, paint colours etc. in the new home. It can be as simple as concert tickets or sports tickets. What ever it takes to get them to buy in to the idea of keeping their room looking as great as the day you finished Staging it until it is sold!

Advantage Staging will market your property to stand out from the crowd every time.

This home in Barrie is now SOLD!

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Yes, I am one of those Stagers that Stages the medicine cabinet. You just don't realize how many people look in your personal spaces. They want to see if their stuff will fit in so they feel they have every right to check out your cabinet.  I purchase inexpensive baskets with clean, flat fronts with tall sides to hide everything away in. The client is always happy that I mentioned it and the results speak for themselves.

Advantage Staging will market your property to stand out from the competition every time.

This home in Barrie is now SOLD!

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.