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Archive for January, 2016

How to Give a Staged Room Purpose

January 31, 2016 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

Whether you’re selling a vacant or furnished property, staging to give each room purpose makes it easier for your potential buyer to imagine how they would use the space. Keep it simple by choosing a few specific items to highlight a theme.
 

See the difference home staging makes!

After: What a cute play area.

This large vacant home we staged in Brentwood Calgary is a perfect example of how powerful it can be to assign each room purpose.
 

See the difference home staging makes!

After: This unique area is a great place to relax or play with the kids on the indoor swing, yes a swing!

A few toys create a perfect play area in what might otherwise feel like an awkward space. A desk, chair and plant create an office nook. A games room is tucked in an area near the media room to create the impression of a fun place for a family to hang out together.
 

The key to staging is that, in most cases, less is more. Selectively choosing and placing items to give a staged room purpose offers a suggestion rather than creating overwhelm for potential buyers. Wrapped by a neutral backdrop, it’s easy to see how powerful such a “hint” can be.
 

Left empty, these rooms would feel both lifeless and purposeless. That makes the potential buyer have to do the work of figuring out what to do with the space. In most cases, that does not work to the seller’s advantage.
 

See the difference home staging makes!

After: By moving the desks, as well as adding the shelving, greenery and rocking chair from another room, this toy area feels more spacious and organized. The sofa and love seats moved from upstairs were slip covered to look more modern.

Instead, understand who the most likely potential buyers are for your listing and create spaces where happiness lives.
 

When you give a staged room purpose, it’s so much easier for the potential buyer to imagine their own family’s happiness there. That’s what makes it easier to sell faster and at a higher price.
 

Want to stay in touch and read more of our home staging tips? Follow Set Your Stage on Twitter.
 


I Have Furniture. Why Would I Rent Furniture for Staging?

January 25, 2016 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

Selling a furnished property? You may be wondering why you should bother renting more furniture for staging. The short answer is to make your listing the most appealing to your potential buyer. Sometimes, what they’re looking for is different than what you like. A professional home stager can help you decide.
 

Living Room Before Staging

Living Room Before Staging

See the difference that home staging makes?

After: Furniture placement can make a smaller space seem larger.

There are times when a seller’s existing furniture and accessories suit the lifestyle feel that a potential buyer desires. In those cases, a Home Staging Consultation with a professional stager can help the home owner present their listing in the most marketable way. Small changes can help a buyer walk in and quickly see themselves living there.
 

But there are other times when existing furniture needs a little boost. In some cases, that means swapping out selective pieces of existing furniture, art, and accessories with rented ones to create a more updated feel or add a memorable touch.
 

Especially when existing furniture is older, some sellers choose to rent a storage unit for the items that will follow them to their next home prior to the actual move. That clears the space to rent furniture for staging the main rooms in the property in order to market the listing at its best.
 

You only have one chance to create a positive first impression. When it comes to your largest investment, renting furniture for staging – whether a few selected pieces or a full furniture rental package – could be worth the up-front cost for a faster sale – if chosen wisely.
 

Still sitting on the fence? Find out how your Calgary property can benefit from professional advice to guide you through the decision whether to rent furniture for staging and discuss the results Set Your Stage clients have achieved. Schedule your personalized Home Staging Assessment by contacting Jen at Set Your Stage today.
 


Set Your Stage’s 6 Most Popular Staging Topics of 2015

January 19, 2016 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

It’s the end of another successful year and that means it’s a perfect time for a roundup post! Here are six of our most popular staging tips, questions, resources, or ideas that seemed to resonate the most with realtors and home sellers in 2015.
 

See the difference home staging makes.

After: The curb appeal planter containers add a welcoming touch beside the front entry. Photos taken at dawn or dusk will look more luxurious than during a sunny day.

Hiring a professional home stager as part of your property’s marketing team is a sound financial decision. These popular staging topics can help you understand why. In the end, it’s about sparking a powerful first impression that speaks to your potential buyer’s ideal lifestyle.
 

See the difference professional home staging makes!

After Staging: We remind buyers this would be a great home!

Curious? See more examples of my work and ask how the Set Your Stage team can help you meet YOUR Calgary real estate goals in 2016!
 


4 Tips from Before and After Home Staging

January 13, 2016 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

Who doesn’t love a great before and after photo? Most of us are inspired by the transformations we see. When it comes to home staging, those transformations can result in a faster sale. Here are four tips highlighted in Set Your Stage before and after staging photos in Calgary.
 

    1. Furniture & Placement: Use enough but not too much. Consider traffic flow and key room features.
     

    2. Accessories: Add life to the space. Be consistent with colour to tie rooms together. Highlight features.
     

    3. Lighting: Light and bright spaces sell. Use various sources.
     

    4. Photography: Professional real estate photography is a must. Angles matter. Stage before the photos are taken.
     

Kitchen Before Staging

Kitchen Before Staging

After Home Staging

Accessories makes this kitchen look bright and ready for a night of cooking.

These before and after photos from a property we staged in Killarney, Calgary show the impact of following these tips. We turned a bare and vacant condo into an appealing space that potential buyers would be proud to call home. But first, most potential buyers would have viewed the listing online. That’s why staging before the professional real estate photography is so critical. The photos create a positive first impression that allows potential buyers to start imagining themselves living in the space before they view it in person.
 

Living Room Before Home Staging

Living Room Before Home Staging

Living Room After Staging

We used large pieces of art in this living room to compliment the size of the walls.

That’s the power of professional staging. And it’s what sets listings apart.
 

For more examples of the power and impact staging can create in a space, take a look at the rest of the Set Your Stage Facebook albums featuring many before and after photos of the various homes and condos that we’ve successfully staged to sell.