As a Calgary home staging professional, my job is to help you get your property sold quickly and for top dollar. In fact, that’s exactly what I’m doing myself as I prepare to sell my Sunnyside condo and move up the property ladder. When opportunity knocks, prepare to open the door and embrace it. Opportunity rarely comes without risk. I work with homeowners every day who are riding the real estate roller coaster with hopes and dreams and visions of what ideal lifestyle comes next. Often, like me, that includes moving up the property ladder and investing more in real estate. Although, sometimes, selling is more about necessity than privilege. Either way, there is plenty of emotion on this ride. I stand firmly beside my clients, supporting them to make their wishes a reality by helping them to show case their listings in a way that quickly appeals to buyers so they are inspired to say YES! Then my clients can be free to move on, just like we did. Here’s a few photos from our staged condo that sold in 29 days (average for Kensington the same time we sold was 107 days on the market)! |
![]() After: The fun staging accessories highlight the under cabinet lighting & granite kitchen counter top. |
![]() After: The cozy dining table & chairs give lots of space to walk around and enjoy your in-floor heating over the easy to clean laminate flooring. |
![]() After: A cozy sectional with neutral and green art and cushions enhance the warm “rock faced” gas fireplace. |
![]() After: This spacious bedroom easily fits a king sized bed plus 2 dressers! |
![]() After: The cheery bathroom accessories highlight this master bathroom’s updated backsplash and countertop (yes there are 2 full baths). |
![]() After: Enjoy the beautiful views of Senator Burns Gardens from your generous sized patio with ring side seats to all the famous Riley Park events. |
My own personal condo selling experience allows me to fully relate to how my clients are feeling. Change can be exciting. And it can also bring up feelings of fear and powerlessness. The preparing to let go. The clearing out. All the work in preparation for an unknown result. The fear of nobody wanting to buy at the price you want. The frustration of living in a showable home. The worry of no offer after showings. The feeling of being in limbo in a place that no longer really looks like yours, yet you can’t move on until this one is sold. I get it. It’s more than your largest financial investment (which is serious enough). It’s also your heart and soul. Your memories. Your hopes and dreams. Your home. Every day as I work to support my clients in feeling more empowered by staging their home to make its best first impression, I keep this awareness top of mind and treat them with my upmost respect. This real estate roller coaster takes courage to ride. I’m here to help you succeed. If you are planning to sell your Calgary house or condo so you can move up the real estate property ladder, I invite you to find out more and contact me, Jen Campbell at Set Your Stage, where we get proven results for our clients. |


Archive for July, 2016
The Power of Emotion in Making Decisions
2016 has been a year of making decisions for me. Big decisions. Whether in our personal lives, at work, or in buying and selling homes, the best decisions are made with both emotion and logic. Yet, as much as we would like to think that our decisions are always rational, it is our gut that often leads the way. |
![]() Before: Living room before home staging. |
![]() After: We chose furniture that would complement the beautiful colours of the walls and floors. |
According to Janet Crawford, neuroscience expert and CEO of Cascadance Inc., “Without emotion, we are biologically incapable of making decisions. Logic is often the last step in the process.” This rings true for me in terms of making decisions in my personal life and in my business. I also see the dynamic at play with my clients. In my work as a professional home stager in Calgary, I approach every staging project with emotion and logic in mind. What I know from experience is that, when potential buyers are making decisions about which home they will buy, it is emotion that ultimately triggers a sale. |
![]() Before: Master bedroom before home staging. |
![]() After: Don’t you love art? This large statement piece brings everything together. |
So, while I stage properties with logic in terms of designating clear room functions and highlighting features so potential buyers can check off the boxes on their must-have and wish lists, what I am focussing on in selecting staging furniture, art, and accessories is the emotion that I want to invoke in the buyers. I stage to appeal to their desired lifestyle and how they want to feel in the space they will call home. Making decisions on the home front has also been guided by emotion and grounded in logic. Most recently, I became engaged to the man I love and who I have shared my life (and home) with for several years. |
![]() After: The cozy dining table & chairs give lots of space to walk around and enjoy your in-floor heating over the easy to clean laminate flooring. |
We also decided to sell our condo in our beloved Sunnyside neighbourhood in order to move up the property ladder. And, despite the fact that our condo has been sold, we are taking our time to find our next home based on what feels right. That gut feeling telling us that “this is the one.” It’s the same way that many home buyers are approaching their search. Even with large financial decisions like buying and selling real estate, emotions factor in significantly. For sellers, understanding this decision making “truth” is extremely powerful. If you are planning to sell your Calgary house or condo and want help making decisions about how to appeal to the emotions of your potential buyer so you can sell faster, I invite you to find out more and contact me, Jen Campbell at Set Your Stage, where we get proven results for our clients. |
Tips for Living in a Staged Home
Your house is officially ready for sale. It has been professionally staged to make the best possible first impression. Real estate photos have been taken. Now the viewings have started. How do you keep your listing presentable? Here are my tips for sellers who are living in a staged home. Selling a house can be stressful. Professional staging can help it sell faster, but it can still feel too long for sellers who continue to live in their home while it’s listed. Especially for sellers who have kids, keeping your home like the stager intended can be quite a challenge. |
![]() Before: Bedroom before home staging. |
![]() After: After home staging: Look at all of these rich colours in this master bedroom! |
So what do you do when your realtor calls for a short notice showing when you’re living in a staged home? Don’t panic. Be prepared. I wrote about the value of having an open house box. Here are some more tips: Kitchen: In the short term, consider changing your eating habits to avoid cooking anything that creates odours. Sure, you can try to eliminate the odours, but it’s simpler to avoid creating them in the first place, especially if you have an open concept space. Bathroom: In your daily life, you love your own private bathroom. But for your own sanity in keeping the bathrooms clean, tidy and moisture free for viewings, consider sharing one main bathroom for use by everyone while your home is listed. Bedroom: You’ve gotta make those beds, put away clothes, and clear off the night stands. Consider designating extra bedrooms “off limits” while your house is for sale. You can even encourage kids to “camp out” together in one room in the short-term to reduce the last minute scramble. Bins, cabinets and containers: Make these your best friends while selling. You will have already de-cluttered, donated, and perhaps sent some items to storage in the process of staging to sell. But for those everyday items like toys, shoes, important papers, etc., have a system in place to quickly hide them away. |
![]() Before: Bathroom before home staging. |
![]() After: Accessories and art makes this master bathroom look like the perfect place to relax at the end of the day. |
Living in a staged home for sale is not the most convenient lifestyle choice. That said, it is possible to ease the stress with preparation while you keep your listing show-worthy. Want more of our home staging tips? Stay in touch. Follow Set Your Stage on Twitter. |
Catch Buyers’ Eyes at HELLO
Want to catch buyers’ attention? Focus on how your home greets them as soon as they walk in the door. The entryway of a home for sale should feel welcoming and offer a hint of what’s to come in the rest of the property. Let’s say, it sets the stage. |
![]() Beautiful details in the door and flooring. |
To do so, the entryway should address two key factors to catch buyers’ attention: function plus feeling.
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![]() After: The red artwork brightens up this entry way. |
In order to catch buyers’ attention in both function and feeling, professional staging makes use of colours, décor, art, textures, mirrors, furniture, and a focal point. Together, and in harmony with how the rest of the listing is staged, these tools can work together to create an atmosphere that quickly appeals to potential buyers. Despite the fact that it may be quite small, the entryway is no less important than any other room. A simple clean, declutter, and coat of paint won’t maximize the benefit you can gain as a seller by properly staging the entrance to make an impact. If you need a bit of guidance with this, ask for it! |
![]() After: A welcoming front entry way. |
Don’t overlook the power of staging an entryway to catch buyers’ attention and create your listing’s best first impression. Want more of our home staging tips? Stay in touch. Follow Set Your Stage on Twitter. |


