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Archive for the 'Home Staging FAQ' Category

Realtors and Home Stagers: What’s the Connection?

February 22, 2014 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

Realtors and Home Stagers can join forces to offer home owners a powerful service. Together, they work to market and sell your property as quickly as possible and at the highest price. The more successful the relationship, the better the results can be for you. In the end, that means more money in your pockets.

In some cases, the home owner will hire (and pay) the home stager directly. In other cases, the realtor will hire the stager as part of the service they offer to the seller. If you’re selling your home, every dollar counts. So working with a realtor who includes the home staging consultation in their real estate commission is an obvious benefit to you.

How do you find the right realtor and home stager team? Well, you could start approaching realtors and ask them if they include home staging in their services.

Before: Master bedroom before home staging.

Another option is that I will refer clients to Calgary realtors who hire stagers. Several realtors hire me to consult with their clients about how to stage their property to appeal to buyers. After chatting with you, I would refer a realtor based on where you’re located, the demographics of your potential buyer (you want a realtor who has success with that target group), and someone who I think you would like to work with.

After: This simple, yet stylish bedroom is the perfect retreat for any homeowner.

Sometimes it’s nice to go with what’s easy. Realtors and Home Stagers make a perfect team. Whether you’re already working with a realtor in Calgary and want to add a home stager to the marketing team, or whether you want a referral for a great realtor who works with stagers, contact Jen at Set Your Stage.

I’m more than happy to help. Showcasing stunning listings that appeal to buyers is what I love to do.

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How Much Does Vacant Condo Staging Cost in Calgary?

September 30, 2013 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

Before: Calgary living room before home staging.

The cost of professional home staging in Calgary is a common topic of interest. My answer? It depends. In terms of vacant condo staging, the costs can quickly add up. But because potential buyers don’t respond as positively to an empty space, your investment in staging to highlight its features is well worth it.

After: This cozy open concept living & dining room is the perfect space for entertaining or relaxing.

Here’s an example of a vacant condo that I staged in Calgary. To give this main living space a wow factor, it needed furniture, accessories, artwork, and lighting. Just the inventory alone in this open concept living room added up to $2,256 (if you were going to purchase the stock yourself). Then add the time for shopping and staging (approximately five hours – how much is your hourly rate?). Plus there are fees for delivery and removal (anywhere from $75-150/hour).

So, depending on the size of your condo, you can see how a $5,000 budget for staging would go quite quickly if you decided to purchase everything and stage it on your own. Luckily, when you hire a professional home stager, is it much less because the inventory rentals are a fraction of the actual costs. You also save yourself the time and stress (of will this look good?). The home staging investment for this room was less than $650.

After: This cozy open concept living & dining room is the
perfect space for entertaining or relaxing.

Staging a vacant condo is an investment. I’ve written about it before in the blog posts, Does Home Staging Really Work? and Staging Cost is an Investment. In a sense, it’s about spending money to make money. The return on your investment makes staging a low risk expense. Find more about Set Your Stage’s vacant condo staging service here.

Did you know that only 61% of listed homes in Calgary sold in 2012? Set Your Stage properties sold over two times faster on average than the homes that did sell in the same areas. To find out how your property could benefit from vacant condo staging, contact Jen today for your personalized Home Staging Assessment.

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How Long Should My Furniture Rental Be For Staging?

September 18, 2013 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

Before: Calgary Living Room Before Home Staging.

When staging a vacant property, adding rental furniture to give potential buyers a good feel for the space is important. Most of my clients agree. Yet they still have questions about how long the furniture rental agreement should be. I recommend 30 days. Here’s why.

It’s in your best interest.

I hear a lot of “what if” type questions:

“What if the property sells quickly?”
“What if I just rent furniture for one day to stage the property for the photographs that will go online?
“What if I just stage for the open house?”

I understand when people share their concerns about the cost of staging furniture rentals. After all, it is an investment. Yes, your property may sell very quickly. Yes, online photos and open houses help to get potential buyers in the door. But what happens after that?

What if the buyer didn’t see the photos online before they viewed the property?
What if, after viewing multiple properties, a potential buyer wants to come back for a second viewing?
What if your property doesn’t sell as quickly as you hoped? Or a deal falls apart because of buyer’s financing?

After: This space is now a great place to entertain company.

Every time a potential buyer comes into your house (whether first, second, or third viewings) it is in your best interest to present the property in a way that highlights its best features and helps the buyer feel at home in the space. Empty spaces feel cold, plus buyers can have a hard time understanding how much furniture actually fits.

Imagine walking into this loft space if it was empty? Many people would have a hard time knowing what to do with it. As a seller, emptiness creates a missed opportunity to sell your property quickly and for top dollar.

It’s also very costly if your property doesn’t sell as quickly as you wanted and you end up having to reduce the price plus pay to set up rental furniture again for a second round of marketing.

So 30 day staging furniture rentals allow you to cover the bases in terms of possible scenarios. It can save you money in the end.

Set Your Stage properties sold over two times faster on average than the homes in the same areas! Are you curious how your property – and wallet – can benefit from professional home staging? If so, please contact Jen directly at SetYourStage.com! You can also follow me on Twitter @setyourstage!

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How to Stage a Vacant House to Sell

August 31, 2013 (posted by Jennifer Campbell, Home Staging Calgary)

Before: Living room before home staging.

If you have a vacant property that you plan to sell, one of the most important things you can do to increase your chances of selling quickly at the best price is to stage it. A vacant property needs to be staged to feel welcoming. Here are five steps on how to stage a vacant house to sell.

Step 1: Get Quote

Get a free assessment followed by a detailed quote from a certified home stager so you know your full costs before you move forward.

Step 2: Do Consult

A consultation with a professional home stager provides step by step details for how to stage each room. This includes necessary furniture and accessories, small touch ups, and special staging tips.

Step 3: Turn Recommendations into Reality

Allow time to follow through on all the recommendations from the consultation. Make sure to do your heavy duty clean.

Step 4: Order and Shop

Select rental furniture and arrange delivery. Shop for accessories/artwork/bedding etc.

Step 5: Set Up

On the delivery date, set up furniture, add accessories, add and steam bedding and other linens, and set up artwork and accessories. Do your final clean so everything sparkles. Take photos.

See the difference professional home staging makes?

After: This open concept space is perfect for entertaining or relaxing.

As you can tell, staging a vacant property takes a lot of time, organization and effort. A professional stager can help with as much or as little as you need in the staging process. Read about Set Your Stage’s different staging services here.

Did you know that Set Your Stage properties sold over two times faster on average than the homes in the same areas? Are you curious how your vacant property – and wallet – can benefit from professional home staging? If so, let’s talk. Contact Jen at SetYourStage.com to arrange your free assessment today! You can also follow me on Twitter @setyourstage!

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Archive for the 'Home Staging FAQ' Category

Realtors and Home Stagers: What’s the Connection?

How Much Does Vacant Condo Staging Cost in Calgary?

How Long Should My Furniture Rental Be For Staging?

How to Stage a Vacant House to Sell

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