Colour is one of the most impactful ways to change the feel of a staged property. Freshly painted walls and some new accessories can make the world of difference to how a potential buyer perceives your listing. Confused about how to choose a staging colour combination? Look to nature for inspiration.
 

A staging colour combination that does not make sense can create a jarring feeling for potential buyers as they view your listing. Instead, you want them to feel at ease as they move from room to room. Colour can create that sense of flow.
 

Starting with a piece of art or a throw pillow that represents the feeling that you believe buyers want to have in their new home, you can pull colour combinations together that unify the rooms. And you can also look to nature.

Take this butterfly wing I pinned to the Set Your Stage “Nature” board for example. Warm neutrals cover most of the wing. Then a hint of blue adds a pop to attract your eye. This is the same approach you can use when staging your house or condo.
 

You can see this staging colour combination at play in a staging consultation we provided in Evanston Calgary. The majority of the room is one of the warm neutral colours (like in the butterfly wing). Then there’s a pop of blue in the cushion, accessories, and artwork to add life.
 

This staging colour combination creates a sense of comfort and peacefulness while at the same time feeling vibrant and alive. It does not feel like a boring room that potential buyers will forget about as soon as they move on to view their next listing.
 

If it’s time to sell, look to nature for a staging colour combination that appeals to potential buyers. OR get some help from a professional home stager with experience staging properties in your neighbourhood.

For more inspiration and home staging tips, check out Set Your Stage on Pinterest.
 

A long, narrow room can be a challenge to furnish. When it’s time to sell, the worst thing you can do is leave this as a problem for potential buyers to figure out. That could cost you a quick sale. Instead, stage a long room with the goal to divide and conquer.
 

It’s not a battle. But leaving potential problems in a buyer’s mind can make it feel like one for them. On one hand, they will like aspects of the property. On the other hand, they’ll feel stuck wondering what to do with the long narrow room that they can’t figure out how to furnish in a way that makes the most sense.
 

Don’t be on the losing end of that battle. Instead, stage a long room by visually dividing it into separate functional areas and furnish accordingly.
 

In this post, when I refer to a long room, I’m not talking about an open concept living and dining room situation. What I mean is one long room that is designated to have one purpose but the length makes it hard to determine where the furniture will go. In the real estate listing details, it could be the room referred to as the living or family room, or perhaps the bonus room.
 

With a divide and conquer approach to staging a living room, you could divide it into an area set up for watching TV and another small spot by a window staged as a cozy reading nook.
 

A bonus room could be set up as part hobby area and part office.
 

Choose one larger furniture piece to anchor each functional area and build on each theme with appropriate accessories.
 

When you stage a long room with divide and conquer in mind, you’ll make it easier for potential buyers to quickly decide that your listing meets their needs.
 

Want more of our home staging tips? Stay in touch. Follow Set Your Stage on Twitter.
 

As a Calgary home stager, I write a lot about staging the inside of your property to sell. But the outside matters too. When you stage your yard, you invite buyers to imagine their lifestyle in the entire space, both inside and out. If you already a flower or vegetable garden, make it a feature.
 

Having lived in a Sunnyside condo for years and now moving into a house in Deer Run, Calgary, one of the things I’m super excited about is having a backyard where I can plant a garden. I look forward to eating my own organically grown veggies and creating a nurturing and welcoming space for people and creatures alike, including birds, bees, butterflies, frogs, and dragonflies.
 

That said, I am also a busy professional who doesn’t want to spend all my free time creating and maintaining my outdoor space. I want to enjoy it!
 

Your potential buyer might be in a similar situation.
 

When you stage your yard, it’s important to understand your potential buyer’s ideal lifestyle. Potential buyers may not love the idea of gardening so it’s best to keep everything simple. However, if you’re not planning on selling and want to set-up a raised garden box, check out these flexible design solutions that both looks tidy AND is easy to maintain.

For selling, stage your yard with flexibility, low maintenance, and tidiness in mind. Make it appealing for potential buyers who would love to spend time in their own backyard oasis.
 

For more inspiration and home staging tips, check out Set Your Stage on Pinterest.
 

If pictures speak a thousand words, will your listing photos tell a story of your house for sale being a dream or a drag? Swap out your existing furniture with staging furniture to completely transform the feeling of your rooms. With rental furniture, it’s simple to kick it up a notch to create a memorable first impression that appeals to buyers.
 

Our before and after photos of a home we staged in Springbank Hill Calgary make it easy to see the impact of renting staging furniture when it’s time to sell.
 

Especially in the main rooms of the house, you want to stage to appeal to what the potential buyers would like, not what you do.
 

So in a living room where buyers would use the space to entertain guests, it’s important to present a more upscale look that they can feel proud of. Quite often, the furniture that we live with (whether we still have hand me down pieces or ones that suit our personal style and preferences) is not ideal. That’s where staging furniture can really add a wow factor.
 

In our Springbank Hill example, we moved the owners’ existing large dark furniture downstairs into the man cave/media room where a more casual and cozy atmosphere made more sense. To replace it and create a more formal feel in the living room, rented staging furniture, art, and accessories add a designer touch.
 

Which version of the room, before or after staging, do you think would appeal most to potential buyers and be memorable?
 

After staging several rooms in this home with rented staging furniture that was selected and arranged to create impact, this staged home sold fast. It paid to kick it up a notch.
 

For more examples of the power and impact of staging, take a look at 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. Let our experienced team stage YOUR home with staging furniture and accessories that will appeal to potential buyers in your Calgary neighbourhood!