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

Home Staging works- We see that the smallest itesm, seem to do them most.

All the best.

Bill

Oooh, I love the way you've got the shelves empty and acting like an underline.  I would never have been able to resist sticking something on them.  You did great.

The neutral color really brought out the artifacts in the room.  Great job.

I keep going back to the first picture and noticing subtle details. Like removing the valances from the window.

Wow, Great job!  I wish I had some artistic talent.  Looks great!!!

Hi Bill, Less is more as they say. Staging is really about restraint and balance, not decorating.

Hi Juliet, I am a purist at heart. No knick knacks in my house either.

Hello to Gann Realty, the neutral colour really made the kitchen appear twice as big and it was a big kitchen to start with.

Thanks to everyone for the positive comments on my Staging work. I appreciate the feedback and hope to get the word out that Staging can always be done on a modest budget if there is no maintenance work to be done first.

Wow, What a difference a few things can make. Good Job!

Wow, What a difference a few things can make. Good Job!

I love the wall color. What is it called?

HI Teresa, Thank you for your post on my work. It's all about letting the house shine through.

Hi Richard, The paint colour is Oyster White   ICI 30YY 64/149 . Do you have ICI paint stores in your town or are they called Colour Your World?

Nice job, small efforts make a big change.

Nice job, small efforts make a big change.

That is AWESOME... what a difference... simple shows SOOOO much better...  VERY nice.

Michelle - I know I have said this before BUT you make this so easy to understand!  You are NOT over the top, don't spend a fortune and you really, really have an eye for staging.  I am a huge fan!

Beautiful work, what a world of difference a little paint and accessories make, thanks for sharing.

Joyce

Beautiful work, what a world of difference a little paint and accessories make, thanks for sharing.

Joyce

My husband wonders why I don't like clutter or do-dads.   I think I'm going to show him this :-)

HI Vickie and Ray, simple is always best in my books. This house was listed for three months with no offers. I neutralized the dark and vibrant wall colours and the house sold in three weeks. All this took place in one of our snowiest winters in years.  Another Staigng success story.

Hi Leesa and Joyce  , Thank you for the kind compliments! I want to get the message out to Realtors that you can Stage a home on a simple budget no matter what they show you on TV.

Hi Kris, I have my family trained now. They know that if they give me a knick knack for a gift, I will display it for 30 days and then I donate it. I like simple and clean lined in my surroundings so Staging this way does come naturally to me.

Simple worked perfectly!

Congratulations.  Your post is being featured in the group Staging Before & After Pictures.

Kathy

 Great job....we find staging...to be the greatest asset there is to selling a home more quickly...just window treatments warm up a room !   We are assembling such a collection pretty soon props will have their own room !  Thank you for showing us graphically what this can mean to eye appeal.

HI MICHELLE! 

Congrats on your feature & I see why it's a feature!  What a huge impact you made so simply and inexpensively.  It looks great!

Enjoy your day!

What a difference--just the color of the walls really opened up that space.

HI Kathy, Thank you for featuring my work again in the Before and After group. I appreciate having my work being  recognised as it promotes the idea that Staging is for all Realtors to use in their marketing plans. Staging can be done on a modest budget and is not only for the upper price point homes.

Hi Sally and David, Glad I could show you so graphically what Staging is all about. Thank you for your comments.

Hi Yvette, love your signature line! :) Thank you for stopping in to see my Staging work. Staging is definitely an assest in any home to get the offers coming in.

Hi Diane, The kitchen was a big room to start with but you would never know it with the dark red colour. Dark red is  a common colour to use when living in a home as people think it warms up a space. But when you are selling, it is all about selling space and light, the two luxuries in any home.

I think you also added a WHOLE NEW CENTURY!!!  Great series!  Julie

Great job. Looks picture perfect.

Great job...once again proving less is more

WOW.. What a difference in the two pictures !  Great Job and good luck.

Your right priceless...less is more for sure.

funny how some people still get their backs up when we suggest neutral!  Looks great!

'All you did' was create a beautiful room ~ Congrats!

Michelle, The difference is incredible.... De-cluttered, and de-personalized, it looks so much larger in the after than the before. Great job! :->

The first picture was scary.  We do see that clutter in many of the homes we tour as agents.  So glad you did such a phenomenal job.

Great transformation.  I had to look a couple of times to make sure the furniture was the same...

Michelle: This is a super example of what Home Stagers can do!!!and not break the bank. Thanks for sharing!

Michelle, this is wonderful.  I just made a presentation to a group of realtors this morning and am going to insert a link to your post in my "thank you" email to them.  Thanks for a great post (as always).

Anita

A great neutral beige is Benjamin Moore 955. 

Beautiful

HI Julia, thanks for stopping in, but really, it wasn't so last century was it? LOL!!

Hi Crystal, Earleene, Roland  and Craig, less definitely is more in Staging. Thank you for the positive comments.

Hi Lisa, I know people keep saying that Staging is changing and that colour is now the way to go but I don't think so. In Real Estate you are always selling space and light,no matter how big the house you want it to appear larger to build value into the asking price. Dark colours simply just don't achieve that end result.

Hi post with no name- love, love, love your comment!

Hi Angela and Latonia, decluttering is always the first step in any Staging. If you can't see  it, you can't buy it. Staging is letting the house shine through not the personal belongings.

HI Donna, definitely the same furniture. Hard to believe isn't it. I know a lot of Stagers will not stage with the homeowner's furniture, they insist on renting modern furniture. I find it really isn't an issue in my market.

Hi Marcus, a man after my heart. Simple and succinct. Thank you for stopping in to see my Staging work.

Hi Kathy, Exactly, Staging is for everyone, spread the word and find a Stager that can make it happen for you! :)

Hi Anita, you are now officially my new best friend. Thank you. What a compliment. :)

Hi Barb, I will definitely take a look at the colour selection you mentioned. Thanks for sharing your favourite colour.

Michelle, that's a dramatic change with just the right touches from a pro !! God bless,

Michelle...good point.  sometimes its not a whole house makeover that they need but just simple changes.  You made a big difference in that room.  At first I didnt realize there were two pictures.  I read your post and saw the first picture and then I saw the second picture.  LOL   nonetheless, you did a great job! 

HI Cheryl, thanks for the positive comments on this change. As you say, it was just a few changes but the ones that made all the difference in the room.

Hi Kimberly, It's true, sometimes it only takes Staging the principle rooms to make a dramatic difference to the way the house is marketed to buyers. Homeowners are encouraged to Stage at least the 3 principle rooms in the house. The Living Room, the kitchen and the Master Bedroom should be Staged if that is all the budget allows. Although I can never resist throwing the bathroom too as it doesn't take much to make it look clean and bright. Soap costs pennies and elbow grease is free.

Michelle - Nicely down. I know staging can really make a difference.

Hi  Ellie, Thank you for stopping in to see my Staging work. Have you ever used a Home Stager in your listings? If you have, can you share the results with us?

Michelle ~ Great job!  Small things, but big impact.  The before picture looks very crowded, and I'm sure the dark wall color didn't help that perception.  The after looks very fresh.

Michelle,

Your talents are clearly shown in these before and after pictures!!! If anyone had any doubts as to the value of staging, this should eliminate them! Thanks,   Fran

Hi Fran, Thank you for your comments on my Staging work. My job is to help the Realtor market the property to get the most equity out of it for the homeowner and save the Realtor money by having to market the home for less time. Staging results in more offers with less chance of a price reduction as buyers see value in the home.

If you think that a Realtor affiliate of yours would benefit by seeing this post, please pass it on to them.

Realtors need to know that they can find a Stager in their town that can work with a modest budget and get the results they are after. If all they see is what is on HGTV they might think Staging is for upper end properties only. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Just goes to show...LESS IS MORE!!!  Awesome, you make it look so easy :-)

Thanks Tamara, When I first enter a room I get a vision almost immediately of what it should look like. I keep my notepad handy as I scribble down my notes to start making my inventory list for Staging it right then.

Getting rid of the clutter was just as important!

I have to agree Bethany. Clutter is the bane of my existance. If only people realized how much energy they waste every year due to clutter. Wasting time buying to start with, not being able to find what they are looking for when they need it, not being able to use their home as it was intended (dining room tables used for piling clutter instead of eating with the family) and then just getting rid of it when they move as they realize they never needed it all in the first place.

See, that is just a great eye, which I do not have. I understand what you did, but I know I could not do it!!!! Great job and thanks for sharing!

HI David, you are right. I was an artistic child and could make something out of nothing even when I was 4. It comes naturally to me and that is why it seems easy to me. I don't think I could do your job as well as you do it. You were probably the one that was organizing all the neighbourhood children in one thing or another. Putting the deals together as it were.

Do you use a Home Stager in your listings? If you do, can you share the results with us?

Simplicity and excellent color choices - it doesn't have to be expensive.

It does take talent and WORK. :)

I actually liked the red walls. But if the room is too small, we know that dark colors are a big mistake, and the space does look small. Can I assume that's the case? I do like the bottom photo too though. And neutral colors are much easier to match with furniture.

Hi Dawn, I agree 100%. Staging doesn't have to be expensive. You do have to know where to buy your inventory to keep your prices down and it definitely takes an eye for it.

Hi Lisa, you hit the nail on the head. When selling Real Estate you have to appeal to the wides range of potential buyers. You don't know what colour furniture they have and if the house is painted a definite colour theme, dollars to doughnuts it won't match the buyers furniture and then all they see is a price reduction in their offer to the seller. And who wants that? Homeowners have to be educated on the fact that they are leaving their equity on the table over a decorating decision. And those are after tax dollars as well. Here in Canada that can be as high as 45%. Digest those figures for a minute and you will see why Staging makes so much sense when you are talking a $ 10,000 or $ 20,000 reduction in asking price.

You forgot to mention one thing - "unclutter".  That made the biggest difference of all!

I think this post is illustrative of the fact that one doesn't have to spend a fortune to have their home stagged.  Many people believe it is simply beyond their budget.  Beautiful photos!

Hi Margaret, you know that unclutter is my middle name!

Hi Joan, That is exactly the message I would like to get out to Realtors and Homeowners.Please feel free to provide a link to my blogs on this topic when you send out your contact newsletters to your clients. If the homeowners see proof that it doesn't take much to make an impact in the presentation of their property for sale it will mean more money for them. Coincidently, you also spend less on marketing a property that is ready to be shown to the public. I wish you every success this year Staging your listings and making more commissions than ever before.

Great staging job!  You really made the woodwork shine!!! :)

Hi Janice, I prefer not to stage with the country look furniture but when the budget says it's staying you have to be prepared to make it look the best to sell the lifestyle in the kitchen. The wood actually looks good even though it survived 20 years with two children.

Clean and simple always wins!  This is a perfect example of how staging can work on a small budget.

Hi Laura, If you have a small budget don't let that stop you from Staging your property. It can be done if you find the Home Stager with the right experience in that area. Don't leave your money on the table because you think Staging is not for you.

If Realtors could phrase the idea of Staging to their clients as " You work hard for your money, don't give it away by not marketing your property to it's full potential. The average Staging investment  is 1.5 % of your asking price to Stage the property to it's best showing condition. Have a consultation done to find out where you stand. You may decide to implement some of the suggestions or have the complete Staging done. Either way, you won't regret the extra dollars in your bank account at the end of the process".

I am always amazed how much a different color of paint makes a room so different.  It never seizes to amaze me.

Hi Michele, Have you ever read the book called Dewey Colour System? It is a real eye opener.

Colour makes or breaks a room for sure. This is a dramatic example of the power of colour to achieve diffent  feelings in a room.

looks great aloha Jeff

Wow. Much better. As they say "Less is more." Great color choice.

Hi Jeffery, Thanks for stopping in to see my work. You may want to check out my other blog regarding All I did in the Master Bedroom. The changes are just as dramatic.  I appreciate your comment.

Hi Wayne, Decluttering is the only way to go if you want to market a house properly. Buyers want to see what they are putting their hard earned money down on and if they can't see it for all the Seller's personal belongings well, you know what happens then. Low ball offers, less commissions, unhappy Sellers at having to reduce their asking price. Staging definitely brings in the offers with fewer price reductions. And who wouldn't like that?

BRAVO!!!!

HI Beth, Thanks for the BRAVO!!! I work with Realtors that are interested in saving money showing houses that have been on the market for 3 -5 months and no showings/no offers.

They can't get showings as their MLS listing photos show the rooms with all the clutter and are not appealing to potential buyers. The property never gets put on the"MUST SEE LIST" of the buyers. They just skip right over it to the next MLS listing.

After months of no showings,  the Realtor returns month after month for price reductions. The Seller is not a happy camper and believes the Realtor has let them down. This is where a Staging consultation comes in to help the Seller understand that they must do their part to market the house. Even if the Seller does not hire me to do the actual Staging work, I leave the Seller with a written action plan for them to start preparing the house for an open house after they have implemented the suggestions I have made. This method works very well when there is no budget for Staging but the Seller is willing to put the elbow grease in to the work themselves.

Great Job!  I'll save it for listings to get the point across! Thanks

Hi Karin, That's the idea, pictures say a thousand words in my business. Homeowners have to see the difference in black and white before the light goes on about marketing their home for sale. I try to make it possible through my blogs. Please feel free to use links to my blogs or site for examples.

I had a chance to look at your AR site. Love how you expressed how you help people find the right home for them.

Very nice.  My tagline is small changes, huge benefits.  It is so true.  The smallest things make the biggest difference.  Great job.

Hi Chrissie, Great tag line. I checked out your site. Very nice work indeed. I noticed that you use a lot of blue accents and artwork. It is a colour that I find hard to stage with but you make it look so easy.

Wow! I had to do a double take..I can't believe those are the same room!  I don't know which was harder though...convincing the seller to remove the clutter (extra chairs in the corner) or the Realtor to use a Home Staging service!  Either way....FANTASTIC job!  I hope the home sells quickly now  :)  This definitely shows the power of a home stager.

HI Kirsten, Thanks for the wonderful comments. It was the Realtor that called me in . The house had been listed for 3 months and had come up for  renewal. The Realtor suggested a consultation to see what could be done to market the home differently. I made my suggestions and the Homeowner was on board right away.

He was awesome to work with.

He packed up all the clutter before I go there to Stage.

He was away for the day while I did my magic.  When the homeowner returned later that evening he called around 10:30 p.m. to say that he put his key in the door and felt like he had fallen through the proverbial rabbit hole.

He couldn't believe he was in his own house. He asked me if I had magic fairy dust as it was such a complete transformation in just one day by one person. The house had an offer in three weeks and firmed up shortly after that while previously it had been languishing on the market for months.

Great job ... thank you for sharing!

It looks wonderful!!  Do you do the painting yourself of hire it out??

HI Pippa, Thanks for stopping in to see this kitchen makeover. The client was very happy with outcome even though he initially balked at the idea of covering up his lovely red walls.

HI JoLynn, I always hire out. My husband will tell you that when I paint it looks like chicken scratches! My time is much better spent staging for sure. :)

I have three painters that I use exclusively. Usually they show up that day for the quote no matter how busy they  are. What is it about painters? They are the busiest trade around. Never a lack of work for them.

Then they will start the painting within 2 days once the homeowner gives permission to start. As Stagers we need the painting to happen first before we move everything in so it helps to have cooperative painters.

They are an integral part of my Staging team.

Very nice job Michelle, and great demonstration of 1) the importance of home staging and 2) your skills as a home stager. Thanks for posting.

Hi Michelle, It's all about the marketing of the property isn't it?

Thanks for the heartfelt comment on my Staging skills. It is truly appreciated as I respect your work so much.

Very Nice Michelle. I had a client that was determined not to move anything. Televisions

stacked on top of each other.  Three hutches in one room.  pictures declor.  I let her know with out hurting her feelings. That she needs to empty the house out. She takes every thing personal.

 So how do you get this message across.  She brought more things in from her storage.

     wonderingeve 

HI Eva, You have to learn key phrases that help explain the Staging process and why you would go through  it to get the equity out of the sale of your property.

Staging is not decorating. It is the marketing of your property to the potential buyers. If you have a marketing background, Staging draws on your experience to reach the public.

You go girl! Nice transformation.  particularly like your picture change over the shelves. Occupied homes are a lot of fun and take a quick mind, quick wit, and quick compasion for the home seller! Ya' did good!

Hi Karen, thanks for the enthusiastic comment. You just made my day!

Michelle, Wow! I think that sums it up for me.

HI Debbie, thanks for the WOW!

It really does sum up the room. I know people love red kitchens to live ,  but for staging you want to sell space and light. This kitchen shows the dramatic difference between the two ideas. Red is for decorating, the neutral colour is for Staging.

Michelle - You definitely get a WOW from me! Totally night and day transformation! I actually want to sit down and eat. Great job!

HI Tanya, thank you so much. That was exactly the response that I wanted to get from potential buyers. I wanted them to see themselves sitting down with their family in this kitchen.

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Hi Michelle, Good job. Excellent post.

Best -Sash