New View Home Staging Blog

Recently I consulted in a home that had a mirror over the living room sofa, to the left of the front door.  But when I stood still and looked, I realized that it was reflecting the open powder room door off to the right, and actually the raised toilet seat, and a silent but resounding "yuck" sprung to mind.  Not only was the powder room unfortunately placed prominently in the middle of the foyer, but we were getting a double whammy of it coming from the living room.

Mirrors can be tremendous assets when showing a home and a properly placed mirror can expand the room visually, but you really need to pay attention to what buyers entering the room are going to see.  Is it reflecting the tops of people's heads around the dining table?  If it is propped on a mantle instead of hung from the wall, then you're likely seeing the white ceiling and where's the interest in that? 

A mirror should be reflecting beautiful things... like a garden just beyond, that you want to bring into the room, or it should be adding to the spaciousness.  It sometime takes a critical eye to hang one properly, the benefits can pay dividends when they bring in the view that you want. 

This is just one of the many features that a trained eye will see... and a professional home stager is your best bet to making that happen.

New View Home Staging offers consultations that are all encompassing... and is available to assist you and your selling clients!

As long as people have been buying and selling, there has been the persistent question of "should I go to the bother of doing the work or can't I just offer the buyer a credit to do it themselves?"

As staging becomes more prevelant, and we see the results and outcome on both sides of that argument, we can say with certainty that in almost every scenario, YES Sellers, you should do the work yourself!

That comes with only a few qualifications ... in a $300,000 home you probably should not gut and replace the entire kitchen at a cost of $30,000, but there are facelift projects and updates that will take you a long way.  And you won't undertake to finish an unfinished basement, although you might complete a basement project which is already half way along.

Sellers need to find the best way to maximize the return on their investment and protect the equity in their home, and in most cases that is by rolling up their sleeves (or hiring someone that will), and putting in some effort on the front end so that their realtor isn't having to negotiate a value for that work on the back end.  The cost of a few cans of paint to do three bedrooms and the front foyer is far less than it would be once a parent has to listen to the wails of their 8 year old son refusing to move into the shocking pink bedroom.  Convincing themselves that the house is perfect for them is much more difficult once a buyer has experienced a negative emotional response, and the seller will end up paying dearly to make the problem go away. 

Perhaps the carpet hasn't been replaced since 1985, its worn, threadbare and stained.  Have you met the buyer yet that says, "just give us the money for an inexpensive beige carpet, we're fine with that"... ?  Probably not, but if it was done for them most buyers wouldn't complain and in fact would appreciate the house even more because it now feels fresh and new.

It's hard to go wrong by doing the work before listing.  Sellers shouldn't have to offer a credit to offset a buyer's emotional reaction to their house, and so be reducing the likelihood of a negative response at the front end, they will have protected their own equity and financial investment at the back end. 

At New View Home Staging, this is what we recommend to our staging clients.

CCSP, Certified Canadian Staging Professionals (CSP in the US) have rolled out a terrific new designation for Realtors ~ the CCSP Elite Agent program!

The Elite Agent program is designed to increase undestanding and marketability of real estate staging; to allow a realtor to differentiate their services through a proven strategic process; and to have an improved listing package with statistics, articles, DVD's and an abundance of information for sellers. 

As a CCSP Elite Agent you will be setting yourself apart from your peers... you will better understand and utilize the tools provided through home staging to sell more properties quickly and for top dollar, sign more listings, get paid faster and have happier clients!  And happier clients lead to more referrals... which will be sold quickly, for a better price, resulting in happier clients...

The CSP Elite Agent logo will be provided to you upon graduation which you can include in all marketing, and on-line and print advertising.  Why not align yourself with one of the most respected home staging names in North America?

As an added benefit in Ontario, CCSP Elite Agents will receive a voucher to complete an on-line CE course, free of charge.  CE credits vary by State/Province so you will need to check in your area for comparable offers. 

As a CCSP Elite Trainer, I will be conducting the one-day workshops in southwestern Ontario, and classes will start this fall.  You can contact me directly for more information or go to www.cspelite.com

Gone are the days of "Stagents"... because busy agents don't have time to stage.

Christine Bird

New View Home Staging

www.newviewhomestaging.ca

christine@newviewhomestaging.ca

This is just a quick add-on note I wrote for my newsletter recently.

Keeping curb appeal current with the season is important, and early September is a good time to add some Fall flowers to your landscaping. Some ideas would be the safe standbys mums and pansies but also kale, asters, pumpkins ~white, orange and even funky looking ones.  Fall is definitely the season for deep reds, golds and citrus colours of all shades.

Pull out some of the older annuals that have gotten tired, and dig the late summer plantings into gardens to add a sense of permanence and belonging, rather than just dropping a grocery store container onto the porch.  There's no need to advertise "The house doesn't usually look this nice so I picked this up today".

If you're interested in home staging in and around Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge & Guelph, please contact New View Home Staging.  Christine Bird is a Certified Canadian Staging Professional. 

Call Today!

519-505-0892

www.newviewhomestaging.ca

christine@newviewhomestaging.ca

I often wonder if sellers realize all the personal information their home is giving away and that some buyers may turned off because of it?   This can be a hard conversation to have because just talking about it could indicate you personally are turned off too, however the risk of losing a potential buyer over of a negative emotional response is far worse.   We all know the taboo topics in daily conversation ~ sex, religion and politics ~ and we need to consider that these may come up unintentionally while selling a home.  If you've raised teenagers you understand already, but some keep mementos and photos of "good times" and their choice of accessories and poster art is sometimes "questionable". 
 
Teenagers are just an example.  You can also look to the books stacked beside beds or around living areas and they usually tell a clear story of the people that live there.  If the buyer can't connect with the space because their personal beliefs are so different, then either the offer will reflect this or there won't be an offer at all. 
 
A way to discuss this tactfully would be to remind your sellers that this is their home's job interview...they need to prepare for their home's interview with the same frame of mind as if they are attending one themselves.   
 
Here's my plug, which of course you knew was coming ... hiring a home stager to work with the seller and handle tricky conversations such as these will protect your client relationship!

New View Home Staging is a full service home staging and property styling company.   We offer effective, attractive and affordable solutions for preparing a property for a quick and profitable sale.  Consultations with written reports include curb appeal, space management and flow, lighting, de-personalizing, neutralizing, and colours, and all projects can be tailored to fit every budget.
 
Christine Bird, owner and lead stager, is a Certified Canadian Staging Professional.   

www.newviewhomestaging.ca

christine@newviewhomestaging.ca

All too often homeowners are in a scramble to get their house on the market, so that they don't miss the perceived "window of opportunity".  No doubt, that actually does exist in some markets at different times of the year, but is taking an extra couple of days going to make such a huge difference that a home should be photographed and presented while not yet looking it's best?

Actually, rushing to get on the market can work against you. 

Buyers make decisions for a number of reasons, not the least of which is an emotional connection to the house.  They also need to see the "space" without an overwhelming sense of the people that live there, before they can picture themselves moving in.  Both of these connections can best be achieved by putting some extra effort into getting the home ready, and turning it into the "marketable product" that it needs to be.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when preparing to sell:

• Is the curb appeal welcoming and inviting so that prospective buyer's will get out of their cars, or are they going to drive right by?
• When they enter, are they greated with a warm, neutral environment that invites them to linger?
• Are the colours and decor on-trend or outdated?
• Is the home clutter-free?  Have you reduced items and objects by pre-packing? 
• Can buyer's see beyond your personality and taste to truly feel the space you are selling?

A professional stager will guide the homeowner through the process of identifying priorities and the order in which they should be addressed, to ensure your house hits the market looking it's best. 

New View Home Staging is a professional staging and property styling company providing services to both Realtors and Homeowners.  We offer effective and affordable solutions to properly prepare your home for a quick and profitable sale, by creating winning first impressions that appeal to the broadest base of buyers.   Christine Bird, owner and lead stager is a Certified Canadian Staging Professional.

To ensure you are "list ready" call for a consultation!  It takes a couple of hours, and could be the difference between a profitable transaction or a so-so sale.  519-505-0892.

www.newviewhomestaging.ca

1,2,3 SOLD!  Showcasing isn't just for vacant homes.  An occupied home will benefit from showcasing as much as a vacant, we just approach it differently. It's the third step of a three step process -- Consultation; Improvements; Showcasing.  Showcasing creates and promotes the positive feelings and emotions that we want the potential buyer to experience when they view the home, and it's done economically, using primarily items already owned by the homeowner.

While staging consultations may identify literally dozens of projects and enhancements that the homeowner should take advantage of, there still needs to be a plan to present, aka showcase, the home once the work is done.  Some homeowners can do this themselves, but many will end up with the home looking exactly as it had before, which is only natural because because they live in it, and are used to the way it looks and feels.  Bringing in a professional home stager to showcase, the final act of staging, ensures maximum appeal with the least amount of wiggle room in the resulting OFFERS.  ~ A professional stager understands about lighting the space and improving traffic flow,  plus can create focal points and vignettes that pull on the heartstrings ~
 
It's all about creating winning first impressions, and showcasing is a huge part of that.  Great on-line photos and curb appeal will give a buyer incentive to get out of the car and enter the home, while showcasing invites them to stay.  If they can't picture themselves living there, it's going to be reflected in the offer and this is where a professional stager can help!

  Consultation + Improvements + Showcasing = MAXIMUM APPEAL or 1 +2 + 3 = SOLD! 

New View Home Staging
www.newviewhomestaging.ca

The June issue of Staging the New View has been dedicated to Curb Appeal, and following are excerpts from the newsletter.

Buyer's decide within seconds if they want to view a property, and if the outside is a bit questionable, the logical thought progression is that the inside is going to be too.  They will spend the rest of their tour looking to confirm their initial reactions instead of focusing on the positive features of the home.  Alternatively, if the outside is simply fantastic, then they'll be able to see what's going on inside with a more open mind. 

Welcoming Buyers with Fabulous Front Doors...

Properly prep your front door and porch or deck areas so that buyers can form positive expectations about the rest of the house as soon as they walk through your well-cared-for front door.

Here are some ideas (provided by Christine Rae, President and Founder of Canadian Staging Professionals) that will add the wow to your entryway and build your equity:

• Replace or paint the front door
• Clean, spray paint, or replace the hardware and door knob
• Add a kick plate
• Add a new welcome mat
• Clean, paint or replace house numbers
• Clean, paint or replace the light fixtures, making sure the lightbulbs work
• Sweep the front porch
• Add a pot of fresh flowers in the spring, summer or fall; place an evergreen in the winter
• Keep the front porch shoveled, salted or sanded in the winter
• Paint or replace the garage door
• Paint or replace outdoor steps
• Paint or change outdated railings

These things all seem like common sense, and yet you would be surprised how often they are not addressed.  Small changes can have a huge impact, and what better place to say "Welcome.  We're happy to have you here", than the front door.

Selling the House from the Outside...   

June is typically when all our outside planting is done, or almost done, and the plants tend to look their best.  Nothing is too overgrown yet, and there is no real sign of the weeds that are going to be your adversary by August. 

As a Realtor, make sure your current clients are taking advantage of the natural Curb Appeal opportunities that June presents. 

• Make sure flower beds are actually that... remove weeds and dead plants from previous seasons, pinecones and leaves
• Prune and trim shrubs and bushes, particularly those that hamper any view of the front door or the house number
• Edge and sweep the walks, patios and decks
• Remove trash, toys, animal waste and debris
• Power wash or stain decks
• Get the RV, boat or snowmobile stored away from the house completely. 
• If you are showing at night, make sure the house is well light, fixtures are clean and bulbs work, and there is ample lighting for people entering and leaving the property.

The general rule is that a buyer should feel that this beautiful yard almost takes care of itself.  Unless they love gardening, they'll hesitate about buying into anything that screams "I TAKE A LOT OF WORK".  Sellers should be creating a welcoming, relaxing environment, by keeping things easy, elegant and understated. 

The winning combination of black plus punches of citrus colours, reds and purples, goes a long way at appealing to the broadest base of buyers.

Adding Living Space Where It Doesn't Really Exist...

Remind your clients that at this time of year they probably have access to a few hundred more square feet of "living space".  That 10 x 12 deck sitting off the back of the house can easily become an extra 120sq.ft.of living space, easily and inexpensively.  By investing in a patio set that they love and will eventually take with them to their next home, or by improving the ambience of the existing furnishings with solar lights, topiary trees and a canopy, all of a sudden they have created a space for cocktails, evening coffee and family time. 

At the front, many homes have a small cement porch which is easily transformed into a quiet sitting when furnished with two wrought iron chairs, a small table and colourful flowers.  It will look great from the street!

The power of suggestion is huge in selling, and carefree outdoor living space will appeal to just about everyone, particularly coming on the heels of a winter like we just had in Southwestern Ontario!  

New View Home Staging is a full service home staging and property styling company located in Waterloo, and serving KW/Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford and all surrounding communities. 

We specialize in creating winning first impressions.   Great photos and curb appeal will give a buyer incentive to drive to the property, get out of the car and enter the home; and showcasing from inside the front door and beyond will invite them to linger longer and experience the space.  If they can't picture themselves living there, it's going to be reflected in the offer and this is where a professional stager can help!

Consultation + Improvements + Showcasing = MAXIMUM APPEAL

Trust New View Home Staging to provide professional advice and personal service for your listing clients.