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

Tibro International invited me to design their latest exclusive, in fill project at 292 Merton Street in Toronto.

Features in the four floor luxury townhomes include roof top patios, solid mahogany doors, private elevators, 5" walnut hardwood floors and luxury marble kitchen and baths from floor to ceiling.

The brief for the design was that it was to have a "Babara Barry" feel to the interior. Classic look, soft neutral colours, curved rather than sqaure lines to the furniture.

Sourcing is easy here in Toronto as we have many outstanding furniture and lighting suppliers. My main go to destination is Union Lighting. My rep there is second to none. I describe my needs to Gari and he quickly and efficiently guides me through their 40,000 square foot showroom so that I can make my selections in one visit.

Artwork or area rugs are the first things I purchase so that I have a colour pallette to make my design choices for furniture. I was fortunate that someone had ordered original artwork from one of my suppliers to be framed and had never picked it up. Bonus for the builder, the pricing was excellent. The two pieces were fabulous abstracts that had soft pale blues, yellows and sand colours in them with a splash of grey and black. That was all I needed to start making furniture purchases.

Staging day came and this is what the townhouse looked like when I arrived at 11 am to start staging. Imagine my delight in finding six trades still working on the model home for the launch date the next morning.

Here is what it looked like when I arrived...

Hmmmm..... not quite ready for our team to be staging. The usual protocol for staging to take place is for the property to be in a clean state with a light cleaning booked for after the staging takes place. I offered to come back the next week to stage after the trades were done, however, as with any launch of a new building site, the show must go on.

And on it went. Everyone worked until 3 am to have the model home in showcase condition for the launch the next morning. It is a true testament to the professionalism of the trades to pull this model home together in time for the noon launch the next day.

Launch day was a success, buyers were impressed with the finishes and the workmanship. Another success story for Tibro International and Michelle Finnamore Interiors.

Here are some  images of the final look..

I couldn't resist placing this little black dog and The City Dog book on the shelf in the second bedroom.  I could see the potential buyer walking their adorable little dog down to the local restaurant, sitting outside on the patio with an espresso, watching the beautiful people go by.

This townhome project is located in one of the trendiest parts of the city called Davisville.

Small boutiques, galleries and the movers and shakers fill the chic restuarants that are within walking distance.

Defining your target market is key to a successful building project. DVG Real Estate was the marketing firm for this project. They came up with an effective marketing campaign to attract the  buyers attention to these luxury townhomes. Daria Winnicki has worked on the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Toronto and The Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. Along with her partner, Daria has sold more than 150 luxury properties worth more than $35MM in 2010 alone. Working with Daria on this project was a perfect blend of vision and planning.

If you have a luxury condo project in the planning process think about DVG Real Estate and Michelle Finnamore Interiors to bring your plan together seamlessly. We love real estate, especially luxury real estate and look forward to working with you. To see more images of this project click here.

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd.   416.928.2999

My work is always interesting. I never know what I will be asked to stage next.

In the last two months, Advantage Staging has staged a nunnery and a concert hall that has been converted to a family home with a  horse barn. As you can see, it pays to be versatile when you are a home stager.

I was called to stage a penthouse condo on Navy Wharf in Toronto recently. The brief for the staging work outlined that under no circumstances could artwork be hung and that all the accessories has to be white. And oh yeah, there is a Vespa in the dining room. 

Hmmmm.... no artwork. How would I show the lifestyle of living in the condo. We all know artwork is a major marketing tool to create a feel to a home.  All white accessories....okay that's not an issue.  Vespa in the dining room.....now that's an creative design prop. I was getting really interested in this job now. 

This home staging at 10 Navy Wharf in Toronto is an example of how a minimal staging budget and the right  accessories can merchandise a property to the target buyers with the hand of a professional stager on the job. The condo is all about lifestyle living. It is facing the Toronto Harbour and Yacht Club, the Toronto Island Airport for easy access to and from the city, literally steps from the Entertainment district, the Roger Centre and the Air Canada Centre. The buyer of this penthouse condo lives life LARGE and enjoys the downtown life the city has to offer.

Here are the before and afters of the dining room and living room areas. This is another perfect example of how a very low budget of less than $300 can prepare your listing to appeal to your target market.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

If you have a property that could benefit by being prepared for sale Advantage Staging is ready to provide home staging services that suit your budget.... and get results.

Michelle Finnamore            Advantage Staging           416.928.2999

2010 National Association of Home Builders  U.S.A.     Silver Award for Design

2010 Ontario Association of Home Builders                 Silver Award for Design

2010 Certified Staging Professionals                          Entrepreneur of the Year Award

I recently spent three days learning the ins and outs of running a successful design business with Kimberley Seldon of Kimberley Seldon Design Group here in Toronto.

Kimberley is a dynamic designer who embodies success in the Toronto area. Appearing as a regular on Cityline TV, speaking at design shows and featured in many magazines and books, Kimberley is a wealth of information that you can use immediately in your business model.

The one thing that I learned from Kimberley was how to discuss a clients budget. Clients are always reluctant to state what their budget is for many reasons which you are not privy to. Kimberley suggests that you ask them if it is a million dollars. By doing this, they invariably break down laughing and say what their actual budget is or they might even say that it is higher than that. Either way, you can't lose by asking the million dollar question.

Winner of the Trailblazer Company of the Year Award 2009

In this example, I would like to demonstrate to Realtors and Homeowners the importance that colour and decluttering has when marketing a property on line to get onto "The Must See List" of buyers. In this room all I did was paint a neutral colour, use bedding in a less busy pattern, hang appropriate artwork and declutterd.

It's a well known fact that vibrant colours do not show well on listing photos. It is much more appealing to see a neutral backdrop in a room to allow the scale of the room to be highlighted.

The second important step in marketing the space in a room is to declutter. Excess furniture should be stored off the premises to allow the buyer to see how they could live in this room. Does it have enough space for their things? To accomplish this you must show as much floor space as you can. It also allowed the beautiful wood floors to be featured.

In this property in The Beaches in Toronto the final step is to make sure that patterns in fabrics do not distract from the focal point of the room. In Real Estate you are selling space and light. By using a lighter coloured bedding ensemble it created a more open feel to the room. Now buyers are able to see how they could move their belongings into this room.

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 importance of decluttering and storing items that are not essential to everyday living. By doing this, you allow buyers to see the scale of the room in the listing photos so they can see how they could live in your home. It allows the function of the room to shine through for all to see.

This is a critical part of the Home Staging process to market the home and get it on the "Must See List" of buyers. In this room all I did was reposition the furniture to create a conversation area and ease of movement through the room, added lighting, an area rug and decluttered.

In the before photo you cannot see how warm and inviting this living room was. It really needed to be decluttered to allow the ambience of the room to be featured. Now this living room in The Beaches in Toronto makes you feel at home as soon as you enter the front door and look into this room right off the foyer.

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 demonstrate the importance of addressing negative issues to stop offers from coming in from buyers in the main bathroom of this property.

For some reason, when the previous owners renovated the main bathroom, they installed the sink on the wall below the window instead of on the opposite wall where they could have mounted a mirror and cabinet for storage.

Moving the sink was out of the question, so I did the next best thing. All I did in this room was suggest installing a mirror on an expandable arm so the new owners could see their face to wash or shave. I also suggested that a storage cabinet be installed above the toilet for storing personal bathroom neccesssities.

In this property in The Beaches in Toronto the before and after photos clearly show the immediate benefits of the simple, cost effective minor improvements to this room. The buyers are now able to see how they could use the room and not be inconvenienced by the lack of a mirror or storage options.

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 demonstrate how important it is to create a cozy retreat from the world in a Master Bedroom. The potential buyer must make an emotional connection to the home and there is no better way than to create an image of coming home to nest.

In this property in The Beaches in Toronto the before and after photos demonstrate the dramatic difference that bedding and artwork play in creating this welcoming feel. Now the master bedroom has buyers saying I want to live here. In this room all I did was add bedding, lamps and artwork that tied in with the warm paint colour on the walls and the beautifull hardwood floors. The overall effect was one of a romantic getaway weekend in your very own home. And who wouldn't want that?

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

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

I called up a broker owner to ask if I might do a 10 minute presentation on my Home Staging services for their weekly sales team meeting. He stopped me right after I introduced myself and said... "Why should I have you in here when I have how many other Stagers calling me up every day? What makes Advantage Staging so special?"

I was glad he asked as I know I offer many services that other Stagers do not such as-

-over $30,000 in rental props and accessories inventory

-over 250 pieces of rental artwork

-a construction background for the jobs that require extra prep work before a Staging takes place

-a Live Green, Live Smart certified trainer for Realtors that want to get certified as a "green" Realtor

-the "go to" person for referrals to painters, renovators, electricians etc. that show up on time and on budget

-specialize in senior transition

as well as having a killer presentation. I have Realtors from Barrie to Toronto stop me in stores and say... I know you. You were in my office about 6 months ago. They only saw me for 10 minutes but they never forget my presentation.

What do you do that makes you so special? What separates you from the pack? Why are you outstanding in your field?

Take the time to find out what your niche is and I guarantee you will find a clientele for your work.

It was a HUGE pleasure to meet Colin and Justin, design duo and very loveable TV stars, at the Toronto Gift Show today. You can see I was tickled pink to be able to see my two favourite fellas wearing their kilts. They even let me look in their sporrans. I won't say what was inside!

I wished them well while staying in Canada and continued success with their TV shows that help homeowners get their properties updated.

In our market, the furniture rental supply companies are actually running out of furniture to rent. They have been in business for 30 years and this is the busiest year they have ever had.

I asked why in their opinion. They said that the market has changed and  it has become a buyer's market, and they cannot keep stock around. More Realtors than ever before are waking up to the idea that Staging will help market their listings saving them money on advertising. Yeah!!!!

I actually had to go pick up a rental couch with a client in Toronto as they couldn't deliver before the open house that was booked in 2 days. Due to the increased demand they are experiencing, it was either pick it up or wait 1 week for delivery. If you have ever driven across the 401 from Scarborough to the Yorkdale Mall area you know how congested it is at 4 o'clock and they close at 5. Plus, the TV crew from HGTV, The Unsellables was coming to film so I had to make it happen to keep the Staing process on schedule.

I don't usually lift things that heavy, but the client said he would hold up his end of the sofa,no problem. I should have known better. I think I pulled a muscle.

So fear not Stagers. When you watch the Stagers show on HGTV and see the Stagers scrambling to solve all the problems that arise on a job, know that it will all turn out in the end. My listing set a benchmark price in the neighbourhood and sold in 3 weeks.

All I have to do now is find my keys so I can go home  after another long day Home Staging. Where are my keys, I know I left them some place obvious.  Advantage Staging will market your property to stand out from the competition every time.  This property is now SOLD!