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

Professional Home Staging Consultation + Homeowner Prep = Fantastic Listing for Salesperson

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:55:00 -0400

In this home staging in the Aurora area, I performed a staging consultation leaving a very capable homeowner with a list of to do items for each room in the house.

Within 10 days this home was decluttered, foyer painted a neutral colour, furniture rearranged for good flow and the yard trimmed.

This property is an excellent example for agents and homeowners to see what can be accomplished when they hire a professional home staging company like Advantage Staging to conduct the initial staging consultation and get a detailed, room by room action plan to prepare their home for sale.

By following the detailed instructions to prepare the property for sale the homeowner has created results that will attract attention in their on line listing photos and create desire to see the property.

A few things would have been staged differently if I had done the job, but overall, the results in this home showcase the importance of having a staging company as part of your marketing strategy.

Barrie Video Tours provided the video services for this listing at 16 Island Park Road with Remax Premier's Mark Vaher. Barrie Video Tours has become one of my "A List Team" to capture the lifestyle of living at a property. The video technology they use markets your property to make you feel like you are right there at the house and look like a home you would see on HGTV.

Take a look and see if you agree!

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Two offices to serve your home staging needs.

Vaughan, Woodbridge, Maple 416.928.2999

Barrie and area 705.720.0113

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging Winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2010

4 Golden Rules nets a nomination for Ontario Home Builders SAM Award for best decorated model home

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:58:57 -0400

Michelle Finnamore, owner of Advantage Staging has been nominated for the Ontario Home Builders SAM Award for best decorated model under 2200 sq. ft.

This model home was designed for the site in Alliston by Devonleigh Homes.

Features include using eco friendly finishes to market the homes to buyers that are concerned about indoor air quality.

Quartz counter tops, low VOC carpet and paint and natural stone were used to improve the indoor air quality.

This home's design focus was to make the kitchen the backdrop for the cook in the family to entertain family and friends. The open concept kitchen looks out to the dining room/ living room as well as having the option to have guests sit at the counter while the cook demonstrates their cooking skills.

The master bedroom and ensuite is one of pure indulgence. More than once I heard myself saying.... and why doesn't my house look like this?

Take a look and see what a professional home stager can do to build public awareness for your new home construction site.

Remember the four golden rules that home staging strives to produce-

* Attract attention

* Gain interest

* Create demand and desire

* Initiate action on the part of the buyer

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Advantage Staging serving Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge, Maple, King City, Richmond Hill, Barrie, Alliston and area.

416.928.2999

705.720.0113

That dog can hunt!!! (When instinct meets intuition)

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:04:25 -0400

This post is by Sergio DePinto, an agent at Remax Premier who attended a couple of seminars that I conducted there. Sergio listened intently to my suggestions on why you would want to be part of Active Rain, the largest free networking site for agents, home stagers etc. Sergio took to heart the suggestion I made to write from your heart and you will never be without good, quality content for your blog. Boy! is he ever a good story teller. I love reading his posts and thought you would too. So here is one of his latest musings.

Via Sergio DePinto (Re/Max Premier Inc. - Greater Toronto Area):

As anyone who's owned or hunted with a dog knows... either the boy hunts, or he won't hunt. The dog either has it in him, or he's a lost cause.

What's the determining factor? Is it breeding or training? Breeding enhances the odds of producing a winner and training is meant to bring out the best of the hunter. There are so many reasons, all valid, but summed up it's a critical mix of instinct and intuition that makes a good hunting dog.

My dog Remy can hunt. He took to training immediately and displayed the instinct and passion that made him a happy hunter. Even though he panicked at the sound of a thunderstorm, he learned not to flinch at gunfire and not creep no matter how tempting. He could hear the sound of a bird before it was hatched. He would know if a squirrel was even thinking about visiting our yard. Intuitively, he'd awaken from a nap to find something to point out; something to bring to my attention. He knew the sound of my truck's engine over all other vehicles and reacted accordingly. He was an example of instinct and intuition at its best.

Why this talk of hunting dogs?

Realtors, as a professional group and as individuals, display common traits in personality. At the beginning of our careers, we all exhibit a determination to succeed despite the risks and demands of the industry. We have a sincere desire to provide a great service; to do a great job and have our clients acknowledge it. We absorb their problems, their concerns, we really want to shine. We thrive on acceptance from our office and our peers and to build a following and loyalty of our clients. ( you should be laughing by now)

After a few years, sometimes less, we tend to become jaded and disappointed when reality hits. After that suspect buyer finds a home with another agent, or that seller you've been grooming for months ends up listing with another. When that mortgage agent says "no problem, no problem", and calls you on closing to tell you "we have a problem". This is when our critical decision is made, and where most of us (using my local board stats), leave the business.

We're the ones who stay; the ones who learn the disciplines of a good hunter. We stop blaming others for ‘doing it to us' and accept the fact that our own poor judgments and shortcomings created our disappointments. We get over it!

Like the good hunting dog, we listen closely to our intuition; the voice that screams out "stop", or "don't go there". We develop our instincts and start trusting our intuitive nature. We learn not to flinch; we replace emotionalism with objectivity in the selling process and become more valuable to our clients.

After a quarter century in real estate, I treasure the ability to follow my intuition and instinct, over any other attributes or resources of the profession. I value the experience and passion I have in my business over any financial resources, high tech tools, office environment, or ‘new' training program. I've been quick to evaluate the market, the economic shifts, an investment opportunity, and my client's needs. I can smell out a bad situation; a failing office, a problematic property or transaction, with accuracy of a bird dog. I regret that I've not always acted on this insight in the past, but happy that, over time, I've learned to trust these abilities.

Not because I'm smart but because I got trained!

Woof!

copyright @ Sergio DePinto 2010

All rights reserved, not to be duplicated, reproduced, or copied in any manner without credit and written permission of Sergio DePinto, Re/max Premier Inc, Brokerage. Vaughan, Ontario. 905.605.2900 direct, 416.987.8000 office. callsergio@rogers.com, www.callsergio.com. (Greater Toronto Area Realtor) Member, senior member-Toronto Real Estate Board, Ontario Real Estate Association, member of the Real Estate Council Of Ontario (RECO).

Part 1 - Green Staging in models for Devonleigh Homes

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:18:55 -0400

Advantage Staging had the opportunity to stage two model homes for the Parkside site in Alliston for Devonleigh Homes.

I decided to stage in as "green" a way as possible to increase the marketing ability for these homes. The scope of work for this staging included selecting finishes, light fixtures, trim and doors, flooring, plumbing fixtures and designing the bathroom and kitchen spaces.

First thing I did was create a family that would live in each of the models. That made the selections much easier to choose as I had some idea of how the family would live in the home. The Shellbrook model was designed for an active family with a dog running through the home on a daily basis. The finishes selected would withstand the rigors of family life and be easy to maintain.

Cork floor in the main floor laundry is easy care and is a renewable, environmentally friendly surface. The washer is a front loader saving water on each load.

Carpeting had low VOC emission for those with breathing problems (over 25% of children now have a breathing problem).

The kitchen table was made from reclaimed elm and steel. A pot filler was installed over the stove to allow the cook to make soup and pasta dishes with ease.

The coffee tables and hall table were made from reclaimed steel and reclaimed railway ties from India (they contain no creosote).

The night table in the boys room was made from a part of a ship (and very heavy).

Custom drapery and furniture completed the look.

This model is light, bright and airy encouraging the gathering of family in the kitchen and rec room, the two rooms where you can invite friends and family over to enjoy time together.

Enjoy the video produced by Barrie Video Tours. The owners Steve and Kelly use the latest in video tour technology and give you the feeling of being right there in the home.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging - Preparing your property for sale in Woodbridge, Vaughan, Maple, Toronto, Alliston and Barrie.

Two offices to serve your needs.

Toronto and area 416.928.2999

Barrie/Alliston area 705.720.0113

Agent and Seller Pop Quiz... are you selling this OR that?

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:34:00 -0400

In home staging your purpose is to highlight the features and focal points of a property for sale.

When you list a house, you really want to premept objections by showing the property in its best light.

Take a look at these before and after shots and see if you can pick out the features that should be shown to buyers to get the most money in the least amount of time.

In this example are you selling yellow florals in a vase and stacks of firewood or a living room with a beautiful working fireplace?

Staging allows the fireplace to become the focal point in the room.

In this example are you selling toys to buyers or an inviting living room for entertaining guests? Remember, this is not the family room. Living rooms tend to look more formal and family rooms more relaxed.

In this example are you selling a cramped, dark kitchen to buyers or a bright cheery room in which to start the day? Light and space sell homes. Give buyers what they are looking for and they will make an offer.

As you can see, the results of staging highlight the features of your property.

Each room must be clearly marketed so that buyers see what they are looking for when they visit your listing photos. You have to get your house on the buyers must see list and staging gives you every opportunity to make a great first impression. Sellers need to know that a professional stager will give them a marketing plan for their home that outlines the work that needs to be done and how to make it happen.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Advantage Staging Serving Vaguhan, Woodbridge and surrounding area.

Voted Trailblazer Company of the Year 2009.

All I did was... send a search and rescue crew in to find the kitchen

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:55:10 -0400

In this home staging in Vaughan I wanted to show sellers and agents the importance of their listing photos. This condo had a beautiful kitchen but it was difficult to see in photos with the accumulation of day to day living. Hectic lifestyles leave little time to get your home ready for sale.

Fortunately, this seller listened to the suggestions I made to stage their home for sale and the results were dramatic.

All I did in this home staging was put everything away and pack up the items that weren't required for the next 60 days. The 60 day rule allows sellers to figure out very quickly which items to keep and which items to pack away for the move.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Advantage Staging, preparing your home for sale in Vaughan.

All I did was....update a dining room to WOW!

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:04:57 -0400

In this home staging in Vaughan I would like to show homeowners and agents the importance of updating your look to attract todays buyers. Sellers want the highest price in the least amount of time and agents want to market a home that is ready to sell. Professional home staging is a key part of your marketing strategy to get results. HGTV has created an educated public that will not settle for less than perfect.

If you give your buyer what they see currently in stores and magazines you are bringing the dreams of their next home to life for them.

Buyers start their hunt for their next home with a logical list of things that they want in their next home.

An extra bedroom.

A larger kitchen.

A larger bathroom.

In the end, most buyers still purchase on emotion. Buyers remember how you make them feel when they enter a home.

When buyers walked in the front door of this home, the dining room immediately created an impression that you were somewhere special. Buyers wanted to see the rest of the home. Each room created desire in the mind of the buyer and encouraged them to make an offer.

All I did was paint, move their Ikea table, chairs and buffet from the kitchen to the dining room, add a rug, drapery, artwork and a lamp.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Advantage Staging creates homes that sell with effective, simple and inexpensive solutions.

Winner of the 2009 Trailblazer Company of the Year Award.

All I did was...take it from all out kid zone to welcoming living room.

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:39:44 -0400

In this home staging in Vaughan I would like to show the difference between what your home looks like while living in it compared to when you are selling your home.

When you are living there you don't really think about how other people see your home. When you are selling, you are now selling a product.... and you have competition.

To accommodate your active family when you live in your home you typically

place furniture against the walls to make room for active children

no artwork is hung over sofas as the children play there and might bump their heads

toys take precedence in the room over any adult activities

don't think about drapery as the kids tend to pull on it while playing

When you are selling your home it is now a product for sale.

Buyers are looking to check off their wants and needs when they view your home.

To get the most equity out of the sale of your home and to have it sold in the least amount of days there are steps you can take to make this happen.

Step One- Hire an real estate agent that includes a home staging consultation as part of their marketing plan. To sell your home and get the most equity out of it you must prepare it for sale. A home staging consultation will give you the plan to make that happen.

Step Two- Follow the plan as closely as you can. If you have little time or budget to spare to do the prep work, let the stager know so that they can advise you on where to spend your limited time and budget to reap the most rewards.

Professional home stagers know what buyers are looking for. They can advise you on "staging safe" paint colours that buyers find appealing. Also, whether to replace worn flooring and with which product that buyers find appealing. 41% of buyers will pay more for a house with no "honey do" list.

Step Three- The staging day. Hire your stager to either stage your home to market it for sale or to do a follow up walk through to see what you have done and make simple suggestions if it needs some tweaking.

In this home all I did was take the "kid" centric feeling out of the room and show it as a place for family time with parents and children together. Baskets in red and white store the children's toys for easy access and to indicate whose toys are where. The client was buying new sofas, so I negotiated a discount for their purchase. Simple draperies were bought at a local discount store for $15 each. Artwork, vases, coffee table and end tables were purchased from Ikea and area rug from Rona Hardware.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Voted Trailblazer Company of the Year 2009.

Please welcome Sergio DePinto here on Active Rain

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:46:27 -0400

I find Active Rain such a useful building block of my business that I recently held a seminar at Remax Premier in Vaughan. I encouraged everyone to bring their laptop to the seminar and I would get them logged on, fill out their bio's and start their first post to their blog. As most were not familiar with Active Rain or what blogging was it was an adventure for everyone.

Well here is the first agent to participate with their own blog. Allow me to introduce Sergio DePinto.

You only come across a person as fine as Sergio every so often in your life. When you work with Sergio, he makes you feel like you are his only customer. Attention to detail and follow up are his motto. Treat everyone with respect and the courtesy of listening intently when speaking with them.

Take a look at his first post. I think he followed the suggestions I made very well

write a catchy title to get reader interest
write short paragraphs to keep reader attention
write like you speak so that readers get to know you and respond
write content from the heart, little copy and paste, include pictures
write a series to keep readers coming back for more as they like your style and what you have to say
include personal pictures of your town, your activities, the people in your life

Here is a link to Sergio's Blog

He has written three posts in a few days, all worth your time to read. Get to know Sergio, you won't be disappointed.

The agents in attendance asked me how to find the time to write posts to their blog, they are so busy now they will never find the time. I suggested that in the time they spent at the coffee station in the morning, they could write down what they were saying to the other agents around the coffee pot and their post would be done for the day.

As I often write at the end of my posts,

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Advantage Staging....preparing your property for sale.

Winner of the Trailblazer Company of the Year Award 2009

Just how do you stage a 9.4 million dollar home?

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:24:44 -0400

In this home staging in Woodbridge Ralph Oppendisano from Royal Lepage Maximum called Advantage Staging in to do a consultation on a 9.4 million dollar home on the National Golf Course.

The agent that sold it a few years ago asked what is I was going to do there as it had been designed by Brian Gluckstein , a very talented Toronto designer for upper price point homes.

When I arrived I was taken on a tour of the property-

underground parking for 20 with heated floors, hand selected marble floors throughout

wine cellar for 3500 wine bottles

walk in sub zero freezers

25 foot fountain off the rear terrace

stunning kitchen, media room, opulent bathrooms,

master bedroom with ladies and gentlemens sitting areas

I could go on, but you get the picture. I have seen prestigious homes with some of the more desirable ammenities but this home has them all and then some.

At this price point of home the next buyer will definitely be looking on line. The list of eligible buyers is slim in this price point. What could I do to stage this home and market it for sale?

What could I do to make the listing photos do their job- get a buyer to put this listing on their "must see list".

They definitely didn't need rental furniture, props or artwork.

This home is a good example of showing that staging will always provide what buyers are looking for when buying their next home. Highlighting the focal point of each room and showing how you would live in the home.

After packing the extra items away, moving accessories and artwork around- this is what 180 Fenyrose in Woodbridge looked like when I was done.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

All I did was...make an office out of a kitchen pantry.

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:11:56 -0400

In this home staging in Vaughan the agent Geroge Zanette of Remax Premier invited Advantage Staging to consult for a senior who really had no idea what home staging was or why you would want to do it.

The condo was vacant as the owner no longer lived there. It was an empty space that buyers would have to imagine what it would look like if they lived there.

Luckily the owner has supportive family that understood that home staging is marketing your property for sale and decided to bring some of their furniture and accessories out of storage and staged the condo themselves.

To make this condo unique, all I did was suggest that they stage a windowless pantry off the kitchen as an office so that it could be marketed as a two bedroom with office. There were no shelving units in the room so I thought why not market it in a way that would stand out from the other units in the condo building. Give buyers something to remember this particular unit. As the room was quite large, the new owner could always use the room as pantry/office by adding shelving or storage units.

I never did meet the owner or the family, however, they followed my staging suggestions and look what they accomplished. Remember your professional home stager is a person trained in creating a lifestyle look for any property and this one says "Welcome Home".

Investment, minimal.

Impact, pricless.

Staging Homes leads to Staging for Living

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:53:53 -0500

Once a listing client sees first hand what a professional stager can accomplish in one or two days marketing their home for sale, it often leads to staging their new home for living.

I had the opportunity to stage a property for a busy professional couple with 3 year old twins. Once they had seen the positive change in their present property, they understood that it is the details that bring a design together to create a finished, polished look.

My brief was simple. Stage the five principal rooms on their move in day. Sofas, drapery, artwork, bedding, lighting, area rugs and accessories were purchased over a three day period.

As the couple were busy packing and moving from an hour away, I was at the new home receiving new furniture deliveries, hanging drapery rods and drapery and staging the rooms. The painter had been in to paint earlier so the stage was set to complete the look.

In the family room I chose a Natuzzi sofa for the parents and an extra long chaise lounge for the children to use. On the far side of the chaise there is a 52" LCD TV. The twins snuggle up on the chaise like kittens when they watch their movies and the parents sit on the sofa looking over the chaise to the TV. This is an idea the client had not thought of and really loved the concept of enjoying their family space in a new way. The cube storage piece stores away their individual toys. The red and white storage bins indicate which childs toys are inside.

The dining room was the first room that was seen upon entering the front door. It was in need of a focal point so I chose to paint the alcove for the serving piece in a deep, warm red colour. Symphony in Red artwork was selected to create impact and express the entertaining aspect of the room. The overall feeling in the room is now one of warmth and welcoming guests for a good night with friends and food. The dining room leads out to the centre hall which leads to the family room. The chandelier selected for the space is truly a one of kind, jaw dropping piece. The shade is a grey mylar over a crystal light fixture.

The kitchen sits off to the right of the family room and is the heart of the home. I chose to purchase a dining table on its own so that I could select seating that would suit the needs of the clients family. The adults have individual chairs covered in fabric the same warm red colour used throughout the design of the home. The children have a bench that provides easy on/off access for them to sit at the table. It is also a fun element that the twins really enjoy. For a focal point on the wall I had my painter apply the same red paint colour to the wall using a stencil. The results are dramatic and create a conversation point for guests when they are over. The client remarked that the stencil mirrored the chandelier image on the wall.

For the master bedroom the clients only instructions were that the colours to be used were blue and chocolate brown. When she opened the double doors to the master bedroom her first reaction was tears of happiness. She said that she wouldn't have chosen any of the things that I did but that she loved it all.

This is where a client who trusts their designer to implement the concept for the overall design results in a finished look. Clients remark many times that they go to the store and buy the complete bedding set as shown in the store and when they get home it doesn't have the impact on them that it did in the store.
A professional knows it is in details that the final look comes together. This bedroom is truly a place for the clients to relax in at the end of the day. The artwork on the wall opposite the foot of the bed allows them to feel like they are waking up on vacation each morning. And who wouldn't love that?

The chair in the master bedroom was a special find. Peacock feather design on the seat side and a beautiful silk on the back panel with studs along the seam. When the client saw the chair she sat down in it and said she was never leaving her bedroom. It was absolutely more than she ever envisioned for her husband and herself and was overwhelmed with happiness.

Advantage Staging is at your service whether it is for staging to market your home for sale or to stage your home for living.

Awarded Trailblazer Company of the Year 2009

Offices in Vaughan Mills and Barrie

416.928.2999

705.720.0113

Buyers are busy people.....give them what they want to see and you will get an offer.

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:56:29 -0500

Listing clients ask me all the time.... do I really have to do all this work to prepare my home for sale?

The short answer is yes if you want to ask top dollar and sell your home in the shortest amount of time possible.

Buyers are busy people just like you and me.

They book 5, 6 or 10 houses to look at in one day. They spend less than 5 minutes in your home if you have not given them something to capture their attention.

Give buyers what they are looking for- clean, modern decor and rooms arranged for good flow that show how you can live in a home.

Your home is a product for sale. It is up to you to market it by having it professionally staged.

Advantage Staging creates desire in the buyers mind and helps to initiate action on the part of the buyer to make an offer.

In this home staging the bedroom went from "use your imagination here" to "move right in to your new master bedroom".

Investiment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Winner of the Trailblazer Company of the Year Award 2009

Taking a master bedroom from safari to inviting retreat in one day.

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:29:19 -0500

Travelling is a wonderful thing. It allows you see other ways of living and inspires you to want to bring home some memories. It can have such an impact on you that you just have to bring back some of that happy feeling by decorating your home with items that make that happen for you. Only thing is, buyers don't have those fond memories of the place you travelled to.

When you list your house for sale, it is now a product for sale. That means all the personal themed items are stored away and the house is marketed for sale to appeal to the widest range of buyers.

65% of people will pay more for a house that looks "move in ready". And that means neutral decor and colours that allow them to see their belongings in your home. So long safari and hello beautiful bedroom retreat.

This home staging at Norstar Harmony Village in North York now has buyers saying "absolutely beautiful, I want to move right in".

Winner of the Trailblazer Company of the Year Award 2009

Staging the Remax Premier Lobby....Look #2

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:58:11 -0500

Advantage Staging has the unique opportunity to stage the lobby of the Remax Premier office at the centrally situated Vaughan Mills location with a new look every quarter.

You may remember when I arrived at Remax it started out looking like this....definitely could use a little more warmth to welcome clients.

I knew I could create a warm, welcoming look very easily by adding furniture with the right texture fabric and colour. The first staging looked like this....

And now the lobby looks like this......

Subtle changes were made that effect the mood of the space, creating a welcome feel. Clients and visitors comment every day how comfortable the furniture is. They feel right at home and don't want to get up as they feel so good sitting there. Now that's what I call effective marketing. Creating such a great space that your clients look forward to coming and don't want to leave!

Watch for the changes at Christmas... with the launch date for the new office being December 3rd.

Winner of the Trailblazer Company of the Year 2009