We staged this NEW home in Desirable Capitol Hill. This tastefully designed bungalow has rich stained maple cabinetry, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood flooring and luxurious carpet. The vaulted ceiling features a skylight to let lots of natural light in.
 
For more information on this beautiful development that also has a walk up basement, contact Deirdre Halferty Royal LePage Foothills 403-249-4322 http://www.dhalferty.com/.

Selling vacant homes can be frustrating. I recently staged a brand new vacant property in Marda Loop. The place had been sitting on the market for too long. The owner finally decided to get help from a Calgary home stager and with expertise and a little TLC the house sold less than two weeks later.
 

Before: Living room before home staging. Why? It’s basic psychology. Empty spaces feel cold and seem smaller than they actually are. Buyers can’t envision the space filled with furniture and accessories, so a vacant house looks and feels lifeless. And that’s a bit creepy. You can’t expect to sell when that tone is set.

Drawing out selling time is exhausting and frustrating. Taxes, mortgage and utility bills pile up. If and when a potential buyer makes an offer, it is traditionally much lower than the original asking price.

A home stager will select the most suitable furniture and décor from their own inventory then move it in. We know how to set up the entire home in the most psychologically effective way and highlight its best features. The end result, once you’ve set your stage is a warm, inviting home that will lovingly whisper, “Life is good here. Buy me…”

Completely renovated LOFT style condo we staged right on 17th Avenue. Views of the Bow and Calgary Tower with a walkscore of 97! For more details, contact Chantal Elliott or Paul Mangat at Century 21 Bravo 403-250-2882

Want to save money and stage your home like a pro? Let your creative juices flow. Consider using your existing items in new ways – and in different rooms.
 
When you are preparing to stage your home for sale, walk around your rooms with an objective eye. Look for gaps – or problem areas – that need to be addressed. Then, see what you can find in other rooms that can be re-used (or re-purposed) to help solve the problem.
 
Here’s an example of a staging job we worked on in Calgary. We wanted to keep the costs to the seller low.
 

Bedroom before staging. When we walked through the house, we realized that the master bedroom was in need of some help. We wanted to create a restful feeling adult space for the potential buyer. And it felt more like a dorm room. As you can see in the photo, the bed didn’t sell the feeling I wanted to create.

Before: Bedroom before home staging. As we walked around the rest of the house, I saw a black ottoman and extra throw pillows in the living room that really weren’t working there. The ottoman was cutting off the traffic flow and making the room feel smaller. The extra pillows made the space feel cluttered.

I could have recommended that the homeowner put these items in storage. Instead, we used them in the master bedroom to address the challenge with the bed. It allowed us to effectively hide the bed frame (which felt like it was meant for a student) and create a spot that the potential buyer could envision using.

After: The ottoman, artwork and throw pillows were borrowed from other rooms. This bedroom now feels very relaxing. A touch of black in any room works to ground the space. Plus, the ottoman helped the new bedspread cover the footboard of the bed. Imagine how a potential buyer could use the ottoman – to sit, to place clothing, or maybe for their pet’s bed! The point is, after the staging, it is easier to imagine wanting to spend time in that room.

So get your creative juices flowing and save money by reusing existing items. Stage your rooms like a pro.