Toronto's 2 Hounds Design: Decorating + Staging

I am always relieved when a property I've staged sells. You never know what is going to happen when a property is listed. Everything can be perfect...but nothing. So I was thrilled to get an email this morning saying the Downtown Toronto property had sold.

Of course...there were no other details in the email...talk about a tease!

Well, it is sold:

1. no conditions (other than the certificate from the condo corporation) - Yippee!
2. for over asking!
3. and blasted through the ceiling of sold pricesfor 1 bdrms! It has sold for only $15,000 less than the 2 bedroom/2 bath...2 doors down the hall, which sold 2 weeks ago (oh, my client' property is a 1 bedroom with 1 bath)

Don't let your property get ruled out! Call us today to get started. 2 Hounds Design is a full service Decorating Firm specializing in Renovating/updating and staging vacant properties in the Downtown Toronto Market.

2 Hounds Design 416-418-5919

Contact 2 Hounds Design + Home Staging Licensed & Insured Decorator/Home Stager in Downtown Toronto at 416-418-5919 to prepare your property for sale.

Visit our profile on Active Rain or visit our website to find out more about our services.

Call us today at 416-418-5919. Contact us by email if you prefer simply click on 'email me' to the right of this article below our profile link.

Copyright © 2008 By Dane Caldwell, All Rights Reserved. *Downtown Toronto Real Estate Decorator + Home Stager - 2 Hounds Design* Contact Dane Caldwell for a Consultation today.

Even in the typically slower sales months, Downtown Toronto is anything but typical!

The 2008 spring rush to buy Real Estate in Downtown Toronto is on...and it's only January!

That's right, new MLS listings for Downtown Toronto are coming on line every hour. Spring comes early in Toronto's Downtown Real Estate Industry. If you are anticipating putting your property up for sale in the Downtown Toronto market you'd better get a move on.

There are plenty of business' out there to help you get your property ready for sale, from painters, cleaners, storage lockers and of course don't forget the decorator/home stager to oversee all aspects of preparing your Downtown Toronto property.

Todays urban buyers are Internet, real estate and design savvy, have high expectations and a vast selection of downtown properties to chose from. As a property owner preparing to sell you can get the best results and stand out as an outstanding property at a great price by utilizing a Downtown Toronto Real Estate Decorator specialist in Home Staging or Real Estate Styling.

If you want to up the profile of your property in Toronto's Downtown Real Estate Market call 2 Hounds Design at 416-418-5919 to get a leg up on the competition and get your property seen and sold. Don't wait too long because more and more properties are being listed. Come the end of March the market will be crazy busy making it easier to get missed if your property doesn't stand out.

There is a new use for the MLS...buyers used to rely on their Realtor to tell them what properties were available. There were only one or two photos of each property so buyers had to view them all. Not true any longer. Buyers have access to all the photos of a property simply by visiting the Toronto MLS. Things have changed however; buyers are now using the MLS to rule out properties.

Don't let your property get ruled out! Call us today to get started. 2 Hounds Design is a full service Decorating Firm specializing in Renovating/updating and staging vacant properties in the Downtown Toronto Market.

2 Hounds Design 416-418-5919

Contact 2 Hounds Design + Home Staging Licensed & Insured Decorator/Home Stager in Toronto at 416-418-5919 to prepare your property for sale.

Visit our profile or visit our website to find out more about our services. Call us today at 416-418-5919. Contact us by email if you prefer simply click on 'email me' to the right of this article below our profile link.

Copyright © 2008 By Dane Caldwell, All Rights Reserved. *Downtown Toronto Real Estate Decorator + Home Stager - 2 Hounds Design* Contact Dane Caldwell for a Consultation today.

In my last blog post, 10 Reasons To Recommend a Professional RE Stylist For ALL Your Listings, Marla of Design by Marla told us about a homeowner who staged their home after it sat on the market for about 6 months. Despite how great the property showed after the staging the LA didn't bother updating the photos on the mls. Now, 4 months POST staging...the property still sits.

I had responded to Marla but as I was doing so I thought it would make a decent post on my blog:

Marla, let me guess: it was the homeowner who brought in the home stager. Sounds like they needed to fire the LA and find one who really was interested in getting the property sold rather than just getting the listing.

One of the reasons I take my own photos is to make sure the property gets seen and more importantly *noticed* on the mls by the buyers. Seems like some LA are still in the dinosaur age thinking only they view the photos on mls and not the buyers. Too bad for the owners trying to sell...but then I always say, the owners are as responsible to get the property sold:

1. by preparing the property or having someone (us) prepare the property
2. by finding the *best* Realtor to hire

So many homeowners, as well, just don't get it. Which I'm sure many LA here on AR will agree. (I hope!)

What do you get with a seller who doesn't do their homework and a LA who doesn't do there job?

A stale listing.

I had a conversation once with a LA from a very prominant Downtown Toronto Condo Brokerage who had a property that wasn't selling. It was vacant but the photos had been taken before the owners had moved out. Well, the property had been listed for a few months when I was contacted by the LA.

To paraphrase the LA: 'I shouldn't tell you this, but I'm so fed up with this place. I don't understand why it won't sell. It was dark inside so I went to IKEA and bought a lamp and a plant but there is no interest. I don't know what else to do and I've put enough money already into trying to sell this place.'

Well, this LA convinced the owner to take the property off the Toronto market, rent it for a year and then try again.

Lets be clear on this: the owner had moved out of town but the LA was more convincing:

• about dropping the listing
• the owner finding tenants
• the owner looking after a rental property for a year
• then trying to sell it again...after having tenants living in it!

Unbelievable.

I've a new policy as of this year: when a LA contacts me about staging a property I will request the owners contact info to discuss the possibility of staging. I will not discuss it with the LA unless they are paying for it themselves.

Don't let your property get ruled out! Call us today to get started. 2 Hounds Design is a full service Decorating Firm specializing in Renovating/updating and staging vacant properties in the Downtown Toronto Market.

2 Hounds Design 416-418-5919

Contact 2 Hounds Design + Home Staging Licensed & Insured Decorator/Home Stager in Toronto at 416-418-5919 to prepare your property for sale.

Visit our profile or visit our website to find out more about our services. Call us today at 416-418-5919. Contact us by email if you prefer simply click on 'email me' to the right of this article below our profile link.

Copyright © 2008 By Dane Caldwell, All Rights Reserved. *Downtown Toronto Real Estate Decorator + Home Stager - 2 Hounds Design* Contact Dane Caldwell for a Consultation today.

1. Proof positive to sellers you are a proactive agent who gets properties SOLD not REDUCED!
2. MLS Photos will attract more potential buyers to view your listings
3. Simply decluttering, cleaning, fresh paint and adding a ficus tree doesn't cut it. Buyers want on trend colours and move in condition. Don't leave the paint colour selections to the seller or home depot!
4. Professional RE Stylists broach the delicate subjects for you. No more talks about the 'dolls', wallpaper, taxidermy, odours, porn mags beside the toilet etc. OR no more ignoring these issues for fear of loosing the listing but having the confidence they will be dealt with and resolved making the property saleable.
5. Knowing the clients will have someone else to contact and get help from to make the property listing ready in time for the first showings.
6. Never again having to assure the client you can sell the property without their having to replace the 25 year old carpeting or the broken CAC.
7. Never having to say or hear 'it's not in my clients budget' and 'we can't afford it'. With a professional stylist making recommendations and showing the difference between your clients property as is and the properties potential (along with the potential for a quick sale and more money)...you will be surprised at how sellers suddenly have a budget.
8. Even a small budget can be directed appropriately, by a RE Stylist, at preparing the property rather than the 'staging'.
9. Reputation among previous sellers as a LA who has a TEAM (we professionals bring with us a team of reliable trades) to HELP your sellers which will generate more referrals which generate more referrals, which generate more referrals...you get the picture.
10. Reputation among agents as a successful LA within your own Brokerage but also within the local industry, generating potential for you to direct your own future within RE.

2 Hounds Design specializes in vacants as well as updating properties through minor renovations to maximize sellers profits and prepare their properties for market. We can provide qualified trades people, designer discounts on flooring, cabinets, counter-tops and paint products etc. 2 Hounds Design's primary market is Downtown Toronto however we also provide associates specializing in various GTA markets.

Dane Caldwell is the Lead Decorator - Stager with Toronto's 2 Hounds Design + Home Staging.

www.2-hounds.com

416-418-5919 - Call now to prepare your property for Downtown Toronto's Spring Real Estate Market.

2 Hounds Design + Home Staging - the IDEA resource

Well, we've had our RT and all who attended were in agreement; it was a great idea (thanks Craig!) and we must continue having them.

While we had over 30 who wished to attend, we had a couple of cancellations (thanks for letting me know!) and fit in some of those on the waiting list. Unfortuntunately 8 who RSVP'd were no shows. It was unfortunate as there were plenty who would have liked to have been at the RT.

Robert and Richard Krangle, owners of Dominion Furniture Rentals were our gracious hosts. They provided a great spread and announced a new lower rate on rentals for Qualified Stagers! YEAH!

We made it through the agenda but felt there were a few questions were either not relevant to our area or were just not appropriate to a RT.

The openness and sharing of information was amazing with the 'senior' attendees offering a wealth of information and encouragement. I was impressed and have a great amount of respect for all who shared!

The notes are being compiled (thanks Deb Callander for your note taking) and will be submitted as well as forwarded to the attendees.

I want to thank all who attended and say what a pleasure it was to meet you all. Next time though, we need to be relaxing in chairs with drinks in our hands!