As the owner of a home staging company in Calgary, I’m in the business of getting your property sold. The process of staging, buying and selling properties includes a lot of moving. So over the years I’ve learned a thing or two about finding good movers. Here are some helpful tips.
 
I know how it feels to deal with movers who aren’t very professional. Part of my home staging services include furniture rental for vacant properties. And since I stock my own staging furniture, I have to get it moved to and from the homes and condos that I stage. Over the years, I’ve certainly had some negative experiences with moving companies.
 
There’s no shortage of bad news stories on the topic. This scratched floor story is just one of many. At the same time, I’ve been fortunate to find extremely reliable movers who I have come to rely on for my home staging business.
 
Here’s some of what I’ve learned:

• Get it in writing, read the details and ask questions to clarify when necessary
• Know the basics – insurance, truck size, hourly rate, availability and cancellation policy
• Clarify whether there are extra charges (and if so, how much) for climbing stairs, fuel, and travel time (even on short moves)
• Confirm how many people will be physically there working on your move
• Know whether workers are covered by Workers Compensation in case of an injury on site
• Understand who is responsible for packing
• Know your payment options – confirm that they accept credit cards
• Check the company’s standing with the Calgary Better Business Bureau

 
As helpful as referrals are from people you trust, it’s always important to do your due diligence to determine a company’s track record before you hire a mover (or any service for that matter). As the Canadian Association of Movers (CAM) states, “Even bad movers have good moves.”
 
CAM provides helpful information on their website including a search for member moving companies in good standing in your area as well as information about consumer alerts. Include them in your research.
 
Getting ready to sell and thinking about adding a home staging company in Calgary to your real estate team? Contact Jen at Set Your Stage for a free personalized Home Staging Assessment today.

The purpose of staging is to make a house appealing to buyers. This can be achieved by arranging spaces that create the feeling they want to experience in the home. I recently re-tweeted the article Millennials vs. Baby Boomers: What Do They Want?, which inspired today’s post.
 

In it, the author suggests that baby boomers are seeking a home that is the picture of their success and offers a private retreat that feels vacation-like. Well, I recently staged a property that definitely ticks those boxes!
 

I wish you could have experienced this Bearspaw property the way we did when we staged it. Surrounded by forest and a huge pond, the property oozed relaxation amongst nature’s sounds and smells. It was so charming!
 

Plus it has a second guest house! Potential buyers can just imagine all the kids, grandkids, and guests staying there so their space can remain quiet at the end of the day.
 

But you don’t have to have this type of property to stage your rooms for relaxation. Here are some tips to make your house appealing to buyers who want a relaxed feel:
 

• Make the most of bonus areas: This bonus space was awkward for buyers to imagine what to do here. So we staged it as a relaxing reading room. If you don’t have a room, create a cozy nook.

 

• Choose quiet colours from nature: Think blues, greens, grays, browns – the colours that you naturally find in the sky, forests, or around water. Just like in nature, using these colours consistently through your space can help to create a calm feeling.
   
• Streamline: I’ve said it before, but clutter creates a feeling of chaos. So de-clutter your spaces and choose clean, simple lines in rental furniture to stage your home for relaxation.

 
People work hard and want to come home to relax. Whether it’s for a young family needing some ‘adult’ time, or boomers seeking a private retreat, make your house appealing to buyers by staging at least one space as a relaxation zone.
 

Don’t miss out on more home staging tips. Follow Set Your Stage on Twitter @setyourstage.
 

Would you leave your home with the dining table set? Most of us would answer no. That’s why Set Your Stage no longer adds full place settings to dining table staging.
 

Instead, we go for a more natural look.
 

Take this gorgeous 2 bedroom, 3 bathroom property, that we staged in Hillhurst recently. It sold so fast, I didn’t even get the photos for my website. As you can tell in the photo, we staged the dining area for simple elegance.
 

Otherwise, they might be distracted from the feature of the room. You don’t want to miss any opportunity to make the most impact with every space.
 

The gorgeous lighting and the open space to the living room with a view of the fireplace and landscaped yard provide the main wow factors in the room. Staging furniture is both elegant and comfortable, perfect for lounging over a meal and conversation in this stunning space.
 

It’s important to stay current to ensure that staging is meeting the changing needs of both sellers and potential buyers. That’s why I re-took my staging class recently. I do the work so you don’t have to.
 

When you’re preparing your property for sale, don’t leave it to a guessing game. Trust a professional stager to help your property stand out from the competition.
 

Contact me, Jen at Set Your Stage, to find out how my staging expertise can benefit you. Schedule your free personalized Home Staging Assessment today.
 

Furniture staging rentals allow a potential buyer to get a sense of how a property will feel to live in. That’s why it’s so important when selling a vacant property. Walking into an empty room, most people cannot imagine how furniture will fit or how big the space actually is. Stage it and make the buyer’s job easy.
 

That’s what happened with a home I staged recently in the Hillhurst neighbourhood of Calgary. The home was vacant and my clients chose to hire Set Your Stage for a full furniture staging rentals package. They understood the benefits:
 

• Desired Lifestyle – Staging a property for a potential buyer’s lifestyle can help them choose your property over a similar property that just doesn’t “feel” as right to them.

 

• Room Function – An empty space can leave potential buyers puzzled. Don’t give them the opportunity to hesitate, wondering, “What could this space be used for?”

 

• Size Matters – Without furniture in a space, it’s hard for people to tell whether their furniture will fit. Most buyers won’t walk around with a measuring tape. Showing your listing with furniture allows them to see, “Ok, that’s a king size bed so ours will definitely fit with extra room to move around.”

By adding rented staging furniture to an empty property, you help potential buyers check off all their wish list boxes. And maybe more! It worked for my Hillhurst clients. Here’s what their realtor shared in a comment on the Set Your Stage facebook page:
 

“Smart Calgary Homes – Thanks for your great staging job! We are conditionally sold after 4 days on the market! I am sure that your staging had something to do with that. You created a bright and modern decor and we had great feedback during our open houses.”
 

Enough said. Furniture staging rentals are an upfront investment. However, as this Set Your Stage client found, it can be well worth it.
 

Want to see more examples of Set Your Stage before and after staging? Check out our Facebook page and click on that LIKE button to receive updates as we post them.