One of the most satisfying part of my work as a home stager is providing consultations to homeowners who need that extra info on what they should do to get their home ready for selling. Often their homes are already on the market and they don't understand why viewings are not turning into offers.
Several weeks ago, I had a real estate agent request a consultation for her client. This client was a wonderful lady who was in the process of making big changes in her life. After raising three children and a messy divorce, this client was eager to learn what she needed to do in order to get her home sold quickly. Together we walked through each of the rooms starting with the front entrance. We discussed things such as the importance of cleaning, packing away valuable and personal items, opening up traffic flows, using colour to liven up a space, decluttering and depersonalizing, and so much more. Overall it was a good two hours spent, where we set out a plan for her to work through. When it was time for me to go, she gave me a big hug and said she now felt confident she could get her home ready and sell it for a good price. She was now set to get to work.
Two weeks later, I returned to photograph her home for the real estate agent. The transformation was amazing and this client was pleased with the changes she had made. For me it was rewarding to see how this client had valued my advice and how I could have an impact on the lives of others. What a great job I have!!!
This summer I had the privilege of staging an executive home assessed at 2.8 million $$$. It was a big project and one that I am proud of. The home was over 5600 sq feet with three livingrooms, five bedrooms, a media room, 4 bathrooms and a beautiful loft. For this project I hired experienced stagers to be part of my team. These 5 wonderful ladies pulled up their sleeves and worked hard to give this home a fresh and inviting look. With their hard work and talents, this occupied home went from being incomplete to stunning. I thank Gisele, Sue, Kristi, Pauline and Dianne for their hard work.
Here are several after pictures of this staging.
The house had stunning architecture and beautiful woodwork. In this living room we defined a sitting area with the focal point being the fireplace. We also pulled the furniture away from the windows allowing the room to feel bigger. The light coloured furniture made this room feel calm and truly inviting.
In the kitchen we added barstools to complete the island and simple accessories to decorate the kitchen countertop. We kept the decor simple so buyers could truly see the beautiful cupboards and granite counters.
In the family room, we exchanged a set of burgundy leather sofas for a cream sofa & loveseat set. We also exchange a wooden coffee table with a dark leather ottoman. These new furniture pieces helped accentuate the colours in the fireplace, windows and hardwood floors. The room felt open, warm and became a great place to relax with family.
The original furniture that was in the family room was taken to the lower level recreational room to create another sitting area. The tile flooring was left exposed to be appreciated by potential buyers.
For the master bedroom, new cream bedding & pillows were purchased to create a hotel like setting. This relaxing room offered lots of space and comfort. A beautiful ensuite completed the room with a glass shower, granite counters and a large jacuzzi tub.
The remaining bedrooms were dressed with fresh linens and bedding making each room feel like a retreat.
For the home office, the loft was transformed into a quiet space and sitting area. The natural light made this room feel bright and alive. A great place for great minds.
All in all this staging project was a great success. The family was thrilled with the new look of their home. Multiple viewings have since taken place with great feedback and serious interest from buyers.
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Setting the stage for selling your home is key to creating a seller's advantage. Bien Chic designs staging solutions that will enhance, feature and set your home apart from competitive listings.
My name is Mona Lise Normandeau and I am the owner and founder of Bien Chic, a Home Staging and Design company which specializes in the showcasing of vacant & occupied properties.
I always believed that our life experiences contribute to who we are and adds value to what do. As a Certified Staging Professional and formally trained in residential design, photography and landscaping, I am qualified to create unique staging designs and offer insight to homeowners seeking assistance when selling their homes.
What is Home Staging
Home staging is the process of preparing properties for selling and maximizing a homeowner's equity. It is a proven method of creating a universal style and ambiance that appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers.
Through the art of placement of furnishings and colors, staging will showcase a home's architectural features from outside curb appeal to indoor ambiance. This art of precise placement creates a series of first impressions throughout the home motivating the buyer to linger and spend more time considering the house.
What is the Process?
We offer a simple 3 Step Staging process to help the homeowner and the real estate agent market properties to their fullest potential.
Step 1 - The Consultation: The consultation involves a walk through of a client's home to determine the condition of the property, the removal or addition of furnishings, the repairs to be addressed and color updates to consider. Recommendations will be documented for the client in a Room Ready Handbook.
Vacant Property Estimate - "Before" pictures of the home will be taken to develop a prioritized "to do list" and create a staging plan. A staging proposal detailing fees, rental costs and other costs involved in completing the project will be provided based on the walk through assessment.
Step 2 - The Work: This step of the staging process involves decluttering, cleaning, packing, painting, repairing and upgrades. Do-it-yourself homeowners may complete this step at their own pace and prior to the return of our staging design team. For busy homeowners, we can assist them with this stage of the work by overseeing various projects agreed upon. Project management fees will apply and vary according to the scope of each contracted project. At Bien Chic, we work with various trades who can assist with interior painting and upgrades.
Step 3 - The Showcasing: Once all of The Work is complete, Bien Chic's design team of stagers will come back to Showcase the property. This step includes the use of lifestyle selling techniques to put the finishing touches and create the "model home" look for each room specified by the homeowner. This may involve installing rented furniture, rearranging existing furnishings, artwork, greenery, lights, rugs, accessories, etc. "After" photos will be taken to show the benefits of staging and provided to your real estate agent for internet listing of your property.
When you stage, your home will:
Before & After Photos
The following Before and After photos demonstrate how staging techniques enhance each room's appearances and feel.
Before
After
Before
Before
After
Our Services
We offer the following Home Staging services:
Consultation
The initial consultation takes approximately 1-2 hours and includes a thorough room-by-room walk through . This time is spent assessing your property and developing a plan that will best address your selling needs.
Written Recommendations
This comprehensive written report details recommendations such as painting, minor repairs, cleaning, de-cluttering and de-personalizing to best prepare your house for showing and selling.
Staging Services (Occupied & Vacant Properties)
Our staging services are designed to prepare both occupied and vacant properties. Staging packages are quoted individually and take into consideration various factors such as the size of your home, rooms to be staged, requirements for rental furniture and/or accessories and applicable shopping services.
Professional Interior Photography - MLS Photos
To properly feature MLS listings, we offer a professional interior photography service which can capture the architectural features and essence of a home. These photos are extremely valuable in attracting potential buyers since statistics show that 85% of buyers will view the listing on the internet before deciding to go view the property.
Accessories and Furniture Rentals
To complete the full staging process, we offers a selection of décor accessories and furniture that can be rented at reasonable monthly rates.
Color Consultations
Color is one of the most important elements in any room. Color will unify, inspire and accentuate areas of interest in your home. Whether you are redecorating or preparing to sell, we can help you make the right color selection to revitalize or neutralize your home.
Shopping Services
Don't know where to turn to purchase those necessary items to complete your new look? Our redesign solutions can save you time and guesswork. Our knowledge of the design industry and access to designer discounts will serve you best.
What are clients saying about our services?
"The condo looks beautiful. Now we can sell. You did a great job of dressing each room. The living room is inviting and the bedrooms look cozy. This was my first time using home staging services, and I will definitely use your services for my upcoming listings." B. Aikhoje, Chaparral Ridge, Calgary
"Thank you for the recommendations. Your report has highlighted areas that we had not considered and will address. We are now comfortable placing our home on the market and look forward to moving into our new home." B. Kristjansen, Bankview, Calgary
"OUR HOUSE SOLD!!!. Thank you so much for your recommendations. We strongly believe they were invaluable." D & D Almond, Home Owners Valley Ridge, Calgary
"We have received the recommendations report and we are pleased with the information. It is very extensive and it gives us a much better understanding of what we must do to upgrade and get our home ready to sell in the spring time. Once we have completed the work, we will have you come back to help us with the final touches before listing." L & B Martin, Bearspaw Acres, Calgary
"The decision to sell our home after 35 years was stressful for both of us. We are very thankful for your caring and attentive approach which helped our family to move through this process and sell our home." D & M Mortei, Edgemont, Calgary
"On behalf of Peter and myself we would like to express our deep appreciation as well as personally thank you for the fabulous job you did on "staging" our house in order for us to put it on the market. We both were extremely impressed with your extensive interior decorating knowledge, as well as your professionalism. The choices you made of incorporating our personal belongings as well as the use of many of your beautiful pictures, plants, etc. to "show off" our house was absolutely super! We were also very pleased with the amazing way you re-arranged some of our furniture which certainly made the atmosphere in each and every room much more warm, inviting and open! Our house looks awesome thanks to you, Mona Lise!" P. & MJ Benson, Cranston, Calgary
"We were very impressed with the work you have done. You exceeded our expectations and the house looks just beautiful. We would recommend your services to anyone who is looking to stage their home. Thanks for all your recommendations and for being so professional." J & M Kozak, Woodbine, Calgary
"The condo looks absolutely exquisite. It looks so inviting I could even consider moving into at this point. Many thanks for the professional work you and your team have done." L. Jeffrey, Copperwood, Calgary
" Wow SOLD in two weeks even after the market had soften! We were so impressed with Mona's professionalism, she new our timeframe for listing our home and made things happen seemlessly. We put our trust in her creativity to decorate our vacant property and were not disappointed, it looked like a show home! Thank You" Jennifer & Mark
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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