The staging process, and what clients can expect

Before Staging

After Staging

                

The goal of the companies that offer home staging services is to ensure preparation for sale of a client’s house is stress free. The staging company handles everything that deals with the sale of land. The first process that is followed when it comes to home staging is a consultation. This is the process in which the home stager assesses the property from top to button providing  notes to the seller on items that should be addressed prior to listing. 

 The list may contain things like de-personalizing, de-cluttering, removal of pieces of furniture, landscaping details etc. The second process is that of prep work. This is the process where the company that is offering the staging process helps clients in storing, packing, repairing and painting. Generally, this is a preparatory stage. The third stage is known as staging where the company adds lifestyle and warmth to the home which will attract potential buyers. Lastly we have the de-staging process where the company returns removes and packs the inventory items.  

 Clients expect that after the staging process has been carried out the potential buyers can visualize living in the house. They expect that this process will make their property appealing to a wide range of buyers. Staging will eliminate their personality and will  neutralize the décor so that the number of buyers will be increased. It is said that those homes which have been staged have a great appearance compared to homes that have not been staged.  It will give the home an atmosphere that will encourage sale of it. The most important thing that the clients expect from staging is the fact that it will lead to the reduction of stress that comes with moving. 

Curb Appeal In The Winter

 Home staging and curb appeal are even more important in Calgary's cold winter months. Getting the details right, can greatly impact your properties appeal to potential buyers. Often times, the buyer will decide if they want to tour the home by how the curb appeal appears both physically and online. Almost 98% of people start their home search online and MLS maybe your only chance at at first impression.

 Clear the way! Shoveling the sidewalks, driveways and clearing a path to the front door welcomes potential buyers from the moment they drive up. This also shows the high standards the current owners keeps for the property. If shoveling is not for you, consider hiring a service to take care of it.

 Showcasing the front of your property is difficult, during the colder weather with brown lawns, leafless bare trees and a grey frosty background; here are a few tips to improve your curb in the coming season 

• Lawn maintenance -  create some appeal by raking  up all leaves and garbage that may have blown in to your yard. 
• Landscaping- clean up flower beds pulling up all dead and brown flowers, trim trees and shrubs.
• Hide what you need to keep - put summer items away like children's toys and garden hoses. 
• Slash of colour- keep holiday decor simple, try hanging a wreath on the door or get a festive planter, a little bit goes a long way! 
• New bling - a new mailbox, welcome mat, house numbers and handle are details that complete a polished look.
• Warm it up - Keep the furnace at a comfortable temperature, cold floors and chilly air  is a turn off especially in vacant properties . 
• Safety first- daylight hours are shorter in the winter and good lighting is important, most people tour after work and don’t want to go into a dark home. Replace any burnt out bulbs and increase lightening by adding solar lights or motion lighting, to light up pathways and driveways.

 It's not expensive to improve curb appeal in the winter, just a little thought and a few hours of hard work.

Home Staging the Investment

Home staging in Calgary has become very popular. Many companies have emerged that offer staging services, experts who have specialized in property staging. T.V shows, which advised people on how they can benefit from the sale of their property, have contributed to the popularity of home staging.

 Property staging will help you see what the potential buyer sees upon touring your home and that is why it is seen as an investment. As an investment, property staging depersonalizes a persons property to enable potential buyers imagine themselves living in a house that was originally yours. It is a way of ensuring that you get the premium price for your property. It improves the sale ability of an individual’s home. It also makes the home stand out to potential buyers. Staging is an investment that is always much less than a price reduction and carrying costs.

 If you are thinking of selling your house then you need to plan on investing in staging. It may not increase the list price of the house but it will increase the chances of you selling the house. It is of much benefit for those who want to dispose of their property quickly. It is also important for those whose property have been in the market for a long period of time by ensuring that they sell faster. It is expensive to have a property in the market for a long period of time and staging ensures that you avoid this expense  

Kitchen Updates That Don't Break The Bank

The kitchen is known for being the heart of the family because it is where the family’s food comes from. In most homes it is the kitchen that has small space that is why most people carry out remodeling of the kitchen. It is not easy to carry out remodeling because it takes time and it can turn out to be an expensive affair. But if you are tight on budget there are ways that you can invent in order to carry out kitchen updates without breaking the bank.

Because of grease and dirt build up, sometimes kitchen appliances look dull and old. To give them an attractive look you can carryout a thorough cleaning. When cleaning, use products that are safe for all surfaces. This will make your kitchen appliances look as if they are new.

Updating hardware is very affordable, think of the hardware as jewelry for the kitchen. Hardware will enhance the total design of the kitchen. Just like how you would accessories a dress for an evening out.   

Painting out wood cabinets is another inexpensive trick to breathe new life in to a dated kitchen. Nothing says “fresh” like a new coat of paint. Consider updated counter tops with a looks like granite product, sold at most hardware stores to complete the look.

Update fixtures, kitchen fixtures are practical and a great way to add some flair to your space. Look for a fixture that matches your style this will enhance the overall design.

Planning is important when carrying out kitchen updates. This will ensure that the budget you have is enough for carrying out the updates. The first thing to do when it comes to remodeling is to carryout thorough cleaning. You can introduce new fabrics that reflect your personality, removing those fabrics which are outdated. The goal is to make your home have a fresh appeal and you don’t have to break the bank so as to achieve this goal.   

Common Design Mistakes in Home Decorations

People today are constantly decorating and redecorating their homes in order to make it beautiful and trendy. However, there are many problems interior designers encounter, especially ordinary interior decorators in their attempt to make their homes go with the trend. These are some of the common decorating mistakes in interior decorations.

First decorating mistake is disregarding the importance of a focal point. A focal point is the main point or the “center stage” in a room, it is where you focus your designs and draw people’s attention to. A focal point may be a fireplace, the bed, a fabulous painting or such. Using the focal point as the base of your decoration, you then build around it.

For example, if your focal point is a fireplace, you can place sofas and chair around the fireplace inviting people to turn their attention to that focal point, the fire place, this is the same in other rooms in the house. You must first consider your focal point and then build or decorate around it in order to focus the attention of people towards it. Time and time again, people tend to clutter rooms with decor rather than designing it. They tend to add things to a room until it becomes more of a stockroom rather than decorating it.

Before

After

 Next decorating mistake  is to ignore lighting, especially the use of different kinds of artificial light to add flavor to a room. Lighting is very important as it dictates the mood of the room. The correct use of artificial light is also as important as with natural light. Many today will settle with ordinary fluorescent bulbs to light up the interiors, but it gives bland light. If you want to spice your nights, candle lamps and other bulbs with different shades can really add an exotic flavor to your room.

Before

                                                                  

After

Another mistake is not using mirrors as a decorating tool. Mirrors are a fabulous item to use in order to make your room beautiful and cozy. The reflective nature of mirrors can fill up your home with natural light during the day which can deeply enhance the liveliness of your home. You can place a mirror directly opposite a window, allowing sunlight to be reflected, filling your house with natural light.

Before

After

Design Predictions For 2013

There are many things that have happened this year and we have seen all of these innovations and creative ideas that flooded the market. As this year comes to an end, the trending styles in home designing for 2013, is slowly taking shape. These are some of the designing forecast by professional interior designers on the trending styles that will be in demand next year.

First of these trending designs is the increased preference of interior designers and homeowners for spacious and “triangular” living rooms. The open spaces make living rooms more lively and beautiful. The demand for such living room styles have began late this year and it expected to spread like wildfire next year.Triangular placement of sofas and the couch is gaining popularity than the traditional box style where the sofas and couch are placed in a box like position with a small table in the middle.

Next is the revival of outdoor “living rooms” in vast open areas. Outdoor living is now being preferred more as compared to the declining taste of outdoor kitchens which was prevalent during the recent years. More homeowners are favoring houses with open lawns and backyards in order to transform it into a beautiful place for outdoor living.

Another thing that is gaining preference and trending is the use of extended units or rooms outside of the house for entertaining guests. These units are still connected to the house but are not part of the house proper. It is a stand alone “house” intended just as a receiving area for entertaining guests.  

Also glass rooms where 90% of the walls are transparent glass to create a light-filled space perfect for relaxing and enjoying natural light. These open spaces in a home has been prevalent during the last decade, but today and especially in the year to come, this room design will surely be one of the most used style in home designing.

Lastly, the use of small compact, pocket office is in high demand today. Utilizing a small corner of a house or a small space normally used as places to store excess items into a small office is gaining popularity today, especially with the increasing rate of people working at home. The compact office will surely dominate homes of people nationwide.

Staging a Behind the Scenes Look

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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)