Finding a home stager is easy as there are many offering this decor service. There are key things to look for when you want to hire one. Referrals are great and we trust our friend’s recommendations for leads but there is a little research we need to do to be informed.
Professional certification for home staging. There are techniques that are used in home staging that are learned through training. Home staging is a growth industry stemming from decorating. They are not the same thing and one industry segment is not considered better than the other. In fact, they are a powerful combination for clients to access. Membership in a professional Canadian association is another valuable attribute to look for in a Stager partner. Professional associations have standards that their members must agree with to become part of the industry group.There are many other important reasons to seek a stager with a professional membership.
Experience and work samples. Is this person talented? Does their work look good? Are they able to use skill to create a beautiful room that creates desire for a property and its features? Asking for before and after photos to determine abilities is perfectly acceptable. Another is to ask about the example in more detail, like what was changed, how and why. Ask about cost too. What did the client invest to achieve this look?
Owner occupied BEFORE
Owner occupied AFTER ($100 rental and labour)
Range of service. This is a biggie. Does your need match the service? The industry is not regulated and staging services are abundant. This is why the consultation process is so important and is the first step to the process. Take the time to get an assessment for the property which will reveal the prioritized needs for a property. The consultation puts the client in a very strong position to make informed decisions and is considered the most valuable service. From there, it is much easier to match additional service to the need and create the best outcome to achieve the best and highest financial result.
Cost. Services are difficult to compare when you are not certain what is required. Back to the consultation process. Do not be surprised when you find you need a number of different trades to prepare a property for sale. Maybe you need an organizer or a painter before the decor is addressed. A stager that will identify, explain and/or manage this process is important. Does your stager offer this service? If not, ask them if they know another staging professional that will and don’t hesitate to go to the list of members of a professional Canadian association to find this professional. Costs will vary for staging services. You will need to remember to compare apples to apples as well as being aware that cheaper does not mean better and can lead to costly mistakes.
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Ninety-nine per cent of all consumers begin their home shopping online. It is fair to say that online presence is paramount to push those potential buyers to want to see the property you are selling. I’d say as important as the curb appeal if not more. It is the front line, whether it is through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or on social media.
“you need this place, it is going to improve your life“
So what does the online presence have to convey to get people to want to see the property? The message should be “you need this place, its going to improve your life”. Beautiful pictures of a beautiful house do this. Get the professional photographer and stager into that house to create that magic that will lure in those online buyers. But you need both a stager and a photographer; as neither can unilaterally create the refined appearance for online shoppers. Think of those magazine photo of rooms and of food. Both the stylist and the photographer create the desire together and have the skill to draw in the consumer.
The third component is the text in your listing material which must be enticing to the potential buyer. They need to know what it is about the house that makes it a “must see”. What is special about it? Using the punchy, action-packed words encourage excitement and desirability for buyers. Bad grammar and lacklustre descriptions are not encouraging and may disappoint potential buyers. Use all the character space you have available to explain why the house is a must see. Spelling mistakes and too many emojis are big turn-offs and also a reflection of the writer’s attention to detail.
The overall message in this post is to also stage your online presence. Bump it up and command attention! Use of active and descriptive words will encourage visits to the property. Potential buyers should feel compelled to see the property and quickly, so as to not miss out.
My last post was about decorating your house when you are selling it during the holidays. This blog post is about how to best dress the exterior of your house after the holiday season but still during the white and cold wintery months.
I always like the lifestyle method of staging. In most of Canada that’s a gift at this time of year because our climate is especially wonderful for winter activities. Of course we love our warmth after those activities and you can definitely play up that ambience when staging your interior. We want to have people to feel that your home or their precious home-to-be provides that warmth to combat the coolness but those staging “how-tos” will be for a future blog.
You should not overlook your exterior as a great place to showcase a lifestyle your home can provide even if it was not used that way by you. Staging or showcasing is marketing. Every home can be a winter wonderland to show potential buyers that they can have it too. Show off the areas around the house namely the back, front and side yards with hints of lifestyle potential.
Start by clearing away snow in larger areas, not just a small walking path but clear the deck and areas where two people can walk beside each other. Pathways can lead to inviting destinations like a sitting area surrounding a portable fire place or under a nice pergola. Even if you have your metal canopy frame still up from the hotter months it does provide architecture and looks interesting with snow on it or lined with lights. Add bird feeders and attractions for squirrels to your yard. Light these destinations with patio lights. Yes hanging white Christmas lights on a pergola is great but don’t have the house trimmed with Christmas lights as those should be removed by now. Flood lights work really well to highlight a beautiful tree in the back yard or pointing to that charming destination area after dark.
Create glimpses of what your location has available nearby. Do you have access to skiing or a toboggan area? Skis against a wall of the house or by a back or side door, or a beautiful wooden toboggan leaned up against the deck are great ideas to convey this lifestyle and local attractions. These subtle visions create emotional responses or triggers. These are the things I’d turn to to plant emotional thoughts. Have benches or Adirondack chairs around the portable fire place. How nice it will look to those potential buyers? Well the first thing they will think is that it is an added bonus for the property to have all that area usable during the cold months.
Add some whimsy! I’ve seen pictures of winter clothing stuffed with snow and think it is brilliant! And what fun that would be to make!
For the front, keep it very simple. Clear walking paths to the front door, two people wide with nice neat edges are aesthetically pleasing. How about a snow man strategically placed on the front lawn? Light it up for the dark evenings. A new and larger exterior door mat for each of your entries is a great touch. A wintery wreath for the front door is great but don’t hang onto that Christmas one as its time is over now. I’d hide away any shovels and salt as they aren’t so nice to have greet visitors at the door.
Gardens can add much texture during winter. Tall grasses, left high and not removed, shrubbery and garden accessories can really add interest to that stark white covering. Consider leaving some things in place for when the snow comes.
Other must dos:
At dusk, turn on the exterior lights and keep them on until midnight. Potential buyers will drive by to scout things out until late into the evening; you want your house to be seen easily and to stand out from the others.
Re-photograph your exterior pictures as the season changes. If you had pictures taken at Christmas time for marketing purposes, it’s time to refresh those with new ones after creating this new environment. Don’t skip this, it’s very important.
After shoveling steps, etc. take a stiff-bristled broom to the surfaces as this will uncover the beauty of your walkway and entrance. These are all selling features and worth working to your advantage especially during our snowy times!
Clean and neatly shoveled driveways are a must. Make it so that it is easy to drive and walk on and not a slushy or icy mess. Can visitors walk by a parked car easily? We don’t want it to be difficult. Nice, clear and clean looking is key.
Finally, walk around the neighbourhood and seek out ideas and judge your curb appeal against others. Look at your house from across the street and from both the left and the right sides. Are your lights bright enough? What if you put the upper interior lights on? Ask these questions, be objective and know that this stuff works when you are selling your biggest asset.
There are a few things to consider when selling your house over the holidays and few more things that you must consider before you buy house. How to do it successfully when you may have showings is another key consideration. There is a staging solution that works well for sellers and potential buyers but the difficulty is how to make it happen while carrying out all the celebratory tasks already on the agenda.
Get a home staging consultation done to find out what is needed to make your house competitive with others on the market. The costs vary and so it is important to match your staging needs with what your stager will offer. A simple discussion with a stager can help you determine what your needs are so engage in the conversation first. You may not be fully aware of what home stagers can do to successfully meet your requirements.
Once the list of things to do is prepared for you, determine what you can or want to do and what your stager can take care of on your behalf when you can be partaking in holiday festivities. Some stagers have a wealth of services, resources and excellent project management skills.
Have professional photos taken once work is complete. Have your stager recommend the photographer and do it when the house is at its best. This gives your photos longevity during January and February when the holidays are over. Christmas decorated house photos are a big negative for marketing online and in printed materials.
After the professional photos are taken, decorate for the season lightly and simply. Keep in mind that you might have to remove some furniture if your rooms look too crowded because of the location of a Christmas tree. Your room will look much better to potential buyers and keep them looking at the key selling parts of your rooms, not what is on or under the tree.
Move out all wrapping and boxes after opening gifts. Don’t pile new treasures under the tree but put gifts away. Purchase a tree skirt in one colour to hide your tree stand to make it aesthetically more pleasing. Do you want your stager to do your decorating too? There are some that will also do this for you.
Other tips to help you be ready for showing calls at this time of year:
•Hide away storage containers that contain baking and cooking from counter tops •Hide away gift wrapping materials that take up space and look cluttered •Wash and put away all kitchen dishes •Keep your entry clean and boot free •After January 1st remove all your Christmas décor including the outside lights, etc. •Update the wreath on your door to be more “wintery” rather than “holiday” •Keep your driveway and walkway and steps clear of snow and slip free.
Here are our suggestions for improving your curb appeal. This list is not just for sellers but for anyone house proud. Please feel welcome to add your ideas and comments.
All windows coverings seen from the curb should be white or punch it up by doing the coverings the same colour of the outside trim colour.
Add a garden structure that is open or light in visual weight like a small bench, gate or pergola to create interest.
Layering structural elements to front of your house: shutters, lighting, railings, ornamental wrought iron, will create depth and more interest. Light things up!
A row of boxwood kept manicured would serve as a natural border between lawn and a row of purple sand cherries. Beautiful contrast from road!
Full and lush bushes at the front of the house add interest and depth to the look; try different types of foliage for even more contrast.
Hang out that wreath on your front door.
Paint the trim around your garage and front doors this weekend whether selling or not, it will punctuate your facade.
Cleaning up dead leaf and foliage from your front gardens greatly improves its appearance in early spring.
Homes for sale facing north would benefit from brighter plantings like gold leaf spirea; blue junipers, white, yellow and orange annuals.
Your front door should be the focal point, not the garage. A bright front door colour that complements the house colour leads visitors to your entry easily.
Over seed your lawn in cooler temperatures, a rich, healthy lawn says “well maintained” and makes buyers pay attention.
A clean-edged garden looks professional and better than those framed with little metal or plastic edgers.
Clean up your gardens now if you are selling! New garden soil top up will look rich, deep and healthy. This shows you maintain well.
Bushes and grasses can enhance your curb appeal both thru colour and structure. Using these effectively can be welcoming.
Gardens have a big impact on your curb appeal. Choose the right colour and types of plantings for your house.
Wash around door handle and trim (use a baking soda & water paste), remove all spider webs.
Sweep and pressure wash your steps; people will notice everything when waiting at the door.
Wash your outside lighting; they will be brighter and sparkle, adding to your curb appeal.
Don’t clean your windows on a sunny day = too many streaks! Do it on a cloudy day instead.
If selling and your home looks like it is missing some curb appeal add some shutters to the windows. They give a friendly and balanced look.
If your house faces North and you’re selling, put a punchier and brighter colour on the front door so it grabs attn from potential buyers.
Are your eavestroughs dripping? Clean ’em out and repair so water doesn’t flow to your basement and doesn’t drip on buyers at the front door.
