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!

I would like to show Realtors and Homeowners that a simple declutter and placement of some key props will work like magic to create a spacious, model home feel to a kitchen.

In the before photo you wanted to pass through the kitchen rather quickly as all the products to clean the kitchen were out, and there were too many items on the counter making it feel cluttered. As a buyer, you really didn't get a sense of how large this kitchen was and how you would cook for your family in it. You just wanted to move on quickly and not spend any time in the kitchen which is after all, the heart of the home. The seller was not taking advantage of this major selling feature in a home.

In this property in Barrie, I all did was declutter the work surfaces and placed items strategically on the counter to elongate the room. You can get a sense of how large the room is as your eye is drawn down the length of the counter.

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

Investment minimal.

Impact, priceless.

In this example I would like to show Realtors and Homeowners the difference finishes can make on a fireplace being the selling feature in a room or being completely missed by the buyer.

In the before photo the relief highlights on the fireplace are painted white. In the after photo, the reliefs  have been painted Black Bean Soup by Benjamin Moore. This allows the marble around the fireplace to become the feature in the room. The fireplace is the focal point of the room and now a buyer can actually see it instead of missing it entirely.

I went on to declutter and place a warm, textured sofa and chair in the room to replace the cold, dark leather set there originally. In this room all I did was allow the marble fireplace to become the focal point of the room instead of the buyer being overwhelmed by excess furniture and the distracting artwork in the room.

Now the room is an inviting place to curl up by the fireside and watch your favourite movie with your family.

Investment minimal.

Impact priceless.

In this example I would like to show Realtors and Homeowner's the importance of creating a neutral dining room to allow buyers to see themselves entertaining their family in the home. 

Before staging, the dining room was a real conversation starter with the purple walls and the pink dining room set. The beautiful crystal chandelier was lost in the room and was not even noticed.

All I did in this dining room was to paint a calm, neutral colour, remove the floral draperies to add to the serene effect, add artwork and an area rug. The chandelier is now a selling point in the room. A simple floral arrangement has been placed on an updated dining room set to allow the buyer to see how they could entertain in this room.

Investment minimal.

Impact priceless.

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

On the most basic level Home Staging is about marketing a home to appeal to potential buyers.

But what it is really about when you dig deeper, is getting the buyer to find one thing about your listing that they absolutely love and cannot live without. They just can't get it down the street or around the corner.

As a Professional Home Stager it is your job to find that ONE THING that makes the buyer say this is the house for them. You create an inviting feeling throughout the home, but if your aim is true, you will find the one thing that makes the buyer say ..... this is the house for me.

This  property is on 3 acres, out in the country north of Barrie. A little out of the way and the price point is one that is not moving very well in our area. Although the property was stunning, they only had four showings in four months. Each couple through always commented on the mirror that I placed above the fireplace in the family room that was seen upon entering the double door foyer.

It absolutely made an awesome impact when buyers came in the front door.

In the end, the couple buying the house said they would pay the full list if they could have the mirror over the fireplace. I asked the homeowner how much he charged the buyers for the mirror.

He just smiled and said $ 699,000. The Homeowner said that it was the mirror over the fireplace that held the  interest of the potential buyers every time. The Staging did it's job. I found the ONE THING about the property that no other house could offer to a buyer. It was the totally jaw dropping view through to the family room that would make an impression on all who would visit this house.

This is the ONE THING that I did that had the impact required to move a $699,000 house in a very slow market.

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.