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

In this example I would like to show Realtors and Homeowners that when you own a piece of the waterfront and want to list at the top of the market comparables you would do well to invest in a consultation by a Professional Home Stager.

This two bedroom condo facing Kempenfelt Bay on Lake Simcoe in Barrie had terrific home furnishings to start with. The challenge was taking it from a swinging bachelor pad to an image of a cool urban lifestyle that either a single person or a couple would be attracted to. Nightlife, art galleries, shopping and the harbour at your doorstep are all fabulous selling features. But to stand out from the many other units for sale in the towers along the bay, you have to market the lifestyle aspect inside as well if you want to top dollar.

All I did in this condo was add artwork, props and accessories and declutter. It was the last 20% that was missing in the marketing of this condo.

When buyers were looking at the listing photos for this property they could see the lifestyle that they were dreaming of and quickly put this listing on their must see list. This property sold in short order for near list in a very saturated market.

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

It's your money... don't leave it behind!

The call came out of the blue. I was driving in heavy traffic, gearing up and down, cursing the downtown core traffic and my phone rang. Someone saying they were from HGTV, The Unsellables.

They were looking at my website, liked my style and wondered if I would like to provide the benchmark property in the neighbourhood for their show. I figured that this had to be a Staging friend of mine that was pulling a  prank on me so I calmly said... "I'll have to think about it, could I call them back?"

Turns out it's for real. The properties were filmed last June and July and are just appearing now on HGTV. Last weeks episode entitled "Carmelina" and the episode coming up entitled "Steve".

The premise of the show is that they have a property that has been on the market for months, lots of viewings but no offers. What could be wrong? They visit another property in the neighbourhood with the property owner in tow and then they visit a second one which has been Staged and has sold very recently or is for sale to show them what their competition looks like. It doesn't take long for the homeowner to see why their home is not getting offers. There is truth in the saying... seeing is believing.

The hosts then do what is necessary to get their property up to the neighbourhood expectation. This all comes back to why Professional Staging is not decorating or designing. Professional Home Staging is the marketing of your property for sale. There is only one reason to Stage it. To get the most equity possible out of the property to move on with your life and to have fewer days on market.

It doesn't matter what the market is, slow or fast- Staging is the one investment that you can make that will speed up the whole process. Investing in Home Staging is always less than the first price reduction.

Here are a couple of photos from the first property. It was a simple war time, red brick bungalow about 1,200 square feet backing onto a ravine. This property sold for the highest price the neighbourhood had seen, $20,000 over list.

I Staged it with unique features that no other comparable listing in the neighbourhood had. It's own tee off box out to the ravine in the rear - who could resist that? Even the videographer from HGTV put down his camera to take a few practice shots over the rear fence. A Pilates area in a wide basement hallway that was only being used as a pass through to the family room. The Realtor said 4 or 5 buyers actually sat down and tried out the exercise area. Even the laundry room which had the same 1960's dark, wood panelling as the basement hallway was given a face lift with up to date baskets to hold the soap supplies.

So if you are you still wondering, if Advantage Staging is worth the investment to save time on the market and get the most equity out of your property. The answer is plain to see... YES, EVERY TIME!

We all have them- at least I hope we do!  Reuseable shopping bags. I am now the owner of 27. That's right 27.

I forget to take them with me when I go shopping, so I buy some more and they end up in the front hall closet too. And now to top it all off, our local grocery chain store is now charging 5 cents for each plastic bag if you want one of those. How to break this guilt inducing cycle? 

You see I am a Live Green, Live Smart Trainer. Someone who is supposed to be setting an example when it comes to living in a sustainable way. Someone who is supposed to be trying to create a smaller carbon foot print on this earth. It seems so simple. Why do I forget to take the reuseable bags when I only shop once per week. I know I am going to the store to buy a week's worth of groceries. It never dawns on me until I actually start to bag the food.

I'll tell you why. Because I am human just like everyone else. I have things on my mind. I am busy. I am on a timeline to get this and that done before I need to be somewhere else.

But I was given a solution today when I attended a meeting at the local Barrie radio station, Rock 95 & Kool FM 107.5.

I noticed cases of canvas reuseable bags sitting in the meeting room. I remarked that I try to use them and always forget to take them with me to the store. The person sitting there said he found a simple way to remember was to change where I stored them. Instead of the front hall, put them all in the trunk of the car. Use them up, say 6 or so each week. Those get put in the hall to pile up again, and then when the  pile looks big enough, put them all in the trunk again.So simple, I busted out in a big laugh. Why didn't I think of that?

It's what I always say. Don't raise the bridge, lower the river. Most solutions in life are right under your nose if you care to see with new eyes. Look for the simple solution, the low cost solution, the solution that will become a habit and you have solved your problem.

I'm off to put all my reuseable shopping bags in the trunk now. I can shop with confidence now that I can make one more simple effort to make my carbon footprint smaller.