Staging kitchens to sell is a must-do on your list. The hub for so much activity in the home, a kitchen is also one of the most expensive renovations that a buyer would potentially have to invest in. So help your kitchen show its best by following my staging checklist.
 

This Staging Checklist provided by the Calgary Real Estate Board provides good basic guidelines to address the key areas of a property – inside and out. I also wrote a checklist for staging living rooms and a checklist for staging bathrooms that you might find helpful.
 

As a Calgary home stager, I have seen what a difference proper kitchen staging can make. Here’s your checklist specifically for staging kitchens:
 

• If your kitchen is really dated, give it a quick facelift with paint, new lighting, new taps, and switch out old cabinet knobs with brushed stainless.
• Make it look as new as possible – try this DIY eco friendly recipe to breathe new life into older sinks and faucets.
• Sparkling clean should be your new mantra! Look everywhere, from every angle.
• Move your stove, microwave, and refrigerator to clean all surfaces and sweep/wipe the surrounding spaces before you put them back into place.
• Clean stainless steel appliances by adding a few drops of olive oil to a soft cloth then wipe the appliance in the direction of the grain. Dry with a clean cloth.
• Go minimalist and get organized. Remove duplicate food or unnecessary items (like plastic containers, pots, broken or mismatched dishes) from cupboards and pantry to create some empty space. With what’s left, organize using bins or baskets to group small things.
• Speaking of small things, if you have a “junk drawer” in the kitchen, get rid of it.
• Replace dish towels and cloths with fresh ones that are used only for staging.
• Open windows to air out the space.
• For lingering kitchen odours, air fresheners are NOT the way to go.
• Add lifestyle elements that appeal and use accessories wisely.

Staging kitchens is critical. Keep your room by room staging checklist handy and these kitchen, living room, and bathroom staging tips in mind when preparing your home for sale. For more professional home staging resources and tips, follow Set Your Stage on Twitter.
 

It’s time to sell your home or condo. You want to stage it to sell. But which one of the multiple Calgary home staging companies should you choose? Here’s my tip. Neighbourhood matters. That’s because buyers in different areas are looking for different things. So choose a home stager who has proven experience successfully staging properties that sold where you are located.
 

I take it as a compliment that Set Your Stage gets hired to stage multiple properties to sell, sometimes even a few houses apart, in what has become our ten top neighbourhoods of expertise. Word of mouth is always a great business builder and I am sincerely grateful.
 

I live in Sunnyside, so it’s a natural fit that I have staged multiple properties here and in Hillhurst next door. I know the area well. I know what buyers want. I know how they want to feel in the space. My clients benefit from that knowledge.
 

The other seven? Connaught, Bridgeland, Collingwood, Tuxedo, Capitol Hill, Bankview, and Cambrian Heights round out the list for Set Your Stage’s ‘zones of expertise’.
 

Understanding how significant an investment a person’s home is, I want my clients to get the most from it. So expertise in a particular neighbourhood helps to ensure that you get the highest return on your investment in staging.
 

As the proud founder of a Calgary home staging company, my job is to help you get your property sold quickly and for top dollar. If you are planning to sell your home or condo in one of these ten neighbourhoods, I welcome the opportunity to contribute to your success and invite you to contact me.
 

Calgary home staging company, Set Your Stage, gets proven results for clients. Read our testimonials, and contact Jennifer Campbell today to schedule your free Home Staging Assessment.
 

Guest Blog thanks to Heather Roberts.

 
Green home building has had a great connection to the environment, balancing out the influence of man with the natural world around us. The building of a home like that requires smart decision-making and planning to ensure you will be independent from the local power grid as well as making sure you have a safe and cost-effective way to live in a healthier home. The following tips will give you more information on how you can make this happen:
 

Using safer materials
This is a very important first step in the process of making your own home, as biodegradable products will be safer for your environment, so you need to do your best to avoid other materials. Dyes, heavy metals, ozone-depleting chemicals and potential carcinogens can not only be dangerous to you, but also to your local biosphere and soil, so you need to keep them out of your new home. This means you will also have a much easier time dealing with house cleaning, kitchen cleaning, floor cleaning, you name it – without the use of hazardous chemicals for your cleaning efforts.
 

Using passive solar designs
When you need to build a brand new home, you can always make use of these millennia old designs that take advantage of natural sunlight to warm up your home. You can also take it a bit further by making sure you use reflective screens to deflect heat to areas that need it, as well as thermal chimneys, window placements, stone floors and skylights.
 

Attic ventilation
If you have a hot climate as the norm around your area, then you will need to deal with the accumulated heat in some form or fashion. The installation of vents on the eaves and ridges of your roof will get the job done. You can also make use of brighter colors to make use of light reflection to keep the heat off your home. Cooler climates can also benefit from such ventilation, since they will prevent the forming of mold due to condensation in unreachable locations. Keeping things well-ventilated is vital to ensuring you have a functioning home with no ill-effects in the long run.
 
Protecting your local site
When you’re done constructing your building, you will need to make sure you do so in harmony with the environment around you. Do whatever you can to protect the landscape and the trees around it, as well as any animals living on your land if you want to enjoy its natural look. You should never bury solvents and paints on your property, as they will enter the local groundwater supply and eventually end up in your own body if you don’t get rid of them the safe way.
 

Irrigation
The best way to deal with irrigation is to ensure you make use of the natural resources around your land. Your landscaping needs to be in tune with the local climate and rainfall patterns, as it will only strive to benefit from it this way. This means no lush green lawns in the middle of arid climates, as they will suck up water you could otherwise use sparingly for the more adapted local plants and still have a good-looking landscape. You need to use materials capable of allowing water to flow, rather than flood your landscape, such as crushed granite or paving blocks instead of concrete and asphalt.
 
If you are looking for building services or you are planning a home refurbishment and decorating you can visit this website.

Home staging lighting can make the difference between a property that feels dark and old or modern and bright. It’s not hard to imagine which one potential buyers prefer. Some simple changes in lighting can make a big difference in how your property is perceived and, as a result, how quickly it will get sold.
 

Pinterest provides me with all sorts of home staging inspiration. I’ve written before about the four types of lighting that should be considered when staging: ambient, task, accent, and decorative.
 

This time I want to show some creative examples of how to make an impact with lighting.
 

Have you ever walked into an average room but noticed AND remembered a beautiful or unique overhead light? That’s the point when staging. You want potential buyers to notice something special and remember it because that’s what will set your property apart from other listings.
 

• For example, in the right property, imagine the impact this vintage mason jar light would create over a kitchen island or a bar in a games room.

 

• And you might not consider it, but a pantry or closet is an excellent place to create impact with lighting. Here’s a DIY track light that is practical and attractive.

 

• What about those old bathroom vanity strip lights? Give them a quick update with a custom shade.

 

Of course, for maximum benefit, you want to ensure that the lighting you choose reflects the potential buyers’ desired lifestyle. It’s one of the many ways that you can benefit from the help of a professional home stager.
 

For more staging inspiration, check out the various boards we have at Set Your Stage on Pinterest.