Why You Should Consider Home Staging

If your goal is to sell your home this year, then you should consider Home Staging.  Why?  The answer to this question is what I repeat to every new client I meet.  The short answer is that Home Staging enhances the appeal to prospective buyers so that your house will sell quickly and for top dollar.  To me these are two very compelling reasons to consider Home Staging as most of you who have had a home for sale recognize the disruption and artiifcial way of living in a home that has to be always ready to show and also who wouldn't want to get the most equity from your home.  Yet, I am still amazed by some who aren't willing to invest a little more in likely their most expensive purchase.  A three hour consultation with written reccomendations and showing tips costing on average $200.00 to $250.00 will oft times bring homeowners a ROI of over 500% (According to the HomeGain 2009 Survey).  Not too shabby eh!  If the homeowner then chooses to have their home show-cased as well, again the ROI is well worth the effort and financial investment.  Home Staging is a profession that can objectively, using their "Buyers Eye", create an ambiance and appeal geared to a targeted market of prospective buyers.  Homeowners, often on their own cannot step back to de-personalize their home in the same way.  They are much to attached to the way things are and not how they should be. 
So if your goal is to sell your home in 2010, then give me a call so we can chat more about how you can benefit fom Home Staging.  I know you will be glad you did.  I can be reached at 613-894-4155.

Best Wishes for 2010

I hope that 2009 was a successful year for you.  I am hoping that for 2010 you will find your house in order no matter how humble. 
If you are planning to move - or not - call HomeReady Home Staging to help you find the  appealing presentation that will get you the selling results you are looking for! 
Living in your home? Let HomeReady help you find your WOW!

Grandma's Attic needs your treasures

"Grandma's Attic" is the perfect opportunity this season for you to make a little more room in your home (especially if you are thinking about moving in the new year) and to contribute to a healthier and stronger community.  Family Services a la famille Ottawa is requesting donated items that they can use to raise money for their programs. 

Family Services a  la famille Ottawa (FSFO) is a registered charity which has been serving the Ottawa community for over 95 years.  Since 1914 they have helped over 480,000 families, couples and individuals to deal with challenges and issues, assisting them to live healthier lives.

They have embarked on a unique fundraising project called "Grandmas's Attic".  Donations of collectibles and vintage items such as jewelry, electronics, cameras, toys, sports cards and old vinyl records and other memorbilia are just some examples of what would be greatly appreciated.  Tax receipts will be issued for items with an estimated value of over $100 or more at the time of the donation. 

Whether providing family counselling, facilitating a group on postpartum depression or assisting an individual to rebuild their self esteem after a violent relationship, FSFO is dedicated to the health and well-being of our community.  They hope to use your donated "treasures" to help raise money for their many programs and services.  Whether spring-cleaning, de-cluttering or downsizing, this is a perfect opportunity to make a little more room in your home and to contrubte to a healthier and stronger community.  For more information visit http://www.familyservicesottawa.org/  or http://www.grandmasattic.org/ or call 613-725-3601.

Let's show Ottawa that you care this Season of giving by letting go of some of your old "treasures".

What do you mean - declutter?

Declutter must be one of our most used words in home decor and home staging these days.  Its a term that we quite liberally throw around to indicate things out of order, too many things, and too many small things that distract ones view of what we are supposed to be looking at and paying attention to.  For prospective home buyers, the seller wants the features of the home to be seen so that buyer might envision themselves living in the space without all your "things" i.e. clutter.  Seeing only this. . .

really just confuses the prospective buyer - too many things out of order - what is the purpose and function of this room?  So any smart home stager would suggest - declutter.  OK eliminating or editing non essential items that will need to be packed away or given away anyway is the PC way of saying get rid of anything not being used in the next month or so and anything smaller than a softball and looking at what the prospective buyer might be seeing the purpose of this space so that voila. . .

  It"s a master bedroom!  No confusion here now.

By the way, the top picture above is a work in progress.  I have the promise of an 8 year old that his "clutter" will not be there when I return in a few months!

Furnishing a Condo

Furnishing this condo has been an exciting project over the past few months.  The client had decided that everything would be new when he moved in, but that he didn't really like to shop or know where to go and so on.  He had a list of requirements and some preferences, but the bulk of decisions were left up to me based on his budget.  Really this was a dream job for a Stager taking a blank canvas and turning it into a warm, inviting living space.  The following pictures show you the transformation.  Over time, as the budget allows, the client intends to purchase art work to "jazz" up the walls a bit more. 

 This is the main living space before and after being furnished.

The kitchen now has this wonderful glass-top pedestal table and these sexy white leather chairs that are really very comfortable and can be used as occassional seating in the living room or as a desk chair in the the den.

Another view of the kitchen before and after looking out from the den.

The Den was just a little cave-like before, but now is a relaxing place to read or work on the computer.

Bedrooms in new condos seem to be very small.  I was able to fit in a double bed only as otherwise there would not be any room to get to the closet.  The result is a cozy and comfortable sleeping area.

The final view is looking into the condo unit from its the front foyer.

Furnishings were mostly custom order and were purchased at Distinctively Fine Furnishings, Palanco, Blueprint, Ashley Furniture and Sears Home Store. 

The client is quite happy with his new space!

Orleans Chamber of Commerce Nominee - 2009 Awards

Although I was not the winner or one of the three finalists in the "New Business of the Year" category of the Orleans Chamber of Commerce People's Choice Business Awards 2009 held this past week in the beautiful, new Shenkman Arts Centre, I still feel it an honour to be nominated and want to thank all of you who voted for me.  I have met so many wonderful people in this my first year in the business world.  My learning curve is still steep, but I love every minute of it! 
I have lots of exciting new activities planned for 2010 and will continue to give my clients the best in Home Staging services.  Moving - or not - give me a call.  My new tag line is:
                       NOW is the time to create the WOW
                          Let HomeReady show you HOW

RESA Rookie Stager Nominee - 2010

I'm very proud of my Home Staging achievements this first year in the business.  Someone else thought so too!  Thank you to all of you who have shown their support to me and have encouraged me to keep going and keep developing my craft.  I'm looking forward to this upcoming year with some exciting new developments.  Stay tuned! 

In January I'm off to Las Vegas to the RESA Convention.  It looks like a very jammed packed three days of speakers, workshops and many top-notch Stagers to meet.  I am very thrilled to be going and will be bringing home lots of new insights and perspectives that will add real value to Home Staging in the Ottawa area.

Watch out next year.  I'm looking for a nomination again!

Laundry/Powder Room Facelift

So here are the BEFORE pics of my re-design project.  Rather scary isn't it?  Needs some re-organization (you think?). 

A space like this would get a real thumbs down with my home staging clients so I though I should put my "money where my mouth is". 

Tomorrow the new high efficency machines arrive and then re-construction begins at the end of the month.  To be included are a new laundry tub, toilet and vanity and sink with custom cabinets. 

Tego Bathrooms are at the helm of this project.  So stay tuned!

Makeshift storage gone really bad!

HomeGain 2009 Top 12 Home Improvements Survey Results

Once again HomeGain 2009 has reported in their Real Estate blog, the top 12 relatively low cost DIY home improvements for homeowners getting ready to sell their home.  Nearly 1000 Realtors(R) participated in the survey.  Home Staging is listed as second on the list with an average cost between $300 to $400 with an overwhelming ROI of 586%.  Cleaning and de-cluttering ranked first with a ROI of around 872% on an $100 to $200 investment.  The rest of the list actually could well be included under the umbrella of Home Staging too.  This would make the actual cost of Home Staging more inline with real costs today.  Still a bargain looking at all the ROI. figures.  What homeowners gain when it comes to selling their home is increased value in equity and most often a shorter time on the Real Estate market.  With house presentation appealing to many prospective buyers, it sure beats a home langishing for months on the market and perhaps having to undergo a price drop. 
The other home improvements that HomeGain lists in order down from Home Staging are:

• Lightening and Brightening
• Landscaping
• Repair Plumbing
• Update Electrical
• Replacing or Shampooing Carpets
• Painting Interior Walls
• Repair Damaged Floors
• Update Kitchen
• Paint Outside of House
• Update Bathroom

Not a DIYer; not to worry as HomeReady Home Staging will refer you to those trades who will be able to carry out any of these home improvements.   For further reading and definitions of the Home Improvement categories, check out the HomeGain blog at http://blog.homegain.com/home-improvement/homegain-2009-top-12-home-improvement-survey-results/  .  Then contact HomeReady Home Staging to set up a consultation appointment to look at what your home specifically needs before you sell.  You'll be glad you did!

Selling in the new year?

If you are thinking about selling your home in the new year, then NOW is the time to start planning.  Contacting a Professional Home Stager should be first on your list.  Consultation with a Professional Home Stager will provide you with reccomendations and suggestions for repairs or upgrades that will increase the equity in your home.  Your home will be directly competing with every other home on the market and it is a known fact that "Staged" homes present better than unstaged homes.  Having your home presented in the best possible light will create a positive and outstanding first impression that will help you sell your home faster and for the most money.  As a homeowner, you have control over this. 
As a Professional Home Stager, I can help you with as much or as little of the work you may need to get your home ready for sale including:

• consultation
• referral to trade services
• project management
• organizing and packing
• shopping for accessories
• rental of furnishings
• showcasing of rooms in your home
• Open House preparation

Then when your home is ready, I can refer you to a Realtor who knows the market, will appropriately appraise your home and market it to get your home sold so you can move on to wherever you are going.

Decorating for the Holidays

Now that Halloween's witches and gobblins have come and gone, our attention seems to turn to the next celebration time of the year - Christmas.  Decorating one's home for the season can be tricky especially if trying to sell.  Too many Holiday lights, nickknacks and overloaded Christmas trees only serve to distract prospective buyers from really seeing your home and what it has to offer.  Overly cluttered with Christmas decor does not sell houses any more that other types of clutter.  Here are some suggestions:

• Keep outside lights simple and white.  Remember that we live in a diverse culture and Snowmen, Santa Clauses and Nativity Scenes, although fun and/or symbolic of the season, may be too distracting.
• Inside, less is more.  For this one year only that your home is for sale, display only a few choice decorations that do not conflict with the the salient selling features of the home.
• If you have a Christmas tree, keep it smaller than usual and simply decorated.  Again, minature white lights work best with tasteful decorations. 
• Remember that this is the Holiday Season and a time the family is usually quite excited.  However, never lose sight of the fact that prospective buyers may want to come and view your home today or tomorrow.  Engage all family members in keeping up with a "staged" presentation of your home that highlights an appealing lifestyle image.  This cannot be a time to slack off or you may still find yourself with your home still on the market in the new year.

If you follow these few suggestions, your home may sell quickly leaving you and your family lots of time to fully enjoy the Holiday Season according to your family's special traditions.

Living in Your Staged Home

Living in your staged home and keeping it this way is one on the biggest concerns I get from clients who just see “inconvenience”. Yes, the way you live in your home normally and the way you live in your “staged” home when it is on the Real Estate market is different. But as I remind clients, “short term pain for long term gain”. It is important to acknowledge and remind all who live in your home that this is just a temporary situation. You’ve come this far with Refreshing, Reducing and Rearranging – why negate it all now?


Your family needs a plan. What is it that everyone needs on a daily basis? Devise a strategy for quickly storing these things is a handy place. Plastic bins or buckets work well and so do duffle bags or suitcases that can be packed with toys, sports equipment, books, newspapers etc and stored in a closet, cupboard or even under a bed! Engage even the younger members of a family to get into the action when the Realtor® calls. If you make a game out of this last minute hustle, children often think it fun and cooperate well.

Staying organized is the key. Before leaving the house in the morning, everything needs to be in its place. Ensure that all beds are made (yes including all those fluffy pillows) and that clothes are put away in their places. If you have packed away lots of stuff there really shouldn’t be much that needs straightening up all the time. Onto the bathrooms; another area that needs daily attention. Little containers to put personal items into from the counter and tub/shower and stored under the sink will keep the room clutter-free. A daily wipe of the sink, and tub/shower with a micro cloth will keep things sparkling. “Swifter” all non-carpeted surfaces (great job for kids to do. Have several; one for each child to do a room. Small investment for quick work).

The kitchen is another major area that needs to be well maintained. Dishes done and put away or into the dishwasher if you have one before leaving in the morning. Counters, sink and tables cleared and wiped clean. Chairs arranged neatly around the table. Not an insurmountable task if you keep at it.

As for you feline or canine family member, they might want to take a vacation with a friend or relative for a short while as having “strangers” come through their territory may be quite upsetting for them. If this is not a possibility then try to make sure they are restrained or confined to an area of your home during the day when buyer visits are possible and you are not available to take them with you when having a showing. Litter boxes, food dishes and animal toys again should be stored in a less than obvious location. Make sure that someone in your household is also on “doo-doo” detail as well (for the obvious reasons I think!).

Once a week, focus more intently on cleaning your home. This might be the time to hire cleaning help. Just make sure they know how to keep that “staged” look original as planned.

And before you know it, you will have an offer to buy your home and then it will be sold! All that effort that went into keeping your home looking fresh and “staged” will have been well worth it and, hey, it wasn’t so bad after all was it?

Juke Box Mania

This is a charity event that is near and dear to my heart.  I volunteer every year so if you are going, I'll see you there!!


Juke Box Mania 2009
                                                                             
Friday October 23rd

St. Anthony’s Soccer Club



About the Event

Juke Box Mania is a really great opportunity to become a part of a special community event. This event is fresh, creative and a lot of fun—it’s not black tie, you don't have to run, walk or cycle.

Juke Box Mania is best described as a kind of “Name that Tune” game that challenges players to name musical artists, movies jingles, television shows and various songs from every musical genre in a fun, relaxed and party-like atmosphere.

Players enter this event as a team and pay a registration fee. Players listen to sound clips in a specified musical category and then scramble to fill out an answer sheet to be submitted to the judges, At the end of the game, one “band” goes home with bragging rights, some nifty gifts and the Garcia Award!

JBM has sold out six years straight. This year we strongly anticipate over 550 people to attend. We have already had many requests for tables and the event is months away.

JBM is a great event for workplaces and businesses for staff team building and customer appreciation.

About the Charity

Family Services à la Famille Ottawa is a community agency, grounded in a history of responding to the needs of people in our community. We work with individuals, communities and families in all their forms who are currently in distress or at risk. Whether providing family counseling; a group on postpartum depression or assisting an individual to rebuild their self esteem after a violent relationship, FSFO is dedicated to the health and well-being of our community.

Contact

For further information on sponsorship opportunities, to donate to the silent auction and/or information about the event please contact Stephanie Piovesan at (613)725-3601, ext. 113 or visit www.jukeboxmania.org.

Sometimes too much of a good thing is no good at all!!

The one thing about Home Staging that some seem to hone in on is the de-personalization of a space.  This is good - usually.  However, in my experience, some do go too far.  The space becomes bland, boring and has no personality. 

A professional Home Stager knows how to take a space like this and inject some pizazz that will create an image that says "WOW"!

                 Here, Trixie gives the thumbs (paws) up for the re-design!

Smart and Timely Home Repairs

From www.SearsAdvantage.ca
Smart and timely home repairs.


Lifestyle editor Ingrie Williams shares a few ideas for around-the-house upgrades this fall.



A full-fledged reno may not be within your budget, but now’s a good time to consider a few smaller projects. Here are four affordable fixes that will add value to your home and put money in your pocket.



1. Reface kitchen cabinets.

Look for: clean lines and eye-catching finishes, like brushed nickel hardware. If you want to cook up a new kitchen, tearing out the old one and starting from scratch isn’t your only option. You can also keep your existing cabinets and simply replace cabinet doors and drawer fronts, to effectively transform the look of your space.



2. Interior and exterior painting.

Look for: modern neutral colours that will refresh any surface, whether it’s dingy hallway walls or the sun-baked roof of a shed. A stellar paint job is as much about colour as it is about care. A precise application is a must, so consider hiring professionals if you’re not up to doing it yourself. If wallpaper removal is required, their expertise can be a huge help.



3. A tankless water heater.

Look for: an incredibly compact (think carry-on-luggage size) Energy Star -qualified model that will provide hot water only as needed. By shutting down when the taps are turned off, energy use is reduced—along with your hydro bill.



4. Replace entry doors.

Look for: steel doors, in classic, unembellished styles that complement the look of your home, adding to its value. They’ll also keep wind and rain out, protect against heat loss—and some newer models are warp-resistant.



Tip: Need another incentive? If you buy the goods and complete the work before Feb. 1, 2010, you could get a personal tax break. It’s called the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Spend anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000 on home improvements, and you could qualify for a 15-percent non-refundable tax credit of up to $1,350.





For a complete list of installed interior and exterior renovation products and services, visit Sears HomeCentral online or call 1-800-4MY-HOME.

The Three "R"s of Home Staging: Refreshing, Reducing and Rearranging

When selling your house you need to think about more than just tidying up and straightening out a few things if you want to sell your home quickly and get the most money from the sale. Hiring a Professional Home Stager to guide you through the process of “house sale preparation” is your best bet. Why? Because Home Stagers know what it is that will sell your home best, looking through the “buyer’s eye”. A Professional Home Stager, employing the Three “R”s of Home Staging: Refreshing, Reducing and Rearranging, will ensure that your house is “sale ready”.

Refreshing your house takes into consideration the total condition of your house. All the little repairs that you’ve been meaning to do for awhile, like repairing the dripping bathroom faucet or replacing the trim around the windows in the guest bedroom now need to be done. A Professional Home Stager will be able to tell you what repairs, or upgrades should be completed in order for your home to look renewed, refreshed and up-to-date and thus competitive in today’s real estate market. The most common upgrades include painting, replacing or shampooing carpeting and replacing/updating lighting. According to the 2007 HomeGain Survey, the ROI of these relatively easy upgrades yield between 150% to 355%.

Now that your home is refreshed from top to bottom and front to back, you need to look at all the things in your house that you have collected or acquired. Thinking about moving is a great time to seriously consider “reducing” stuff around. Do you need or want all the back issues of National Geographic from the past 15 years or the straggly plants on the living room window ledge? Cleaning out the closets and clearing off the bookshelves are soul-cleansing activities that may have far reaching consequences for your well-being as well as giving your house room to breathe. A Professional Home Stager will also tell you that “clearing the clutter” means that prospective buyers can actually see the “bones” of your house and not be distracted by all the “stuff”. Clear and simple!

The grand finale is part of the magic that comes with Professional Home Staging. This is the positioning or re-arranging of your furnishings and accessories in your house to create a lifestyle image that speaks to the prospective buyer, “Buy me!”. A Professional Home Stager knows how to highlight focal points in your house, be they a fireplace, a dramatic window or decorative mouldings. The positioning of furniture creates a flow throughout your house that leads the prospective buyer around noticing all that your house has to offer and encourages them to imagine themselves living in your house. Well placed accessories including artwork, lend to the ambiance that you want to create.

So if you follow the three “R”s of Home Staging, your house will be guaranteed to look it’s best for that special time when you decide to move on and let your house belong to someone else.

Selling your house in the fall - Curb Appeal

The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler. Your house is for sale or you are planning to put it on the market now. With the trend in this area, you likely will not have difficulty selling if your house if it is well presented and well priced. Still, there are necessary tasks to complete to keep up appearances as the seasons change when it comes to the outside look.

Take a good look at your garden. At this time of year, annuals start to look "tired" and often past their prime. Think of replacing them with icicle pansies that are somewhat frost resistant. These flowers are bright and fresh looking. Seasonal Mums as well will brighten up a drab looking garden. Perennials may need "dead-heading" and cutting back if you haven't been keeping up with them. Also, now is the time to do some light pruning of shrubs and bushes to tidy up overgrowth. Freshen up any outdoor planters too. These few suggestions will go a long way to inviting prospective buyers to view your house.

But don't forget about the lawn areas either. Keep your lawn well cut and manicured until it stops growing. A lush, weed-free lawn suggests a caring attitude that is very important when selling your house. This is definitely a message that you want to convey to prospective buyers. As the leaves start to fall, keep up with the raking (even if this is a seemingly thankless and endless task). Again, this will suggest a well cared for house.

Pay attention to the house itself as well. After a summer in the sun, is there any peeling paint on the trim, does the front door need repainting? Now may be the time to give your front door a new coat of paint - try a bold colour that is eye-catching to lead the eye up to the entrance! Also, don't forget about windows - after the summer season they need cleaning to sparkle and let in the Autumn light. If you follow all these few suggestions, then your home will have that curb appeal that says "Come on in to see what else this home has to offer". If not, you may miss your chance for a quick sale at your price.

And the Bride wore. . .

WE worked like "crazy" setting up the venue in the cloudy drizzle, with multi-coloured table cloths and vases of seasonal annuals. Place cards were carefully selected rocks painted with everyone's name. Friends of the bride and groom manned the kitchen area with all the amazing variety of "pot-luck" offerings.

The sun shone at the appointed hour and the wedding was so wonderful with the couple conducting the whole ceremony themselves (an officiate was present for the signing of the registrar). As you can see, the bride wore a stunning dress with a beaded red bustier and a full beaded tulle skirt. It came from a designer in Greece where the bride's family is from. So very elegant, but take alook at the footwear. Yes, sometimes comfort takes precedent!!

Staging the wedding

WE are about to have our first family wedding and couldn't be more excited. Our son is being married in the park in Waterloo this Saturday. The young couple are quite "laid back" and are having a very non-traditional wedding. It is an outdoor wedding and they have planned everything themselves. It is now though that bride is thinking about bringing all the details together so that the day goes off without a hitch for them and the 130 some guests coming. Yikes!! The tent will be set up and tables and chairs brought in, but what about the lighting, where will the bar be set up and the self-catered food table (it is pot-luck), the flowers. . . all the details. So enter the Stager, aka Step-mom/motherinlaw to be. I will be at the venue early Saturday morning to help bring sense and sensibility to the last minute details. After all, this is what staging is all about; presenting an image. Do you know that Home Stagers can help you with "staging" for your event? It could very well take away much of the anxiety and worry about the venue you will be using so that you can concentrate on the more important details like your presentation, the ceremony or what ever the reason for your get together. Think about it and call me next time! Kathryn Wilson, HomeReady Home Staging, www.homereadyhomestaging.ca . In the meantime, I will be busy this Saturday morning doing what I love to do; making the wedding venue magical for the happy couple.

Home Staging the Backyard

Home Staging the Backyard
As we enter the lazy, hazy days of summer, prospective buyers are more acutely focused on the backyard and outdoor living. As a seller, you need to pay particular attention to what lies beyond the backdoor. The following tips will help you set priorities to ensure that your backyard is inviting for buyers to come and sit awhile and enjoy the ambience.
· First of all, take a good look at your lawn. It should be well manicured and as weed free as possible. Take care of insect infestations such as ant hills or grub patches. Garden Centres have safe and eco-friendly products available. Re-sod if parts of the lawn are beyond resurrection. Remember to water well!
· Secondly, inspect your deck and/or patio. Power washing and re-staining a deck can do wonders at refreshing and revitalizing the main gathering area. On the patio, look for pavers that are cracked or heaved from winter frost. Replace or level. Weeds or grass growing up between patio stones gives the impression of not caring so get busy and start pulling (you might get the whole family involved here!).
· Thirdly, let’s look at the main landscape elements. Are the trees and shrubs/hedges in good shape? Some pruning might be in order to tame an overgrown jungle. If you are not into DIY activities call someone in who knows what to do. Badly pruned shrubs/hedges look worse than non pruned shrubs/hedges.
· Fourthly, pay attention to your gardens. If gardening is your thing then likely minor weeding and tidying up is all that is needed. Perennials and annuals help to brighten up the backyard. Applying mulch will cut down on the need to water and weed and will provide a neat and orderly look to the garden. This gives the illusion that the garden will take care of itself and is just there to enjoy!
· Fifthly, pools. This may not always be an asset when selling your home in this area. You need to have your pool in perfect working order with clear sparkling water and attractive surroundings that suggest maintenance free.
· Number six on your list might be playground equipment. Are you planning on taking the swing set and climber or trampoline with you? If so, dismantle and store off the property. If not, then it could be an asset if the equipment is in very good condition and you are selling in a very family oriented neighbourhood. Otherwise, again dismantle and sell or give away. Make sure you repair the ground and/or the lawn beneath any equipment that is removed.
· And last, but not least, you need to “dress” the deck and/or patio. Inspect your outdoor furnishings. If you are thinking about replacing your tired looking patio set or barbeque, now is the time. Accessories such as lighting (lanterns, candles, and solar lights), container plantings and garden “art” all add to the mood you want to portray. The idea here is to invite buyers outside to sit and relax and enjoy the view and ambience. Outdoor entertaining, barbecuing, dining and just lounging seem to be one of our favourite summer pastimes given our short season in Eastern Ontario. This is what many buyers are looking for this time of year. Play up this asset of your home’s backyard. You won’t be sorry!
For more Home Staging ideas, contact HomeReady Home Staging, Ottawa area, http://www.homereadyhomestaging.ca/, 613-894-4155

Hot and Hazy

We never seem to be satisfied with the weather in Eastern Ontario. It's too cool, rainy; now hot and humid. Question is "Do you leave the blinds shut or open when showing your house?" Generally it is recommended to leave blinds open, curtains pulled back to let lots of light in so that prospective buyers can see what they are looking at and have that light and airy feeling in your home. Also, you may have a great view that would be obstructed if blinds are closed. Another missed opportunity to show off! Well, the house might be filled with light and the view of the backyard is great, but it might be stinking hot in the house if no A/C and this may be a turnoff to potential buyers or the A/C will be running non-stop (mega bucks for you).

Well I still opt for openness. We bought our home mid-July one year and the view was great even though it was 86 degrees in the house. Yes, the following spring we invested in an air conditioner and haven't looked back!

Reflections

I have actively been in the Home Staging business for six months now. This may sound corny but I know soo much more now than I did back in January when I though all I had to do was send out a few notices and referrals would fly to me. Sorry kido it doesn't work like that unless your spouse is a Realtor or your Daddy owns a construction company. What I have learned is that most of the time I work at marketing what I work at. What a surprise! I sell my Home Staging services by meeting people, getting to know them, educating them and then hopefully gaining their trust that I will do a good job for them or their clients. Then maybe I get to do what I love - making people's homes look wonderful so that buyers will say "Yes, this is the one we want to buy".

Back in January, I didn't know what Social marketing was (I'm still on a steep learning curve here), I didn't know that there were so many networking groups, I didn't know that there were so many fantastic people out there slogging away just like me. Wow! It takes a lot changing careers at my age (I won't tell you), leaving a regular salary, benefits and pension - I must be crazy! I have eyed this growing profession of Home Staging for several years before finally deciding last year to make my move. I am a seasoned voyeur of real estate listings and open houses and model homes. I'm sure I've driven several agents around the bend with incessant house viewings only to back out at the 11th hour. Our last agent won't speak to us now. My interest in helping people, fascination with decor and design and real estate all marry nicely together with Home Staging. It's perfect!

Now what about the next six months? Some things have taken an interesting turn. What I thought would happen hasn't - but other opportunities have opened new doors. I'm excited about new prospects and have left any disappointments far behind. Yes, it's a good life and I'm looking forward to providing a wide range of Home Staging services to all who need them. I am confident, have many years of life experience behind me and yes, I am really good at what I do!