Deena Cottingham, Home Stager & Photographer

What Home Staging Will . . . and Won't . . . do when Selling Your Home

More and more home sellers are becoming aware of home staging in Calgary, AB. I get calls all the time from people checking into it for the first time. Surely, a lot of the HGTV type shows have contributed to this awareness.

Through my own real estate experiences, I became a big believer in the power of Home Staging! However, it will not sell a home all by itself when there are other factors working against the property.

Below is a quick list of what Staging can and can not help with when selling your home:

Home Staging will:

- Give vacant rooms scale and purpose

- Help distract the buyer's eye from minor flaws in the home

- Elevate the perceived value of the house a little!

- Contribute to a more updated feel for the home

- Help assure a buyer that the home has been well maintained

[Photo should go here . . . but I can't upload due to too many Proxy 502 errors!! Please use your imagination of a lovely bathroom with towels rolled within an oblong glass dish with a wide black ribbon around it . . . beautiful toiletries . . . and a luxurious hand towel.]

Home Staging will not:

- Help a home seller pass an inspection report

- Distract the buyer's eye from major problems with the property

- Put the home into a whole different price category, or compensate for overpricing a home

- Get a seller out of having to thoroughly clean the property

- Hide holes in walls that a home owner doesn't want to fix (especially when it means hanging art in an awkward place!) -- similar comment with rugs and flooring!

- Make the photos look better when the photos are of poor quality

- Make up for not using the MLS service.

[Photo of some dowdy bathroom with a gaping hole in the wall that would require hanging a picture dangerously close to the toilet paper roll -- off-center, of course.]

Home Staging is not a singular solution. It is part of a marketing plan that requires a multi-faceted approach -- correct pricing, proper preparation, selecting the right Agent, having good photos and an inviting atmosphere.

That being said, skipping the Staging/Styling/Preparation part of the home selling equation, is leaving money on the table from the home seller's perspective!

For anyone experienced in real estate transactions, you'll know that it is nothing for a deal to go $10,000 either way -- or more. And usually, it depends on how emotionally attached the buyer is to the home. Staging is the best way to create that emotional attachment with what I like to call a "lifestyle story".

To get the highest price possible in your area . . . in the shortest amount of time (and time is money!) . . . know your market, do your "home" work, and Stage that house!

Take your Real Estate Photos up a Notch with Post-Processing and Image Editing

What is post-processing, many people wonder. If your camera is good enough, do you really need to do this?

Absolutely! As a home stager and interior photographer, I pay attention to a lot details and light the rooms with several flashes at a time, which takes me about 1.5 hours on site for the typical Calgary, AB home.

But then I'm in it for at least that long afterwards on my computer!

These are the typical things I adjust and/or correct on many of the photos I take:

• White Balance - no camera gets this right all of the time. And I ensure that the white balance is consistent throughout a property so that the same paint color looks the same in every shot. It really helps a viewer know they are looking at the same area from a different perspective.
  
• Straightening - I started out using a tripod, but the reality is that I just can't squeeze myself with a tripod into many of the corners I like to shoot from. I have a really good eye, but it's impossible to not tilt at least a few times during a shoot . . . and that just has to be corrected!
  
• Lighting - Sometimes I lift the shadows a little, sometimes I pull down the highlights to get better definition around windows . . . the purpose being to ensure that details are visible and clear.
  
• Saturation - I go a little overboard here, especially on the exterior photos, but I find that the MLS site really depletes an image of so much color! This is a necessity to stand out from the others.
  
• Sharpening - again, the algorithms on most MLS sites horribly compress the photos and no matter how hard you worked making them look awesome on your computer, they'll look like crap once they get uploaded. Again, this is a necessity.
  
• Secret Sauce - there a few other parameters I adjust here and there to give the images a look that is unique to me!
  

Here is an exterior shot of a SW Calgary home, right out of the camera (I took this with my Canon G11 on a pole to get an elevated perspective . . . I don't usually hand hold this crooked!) The sun was really harsh and washed out the color.

And here it is after I've applied my adjustments:

Here is an interior real estate photo of the same SW Calgary Home before processing (staged by home owner):

And after applying my post-processing magic:

These extra steps add that little extra punch and polish!

If you're curious, I use Lightroom, PTLens, and Photoshop when I have to clone something more than just a spot. Lightroom (a Photoshop product) is my main program for organizing, developing and creating my photo products (prints, web images, slideshows).

Have fun!

You know you need to Hire a Professional Real Estate Photographer When . . .

Brace yourself and see if there is anything familiar about these MLS Photos.

You can find yourself in the photo (look carefully) . . .

You can find someone else in the photo . . .

All you can say is, "Yup, it's got indoor plumbing"

You look at the windows and wonder if you should run for cover in a bunker built to withstand a nuclear blast . . .

The main selling features of the home seem to be a little camera shy . . . (is there a shower in there?)

(

Just looking at the photo makes you wonder if you had too much to drink last night, or have stumbled upon the internet's Titanic simulator . . .

You didn't realize that there was an 80's peach color setting on your camera . . .

The image just leaves you thinking, "What the . . . ?"

Well, I could go on and on now about how your first showing is online, etc. etc. . . . but I think these typical MLS photos speak for themselves! Pictures do say a 1000 words . . . what are yours saying about you?!

Improve your photos, and improve your image . . .

(BTW, all photos are property of GreenApple Staging & Images. I admit . . . I blew the dust off of those early ones from another era!).

Home Flip . . . or Flop?? Common mistakes to Avoid when selling a House for profit!

Spring is on the horizon, and with it, it seems like there is a lot more hope in many real estate markets. Here in Calgary, new home starts have nearly tripled compared to this same time last year! That is certainly good news.

With the general consensus being that perhaps the market has seen its bottom, with a slow rise in prices expected, it is a more promising scenario for home flippers to get back at buying and selling real estate for profit.

However, the house flipping industry has seen its share of casualties! If you are contemplating fixing up a house with the intent to sell it for a profit, be on guard against the following common mistakes:

1) Selecting the Wrong Property

Rule #1 for real estate isn't location, location, location for nothing! You might get a better "deal" upfront on a property that has been difficult to sell -- and the seller is now desperate -- but be careful you won't be in the same boat later on. This includes poor location, overall quirkiness, unusual floor plan for the area, or anything that is not easily fixed and would prevent the majority of people from wanting to buy it. Not sure? Consult a professional first.

2) Falling in Love

Getting emotionally involved with the house is one of the most common mistakes amateur home flippers make. Never lose sight of the fact that this is a business deal, pure and simple. Don't make decisions based on what you'd like to see or you'd like to have in the home. If you won't get at least double your money back on that tile or appliance decision, don't put it in!

3) Underestimating the Time Value of Money

The longer you hang onto that property, the more it eats away at your profit. Many home flippers decide that they are going to do some work themselves to "save" on costs (been there, done that!). BIG mistake. Unless you are expertly proficient at the task, hire a professional to do it. They will do a better job, have fewer delays, get it done faster, and won't create additional problems. (Anyone know what I'm talking about?!)

4) Over Renovating

This is a combination of #2 and #3 above. Your goal is to sell that property quickly, for the maximum profit possible. You are not creating your own dream home. If the maximum profit is attainable with only paint and new carpet, don't replace the kitchen and bathrooms. Sure you it would look nicer and you might be able to sell it for more, but if your return on investment is lowered . . . and the job starts taking a whole lot longer . . you are making less money on the venture.

You're better off to sell it with less done to it, and re-invest that money into your next project.

5) Pricing to Cover your Costs

When it's all said and done, the property is only worth what it's worth. Regardless of the decisions you made, how much you spent, or how much your carrying costs have added up to, you cannot sell the property for more than its fair market value. Listing high will just take longer to wear you down to that fair market price -- increasing your carrying costs more and putting you further into debt.

And once a property has sat for more than a month or two, buyers start to think they can low-ball an offer because they figure you'll be a more desperate seller (and you are, aren't you?). That is, if they'll even look at the overpriced listing in the first place. Many won't.

Instead, follow the first 4 rules as best you can, and then just sell it. If you aren't going to make as much money as you had hoped, chalk it up to a lesson learned . . . and move on. No buyer is going to overpay because you made poor decisions along the way.

6) Not Budgeting for Professionally Marketing the Home

Lastly, in order to have your best chances at a quick sale (remember, time is money), don't forget to get the professionals to help you do this task, as well!

Since your flip is likely to be vacant, get it professionally staged. Home staging will help give those empty rooms scale and purpose; help tell a lifestyle story which also helps create an emotional connection; and will help distract the buyer's eye from any minor flaws left in the property (don't hide . . . distract!).

A professional Real Estate Agent will help you get maximum exposure for your property, and give buyers peace of mind about entering into a deal with you. They will also be able to advise you appropriately, preventing other costly mistakes in the negotiating and closing phases of the deal.

Home flipping is a great way to earn a decent income, and can be a lot of fun. Having been there myself, though, I can say that it's not as easy as it looks on TV, kids! If there is a mantra for house flipping, it should be education, education, education! Know what you're getting into.

Happy Flipping!

How to Choose a Home Staging Professional -- Essential questions to Ask

aka Man cannot shop by price alone

Like most weekday mornings, I walked my youngest to the bus stop the other morning. While we waited for the big yellow behemoth to arrive, I was absently watching a few other children throw snowballs on the road as they'd excitedly shout when a car tire would cause it to explode on impact.

Looking at the little hooligans boys, I took notice of their outerwear. All the major ski brands were represented, except by one kid who was wearing a perfectly decent jacket from a big box store.

It got my mind to thinking . . . what compels the proverbial "us" to spend more money on a specific brand, than the least expensive product available that meets our needs?

Or for that matter, why spend more at the grocery store -- or even choose one supermarket over another -- to buy essentially the same looking fruit?

Why pay for a $50 haircut, when you can get one for $14.95?

Most of us know the answer to these questions. These choices represent more to us than the actual end product or service. And of course, we absolutely believe there is more to it than just pure vanity and image obsession.

Any Mercedes owner will passionately defend their purchase as giving them more peace of mind, safety and security, and that their purchase is a better long-term investment.

It's quality.

It only took one disaster house move for my husband and I to learn that age-old lesson -- you get what you pay for. You really should toss out that lowest bid!

The same is true in the world of Home Staging. People tell me that prices are all over the map. And because it is such unfamiliar territory for most home owners, they are prudently getting those 3 bids before making a decision. I would do the same!

But how do you compare, um (excuse the pun) apples to apples? How do you make sure you don't get a lemon?

Ask questions! Certification is a good start for choosing a Home Stager, but realize that there is no regulating or "certifying" body in the Home Staging industry! These are often just certificates given out from the proprietor of the course that the Home Stager took.

Move on to experience. Obviously some kind of artistic flare is necessary for the job, but what do they know about real estate? Making a home look good, and making it flow for a showing -- drawing the eye where you want it to go, and away from where you don't! -- are two different things. It's not just about nice "contemporary décor".

Include questions about business insurance, quality movers (that won't damage your floors or walls), alliances with other professionals and (drum roll) customer service. Testimonials are a big part of a Home Stager's marketing. Make sure they are real.

And . . . don't forget to ask about the Home Stager's portfolio. Does their website contain "stock" photography? (You'd be surprised!) Are these photos from actual client jobs? And while we're at it, how do those photos look? If they are selling "professional photography", make sure they have a professional doing the photography! Just because you pay for it, doesn't make it professional.

At GreenApple, we look forward to answering these questions for potential clients in Calgary, AB. We not only love what we do, but have enjoyed the success of a job well done. We have many repeat clients that will happily tell you how we went above and beyond, delivering an exceptional product with professional service.

Put us to the test!