Christine Bird (New View Home Staging)

The June issue of Staging the New View has been dedicated to Curb Appeal, and following are excerpts from the newsletter.

Buyer's decide within seconds if they want to view a property, and if the outside is a bit questionable, the logical thought progression is that the inside is going to be too. They will spend the rest of their tour looking to confirm their initial reactions instead of focusing on the positive features of the home. Alternatively, if the outside is simply fantastic, then they'll be able to see what's going on inside with a more open mind.

Welcoming Buyers with Fabulous Front Doors...

Properly prep your front door and porch or deck areas so that buyers can form positive expectations about the rest of the house as soon as they walk through your well-cared-for front door.

Here are some ideas (provided by Christine Rae, President and Founder of Canadian Staging Professionals) that will add the wow to your entryway and build your equity:

• Replace or paint the front door
• Clean, spray paint, or replace the hardware and door knob
• Add a kick plate
• Add a new welcome mat
• Clean, paint or replace house numbers
• Clean, paint or replace the light fixtures, making sure the lightbulbs work
• Sweep the front porch
• Add a pot of fresh flowers in the spring, summer or fall; place an evergreen in the winter
• Keep the front porch shoveled, salted or sanded in the winter
• Paint or replace the garage door
• Paint or replace outdoor steps
• Paint or change outdated railings

These things all seem like common sense, and yet you would be surprised how often they are not addressed. Small changes can have a huge impact, and what better place to say "Welcome. We're happy to have you here", than the front door.

Selling the House from the Outside...

June is typically when all our outside planting is done, or almost done, and the plants tend to look their best. Nothing is too overgrown yet, and there is no real sign of the weeds that are going to be your adversary by August.

As a Realtor, make sure your current clients are taking advantage of the natural Curb Appeal opportunities that June presents.

• Make sure flower beds are actually that... remove weeds and dead plants from previous seasons, pinecones and leaves
• Prune and trim shrubs and bushes, particularly those that hamper any view of the front door or the house number
• Edge and sweep the walks, patios and decks
• Remove trash, toys, animal waste and debris
• Power wash or stain decks
• Get the RV, boat or snowmobile stored away from the house completely.
• If you are showing at night, make sure the house is well light, fixtures are clean and bulbs work, and there is ample lighting for people entering and leaving the property.

The general rule is that a buyer should feel that this beautiful yard almost takes care of itself. Unless they love gardening, they'll hesitate about buying into anything that screams "I TAKE A LOT OF WORK". Sellers should be creating a welcoming, relaxing environment, by keeping things easy, elegant and understated.

The winning combination of black plus punches of citrus colours, reds and purples, goes a long way at appealing to the broadest base of buyers.

Adding Living Space Where It Doesn't Really Exist...

Remind your clients that at this time of year they probably have access to a few hundred more square feet of "living space". That 10 x 12 deck sitting off the back of the house can easily become an extra 120sq.ft.of living space, easily and inexpensively. By investing in a patio set that they love and will eventually take with them to their next home, or by improving the ambience of the existing furnishings with solar lights, topiary trees and a canopy, all of a sudden they have created a space for cocktails, evening coffee and family time.

At the front, many homes have a small cement porch which is easily transformed into a quiet sitting when furnished with two wrought iron chairs, a small table and colourful flowers. It will look great from the street!

The power of suggestion is huge in selling, and carefree outdoor living space will appeal to just about everyone, particularly coming on the heels of a winter like we just had in Southwestern Ontario!

New View Home Staging is a full service home staging and property styling company located in Waterloo, and serving KW/Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford and all surrounding communities.

We specialize in creating winning first impressions. Great photos and curb appeal will give a buyer incentive to drive to the property, get out of the car and enter the home; and showcasing from inside the front door and beyond will invite them to linger longer and experience the space. If they can't picture themselves living there, it's going to be reflected in the offer and this is where a professional stager can help!

Consultation + Improvements + Showcasing = MAXIMUM APPEAL

Trust New View Home Staging to provide professional advice and personal service for your listing clients.

Most realtors agree that it's easier to sell a furnished home than a vacant home, and RESA numbers from February 2009 fully support this. Unfortunately, not all home sellers can deal with the upfront cost of staging, particularly if there are rentals involved, and opt for a lower listing price. Either that, or they list for a few months, and eventually take a price reduction. The price reduction is probably still far more than the cost that staging would have been.

This spring I've had the pleasure of dealing with some great clients, but one story stands out as a true success for everyone involved.

When I initially viewed the home, I found it to be really outdated. It required wallpaper stripping, new vinyl flooring, carpeting, paint throughout, and had dark wood paneling from the 70's. It was also in slight disrepair, with plaster issues in the bathroom, stained bathroom vanities, and old boards on the deck.

These clients were a home stagers dream though and were prepared to tackle everything on my list. Together we selected paint and trim colours for the entire home, and flooring for the kitchen, foyer and bathrooms, we decided on a budget for staging and I left them to their work.

Three weeks later I returned with my staging crew and the changes were extraordinary. We furnished and accessorized the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, family room, 2 smaller bedrooms and 2 baths.

Before and after shots of of the living room and family room are posted below.

The end result was a list price $12,000 more than originally planned, and an accepted offer of 101% of ask within 48 hours. $3000 spent on upgrades and staging, and 3 weeks of work reaped HUGE rewards for the sellers, not to mention the realtor who avoided the expense of advertising and didn't host a single open house.

It's been said before, but I'll say it again... STAGING WORKS!

My name is Christine Bird, and my company is New View Home Staging located in Kitchener-Waterloo. We're here to help.

www.newviewhomestaging.ca