Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Staging a Behind the Scenes Look


When I tell people I’m a home stager, they say “What a fun job!”

I love my job, but there is so much more to it than arranging stuff in a house.

A typical staging job starts the moment a homeowner or Realtor calls. Step one is to go look at the property. Every property is unique, with distinct features. And each property will have a unique buying audience that we wish to target. This is why Stagers don’t prefer to estimate fees over the phone, site unseen. After careful consideration of the property’s needs, style, and demographics, a quote is prepared for the client within 24 hours.

Step Two: With the client approval and a date set, we move ahead with creating the design plan. After identifying the property’s needs, we head to the furniture store to pick out pieces for rental. We then source accessories, artwork, area rugs and anything else needed to complete the look. A full toolkit is essential too.
The pre-work is done. Step Three is staging day! Jessica from Fresh Moves and I meet at the property promptly at 9am with two full SUVs. The property is on the main level but down several looooong hallways. We unload our cars, piling everything in the lobby. The sight of beautiful accessories, furniture, and yes, a broom, makes passersby curious. We stop to chat with a few homeowners wondering if we are the new neighbours!

  
Shortly after, the large furniture pieces arrive. The moving men careful swivel the furniture into the condo. Andrei and Raymond of The Supermovers are simply awesome! Cheerful, skilled, and service-oriented, they really live up their name. We recommend them to anyone needing movers. They graciously help us move a pile of stuff from the lobby into the condo before heading off to the next job. Jessica and I are very thankful since each trip, that hallway gets a little looooooonger.


Now Jess and I are in full staging mode. Jessica starts to unpack accessories as I set up the beds in both bedrooms. We find it works best to put everything in the kitchen, but what a mess!                            


Starting in the bedrooms we first decide on the best layout, then choose the perfect pillows, artwork and accessories to complete the bedroom. We want to draw attention to the windows. This condo is nestled in Discovery Ridge and all the windows have a superb view of huge pine trees, your own private forest. In our opinion, an excellent selling feature! 


Now it’s time to tackle the main living area. Placing the furniture and art to highlight the focal points, dressing the sofa, mantle, and tables with just the right finishing touches – this is the art of staging that we love! A well-positioned mirror reflects the gorgeous kitchen and the wonderful view.
A few simple touches in the bathrooms takes them from empty-feeling to well-dressed and spa-like.

Now comes the steaming process! All bedding and towels are steamed so they are wrinkle-free, fresh and crisp. Time to tidy up and re-pack our cars with any extras floating around, plus the recycling.

Finally we snap a few shots for our portfolio and a quick phone call brings the homeowner running to the reveal. She is thrilled with the transformation! We’re thrilled that she’s thrilled. Another great day of staging complete!

For more information on having YOUR home transformed, contact Elysse at Simplystylishstaging@gmail.com; or Jessica@FreshMoves.ca.

To contact The Supermovers, call 403.437.MOVE (6683)


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Monday, June 6, 2011

Reading Lamps for any Budget.

Looking for a reading lamp, this rainy weather makes for a guilt free day of staying in and curling up with a good book. We comb the streets and internet to find that perfect reading lamp for any budget that will look great in your space too. Here are a few tips to pick a reading lamp to suit your reading needs.

 When buying a reading lamp you need to consider where you will be reading? Depending on your position you can choose from desk lamps, floor lamps and wall lamps.

 You also should consider the height of the lamp. It be should be tall enough so it provides a direct spotlight on your reading materials, but not to tall to create glare.

Keeping these couple tips in mind we hit the streets to find a floor reading lamp to fit any budget and design. 
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West Elm's Overarching floor lamp is our favorite from our online research. It offers a sleek design but is at the top of the budget and can only be ordered. $249.99 


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Urban Barn's Lochellen Floor Lamp, the minimal shade on a thin base perfect for any space. It has spotlighting, perfect for reading. Price $189.00


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Pottery Barn's Adair Floor lamp has a vintage feel also offering adjustable height $179.00. If you like this style its also offered as a bedside lamp.


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Pier 1 Imports Down Bridge Floor lamp is budget friendly ringing in at $125.00. 


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Ikea's Regolit floor lamp has adjustable height perfect to suit your reading needs $79.99.

Which lamp do you like? I like arched lamps for their sleek design which won’t take up to 
much space. They work great in larger or small spaces to offer task lighting to suit your needs. They also look stunning in an office space or living area.                    


Elysse Bulloch



Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Checklist for Showings


Once your home is on the market you need to keep it in tip top shape for showings. Don’t get over whelmed here is a checklist of things you can before each showing. This short list will only take 15 to 20 minutes to complete and it will ensure that your home shows best to potential buyers.

1)     Open the curtains and blinds, this will allow natural light in, which make your property look bright, clean and spacious.

2)     Make the bed, have you ever noticed how clean the bedroom looks once you have made the bed?  It’s the biggest piece if furniture in the room so your eye is drawn to it.

3)     Pick up everyday items, day to day items are small and eat up visual space, I tell my clients anything smaller then a soccer ball should be put away.

4)     Remove pets – Only about half the people that tour your home with be pet people the other half not so much. The best way to combat this is to remove all signs of pets, food dishes, toys, cat litter and even the food in the pantry.

5)     Put out display towels in the bathroom and make sure the toilet seat is down.

6)     Weather permitting, open the windows. When showing your home the best smell is no smell.

7)     Ensure laundry is out of sight

8)     Wipe down counter in bathroom and kitchen to ensure they show clean.

9)     Turn on all the light even outside, this will welcome the buyer into the property.

10)  Go out! This is important one buyer’s will feel uncomfortable if you are home while they tour your property. The goal is to keep the buyer in the home as long as possible.

For a complete list and advice on prepping your home for the market or showing please contact us at 403-710 -4229