Category: Staging

Home Staging-Investment or an Expense?

Posted on by Avril Brown

Home Staging

Investment or an Expense?

This is a question on many a home sellers mind.Here in Halifax the concept of Home Staging is just catching on.Perhaps HGTV has done it’s part in spreading the word about this very valuable marketing tool but it would be safe to say some homeowners and realtors are still skeptical about using this service and laying down some hard earned cash.I don’t blame you,I don’t like parting with money either.The reality though is that home buying has changed.

Buyers expectations are much higher  having been elevated by all those TV shows,home decor magazines and designer show homes and the competition, who have grasped the concept of preparing a home for sale.

Sellers have to work harder than ever before to compete in the market and ordinary just does not cut it anymore!

The general rule of thumb is that sellers should invest 1% of their homes value getting it ready for sale.This includes any deferred maintenance,some painting,pre-packing and decluttering…..and then staging to create an inviting presentation with WOW factor.

An average home say $300,000 would take $3,000 to get it to the ready to sell stage.

Sound like a lot ?

Well,consider the alternative if you choose not to spend anything on preparing your home for the market.

A somewhat interested buyer comes along and your home fills their needs almost so they hum and haw a little – they just don’t LOVE the property.They finally decide to put in an offer but they start at $253,000.They are not in love with your home so they won’t pay top dollar.Offers and counter offers go back and forth.It’s at $269,000 and finally they say that’s it – they don’t want to pay another dime.No sale.

A few months go by and your agent suggests lowering your asking price – the typical first price reduction is 10%,so now the asking price is $270,000.Traffic does increase but after being on the market for so long buyers think there is still a deal to be had.An offer comes in for $259,000.

That $3,000 for getting your home ready to put on the market doesn’t sounds so bad after all!

Staging is a wise investment – your home will sell faster and for a higher price plus you will save on the extra expense of utilities,taxes and mortgage payments.

Making a short term investment before your home goes on the market is a decision you will not regret.

The Home Interview

Posted on by Avril Brown

The Home Interview

Dress to Impress!

You want to dress to impress – what do you wear? That old suit in the back of the closet with the frayed edges and outdated colour .Yes, it looked great at your cousins wedding in 1995 but it’s not going to get the job done on this interview. Not exactly the great first impression you want people to remember you by.

Properties are constantly being “interviewed” by homebuyers and realtors. The majority of sellers seem to think buyers will see past the dated décor, garish paint colours and clutter.

That old sofa the dog sleeps on and the floral wallpaper border might have looked fabulous in it’s heyday but what today’s buyer perceives is the present owners have deferred updating this property when their perception should be “I love this home”

[singlepic id=108 w=320 h=240 float=left]85% of homebuyers search the internet for their dream home. As images flash before their eyes in seconds they instantly reject the properties that fail to resonate on an emotional level thus resulting in many missed opportunities.

How do you minimize your lost opportunities?

By following a few simple steps your home will be “interview ready” for buyers .

  • Remove all clutter and store, out of the home if possible, or toss
  • Family photographs and collections should be removed and packed
  • Tidy closets and remove most of clothing to suggest ample storage space
  • Update dated and loud paint colours to appeal to a broader range of buyers
  • Purchase  new bed linens in a neutral palette to instantly update your space
  • Do all those odd jobs you have been putting off around the house – red flags to a buyer
  • Clean windows, buyers love a bright light space, open drapes to let the sun shine in
  • Eliminate odours, especially pet and cooking smells, ask a friend to do the sniff test
  • Ensure furniture does not block traffic flow – less is more

[singlepic id=49 w=320 h=240 float=]A home that has been staged is more marketable, appeals to a broader range of buyers, and overshadows the competition. The property will appear fresher, brighter and newer, and easier for a buyer to envision living there. A staged home will make “The Home Interview” memorable for the right reasons.

The vast majority of homes for sale have not been staged by a professional or a capable “Do it Yourself” enthusiast, so your listing will be unique and stand out as the “move in ready” home.

Turning a property into a “house for sale” instead of a “home for the present owners to live in” is often best left to a professional who has no emotional ties to the property which will help the owner “move on” and the buyer better envision the home as their space. The practical, emotional, financial and aesthetic aspects of the home have all been addressed. What more could a buyer ask for?

Real Estate Photography

Posted on by Avril Brown

Real Estate Photography

First Impressions – why waste them? 

As the saying goes “you only get one chance to make a first impression” so why waste it.

The online images of your home have to impress a buyer in 15 seconds or less before they dismiss your property as a non contender.Gone are the days when any old photo will do.If your images don’t look professional you risk losing a buyers interest at “hello”.

Professional Real Estate Photographers know all the tricks to make your listing stand out from the crowd.Their use of lighting techniques, elevation and professional equipment ensure your home outshines the competition.Listings with good quality photographs that have been professionaly staged sell faster and at a higher asking price so you reap the rewards.

PREP recommends Farm Gate Imaging owned and operated by Vanessa Lentz for top quality images for Real Estate.

To view Vanessa’s website go to www.farmgateimaging.ca 

Home Staging in conjunction with Professional Photography ensures you have the edge needed in todays competitive marketplace.

Trimming the trees (all 27 of them!)

Posted on by Avril Brown

Adventures of a store decorator (I still have the nightmares!)

Most of you, I would think, look forward to Christmas and love to see a well decorated tree. This was not always the case for me – anyone who has worked in retail knows by the time Christmas rolls around all you want to do is get it over with!

Being a merchandiser and decorator in a large furniture store meant I had to start early in October. Every part of a store has to be glittered and lit up from the front entrance way to the back, thousands and thousands of square feet. Many stores have a team that tackles this job, I had one hard working, very patient assistant who must have wanted to strangle me on many a day, being the perfectionist that I am!

The seasonal décor was stored in the warehouse, on the top shelves, about 50 feet up. In order to get there I donned a safety harness and a tether, a bit like getting suited up for bungee jumping but the tether was shorter. Safety regulations meant I had to wear my unflattering steel toes which really didn’t match my outfit! Can’t they make a steel toe shoe in a funky colour and maybe a small heel – I might be on to something here. One wrong foot off the motor while reaching for the boxes and I would be dangling in the air but thankfully it never happened, who said decorating was glamorous?

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I was given free reign to create my own scheme. Every year I had a budget to go out and purchase some new items (yes, I was the crazy one in Walmart with six or seven carts full of ornaments, lights and greenery)  If you ever got stuck behind me at the customer service desk with my six carts full “I am sorry”. I could feel my ears burning as you called me a few choice names for holding up the line! People would give me strange looks while muttering to their friends “what is she doing with all that stuff, she must have a really big house”. I was often questioned by curious onlookers and when I explained what I needed the mountain of glitter and glitz for they realized I wasn’t quite as crazy as they first thought.

I was covered in glitter from October until January. I am sure some people wondered why I was wearing body glitter in the grocery store. That stuff doesn’t come off easily, ok.

Did I mention mini lights? Oh boy…Everyone hates putting the lights on the tree, there is always that one that won’t light isn’t there, multiply this by 27, you get the picture, I’m still in therapy!!!

The first few trees were fun I’II admit but by the time I got to 26 I had nothing left to give – #26 was not  my best  work. I say 27 trees the 27th being my own if I could muster the strength to decorate it. I often left my own tree until the last minute and took it down on Boxing Day – enough was enough!

Thankfully those days are behind me and my love of all things glitter is back which is good for my clients because  I offer a Seasonal Decorating Service for homeowners and businesses and I promise I won’t have a meltdown if the lights don’t work !