The inside of your home may be immaculate. But if you’re selling, and the outside looks a little rough around the edges, potential buyers will be turned off. Staging outside matters as much as it does inside. So pay attention to your listing’s curb appeal and do the dirty work before the For Sale sign goes up. |
Have you ever walked or driven by a house in a nice neighbourhood only to see that it’s looking unkept? Fence is falling apart. Grass is like a jungle. Paint is chipping off. There’s a dent in the garage door. Empty garbage cans are lying around. There are few signs of life. Imagine if there was a For Sale sign on the front lawn. Would you be excited to see inside? Well you might be if you are an investor looking for a bargain. But if you are looking for a home to raise your family in, you would most likely keep looking elsewhere. Poor curb appeal tells a powerful story. |
The point is that most of us make a pretty quick judgement about whether we feel like a listing is suitable based on first impressions. After all, if it looks that bad on the outside, imagine what problems are lurking behind the walls inside. No thanks. I’ll pass. When you decide to sell your home, it’s to your advantage to invest some time, money, and good old elbow grease in making the outside look as inviting as possible. I’ve shared some tips in the past for staging outdoor spaces to maximize curb appeal. |
Bottom line? Don’t overlook the power of curb appeal to attract your ideal buyer. Do the work to beautify your home’s “cover” and let potential buyers judge the suitability of your listing based on a positive first impression. Want more of our home staging tips? Stay in touch. Follow Set Your Stage on Twitter. |


Archive for June, 2016
Set the Stage for Buyers Who Love to Entertain
For many property buyers, the home is the hub for entertaining. So why not intentionally stage for buyers with that in mind? Create a bar area or other entertaining-friendly space. Help your potential buyers see themselves living and entertaining in your listing and benefit with a faster sale. A property we staged in Garrison Woods Calgary made it easy to stage for buyers who love to entertain. It already had a built in bar area located between the living room and dining room. By staging it, we gave it life, adding some atmosphere and highlighting it as a key feature of the property. |
![]() After: Entertainer’s dream bar area between the living room and dining room. |
But you don’t have to have an existing feature like this to successfully set the stage for entertaining. A quick search on Pinterest will result in great ideas. I love bar carts that can be styled for a range of functions~ after dinner drinks, coffee, or brunch ~ depending on what type of entertaining will be happening. Carts offer the ultimate flexibility, portability, and ability to stage effectively within a small space. |
![]() After: This is the perfect retreat/man-cave for the entertainer in your family. |
Have an extra room that doesn’t have a specific purpose? Stage it as a games room. Add functional and organized groupings of items that make sense together in the staged entertaining space to create instant impact. |
![]() After: This formal seating area is a great place to entertain. |
And don’t forget the outdoor spaces. When you stage for buyers who love to entertain, additional outdoor seating areas are a bonus. If you happen to have a pool, outdoor fireplace, or a great view, make a point of highlighting that too! For more inspiration and home staging tips, check out Set Your Stage on Pinterest. |
Refinish Wooden Furniture to Reduce Staging Costs
I work with a lot of clients who want to stage their house or condo for sale on a budget. They also happen to be open to do-it-yourself projects and prefer to use eco-friendly options whenever possible. My suggestion? Refinish wooden furniture quickly and easily with this simple homemade mixture. Once again, I was reminded how the solutions to many problems can be found on Pinterest! I had been looking for a quick and easy fix to give some older wooden furniture a facelift. I was decorating my own condo with some antique family furniture and had some pieces that were looking a little tired. Also, in my effort to make more environmentally conscious choices in my Calgary home staging business, I sometimes find great used furniture pieces with great bones that can serve a new purpose in my staging projects. In both cases, I want the solution to be clean, fast, effective, and green. |
![]() Bedroom before staging |
![]() After: This simple, yet stylish bedroom is the perfect retreat for any homeowner. |
So I searched for answers. I tried various techniques. And then I found this simple mixture that only requires two natural ingredients: oil and vinegar. (Not just for salad!) Not only have I used this mixture to refinish wooden furniture myself, but I have recently recommended it as a tip for some of my Home Staging Consultation clients. It’s not perfect, but it serves its purpose. And because it’s so inexpensive and you probably already have the supplies in your kitchen, it’s definitely worth a try, don’t you think? Instead of buying new, first try to refinish wooden furniture for cost-effective staging when it’s time to list your home for sale. For more inspiration and home staging tips, take a look at Set Your Stage on Pinterest. |
Staged Properties Continue to Sell in Calgary
When you look at the Calgary Real Estate Board’s updated monthly statistics, you may experience some concern over days on market and benchmark price if you are selling. Keep in mind that statistics tell a story of averages. What I’m seeing is that staged properties continue to sell faster. Recently, I wrote an update about our staged condos that were successfully sold by investors who had previously been renting them out. This time, I’d like to share some success stories about staging we did for home owners. I hear from home owners who are worried that they’ll run into trouble when they try to sell their Calgary property in this market. And, while the statistics offer an overview, you can’t really know what will happen with your specific property. So it’s not surprising that some sellers continue to wonder if it’s worth it to invest in presenting a staged property to buyers. There are no guarantees. All properties are different. Still, our staged properties continue to sell. |
![]() After: Hanging art above the bed brings the eyes of the potential buyer to the focal point of the room. |
Kincora: This Calgary home we staged recently SOLD in less than a week for 98% of the ORIGINAL asking price. We worked with the owners’ existing furniture and added some key staging rental pieces plus art and accessories to appeal to what potential buyers were looking for in that neighbourhood. |
![]() After: A cozy sectional with neutral and green art and cushions enhance the warm “rock faced” gas fireplace. |
Sunnyside: This sundrenched condo in a fabulous Calgary location was staged from top to bottom, including the outdoor seating area, to create maximum impact. That helped it beat out its competition and it SOLD in less than a month. The average for condos selling in the same area was 107 days on market. Want to become one of our examples of staged properties in Calgary that sold? I invite you to contact me to schedule your free, no pressure, personalized Home Staging Assessment today. Still curious about the benefits of home staging? Read more about my work and reach out when you’re ready. Ask how the Set Your Stage team can help your Calgary listing get SOLD! |


