Heather Cook

A few weeks ago, I did a consultation for an older couple who wanted to list their home fast but were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work it would take to get their home into prime selling condition. I spent over two hours making suggestions and recommendations but it came down to defining room functions and editing out a lot of the furniture and pictures in every room.

When I spoke to the realtor, she was hopeful that they would implement my recommendations because she was concerned that because of the area the house was in and the condition of the house that the couple wouldn't sell fast and they wouldn't get the price they wanted for their home. When I followed up with her a few days later she said that the home owners were concerned about the recommendations and were hesitant to follow them because it was completely contrary to how they were living. Hmmm .. this is starting to sound familiar because many of our sellers express doubt and confusion when we make recommendations because they are so used to living a certain way - its hard to make the mental switch and realize that the manner in which you live in a home is completely different from how you sell it.

We learned as well from the realtor that the older couple didn't have the physical resources to do all that was entailed in the report. Did they let that stand in their way? No! This enterprising couple decided to hold what we think is the first ever, home staging party complete with potluck dinner! We were floored when we learned about it and we thought it was a fantastic idea!

So, a group of their friends came over on a Friday night and brought a dish for dinner. After eating and drinking some wine, they were assigned a room and took a page from our consult report so they could implement the changes. There were men on hand to move some of the heavy furniture and they had a great time making the house 'show-worthy'.

The results? After only two days on the market, the sellers got multiple offers and sold for significantly over their asking price. This just shows that a little ingenuity and a willingness to be open to change can foster a fantastic selling experience.

We also think that this is a great testimonial to getting a professional home stager in to do a consultation for your home prior to listing it. Even if the sellers want to do all the work themselves, a pro stager will offer lots of inexpensive and creative suggestions which will maximize the impact of every room on buyers. Investing in a home staging consultation gives sellers the focus and assistance they need to make their home show like a model.

Thinking of selling your home? Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design offers assistance with everything from consultations to complete staging designs based upon your needs and budget.

On Friday April 9th I did a consultation for the home owners of a large luxury home in an elite part of Cambridge, ON. We were called in by the realtor who realized that there was a lot of work to do in this large home before it could sell at the price the sellers wanted to list at. This particular realtor's office is one we partner with often and they are extremely pro-staging which makes a tangible difference in what clients are willing to do to get their homes ready for sale.

This particular home was vacant and while it had excellent bones, the finishings and decor were dated. As I walked through with the home owners, I took notes and pictures and started creating a staging design which would bring this beauty of a home back to life. I gently warned the sellers that the cost to do this would be fairly significant - and they simply said to do whatever had to be done. So Rooms in Bloom took on the job and had the main floor and upper floors painted (with lots of wallpaper and boarders removed), landscaping done, exterior painting and general maintenance done, light fixtures updated, ensuite tub re-glazed, toilets replaced, cabinet hardware upgraded ... and then we staged.

The results are amazing. We didn't stage all the bedrooms - with wallpaper removed, the rooms painted a lovely warm yellow and the light fixtures replaced we felt our client's money was better spent in the master bedroom and ensuite.

Please let us know your thoughts but I can tell you that my partner Alana was all ready to move in!

Exterior "Before"

Exterior "After"

Living Room "Before"

Living Room "After"

Kitchen "Before"

Kitchen "After"

Dining Room "Before"

Dining Room "After"

Master Bedroom "Before"

Master Bedroom "After"

We finished the transformation on this home in two weeks. Our clients were blown away by the transformation and kept saying how glad that they had entrusted us with the project. I think that's some of the best praise we ever got because this was a very big home and there were a lot of details to take care of!

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Fan Page.

This home is being listed for sale. For more information or to schedule a viewing please contact Zofia Kaczmarczyk with the Remax Real Estate Centre in Cambridge, ON. Once this home is listed I will post a link to the listing.

Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design specializes in staging vacant and model homes. We offer a wide range of customizable services as well as access to the professional trades we partner with. For more information, please visit us online to see our extensive portfolio.

Rooms in Bloom was called in to see a beautiful century old home in Stratford in March of this year. We were immediately impressed by the home and could see that with a little work and our staging efforts that this house would polish up like a beautiful gem.

We completed the staging this week on this home and can't get over the transformation - tell us what you think!

Our client is thrilled and the realtor who referred us cannot get over the transformation. The house will be listed for sale over the weekend and the realtor has already built excitement and interest for the property so we are certain that it won't last long! Once the house has been listed for sale we will post our own listing with contact information for the realtor.

Rooms in Bloom is a full service home staging company and we specialize in staging both vacant and model homes. Our motto is "Capture the heart and the mind will follow."

Recently, I read a magazine article which profiled the wedding day of a particular couple and one part of their story really struck a chord with me. The bride was determined that they would spend as little money on their wedding day as possible. She got the bright idea that she would do her own hair for the wedding - from colour & highlights to cut and style. Nevermind that she'd never done it before, she'd always gone to a hairdresser and she had absolutely no idea where to start. She plunged ahead, dollar signs that she was saving in her head and dove into disaster. Her blonde hair ended up green because she chose a harsh colour with too many chemicals. The haircut she gave herself was absurd and she ended up looking like some sort of strange bird. She finally had to acknowledge defeat and went to a hairdresser to fix all her efforts. In the end it cost her twice what she would have originally paid - all in the name of saving money.

So that was only a story of hair gone wrong. What happens when its a story of home staging gone wrong? When its a case of a well meaning seller who is bound and determined to stage his/her home for sale to save some money?

As home staging becomes more widely known and accepted, the amount of people who are going to stage their own homes or have their realtors stage their homes will increase. Its an undeniable fact. Sellers want to save money, they think because they have been told they have great design style and that they watch HGTV or the new DIY network that its a piece of cake. Realtors, I have read your blog posts over and over as to why you would stage your client's homes - for free - for them, and I know its in an effort to add home staging to your listing services and to also ensure that its at a price which is acceptable for your sellers.

The problem however is that because there are so many varied perceptions as to what home staging is, sellers and realtors alike create a strange hodgepodge of homes which would make most professional stagers cringe. In my last blog post, I talked about the essence of home staging and why it's more than just moving furniture around and adding props. In this post I want to address why the services of a professional stager are vital to a home's final appearance.

1) De-cluttering & Depersonalizing: Everyone knows they have to do it, I read post after post with great tips which always feature this mandate .. but did you know that nine times out of ten sellers have no idea what to put away and what to keep out? Because they have a hard time viewing their home objectively, they don't see the home the way a trained stager does which means that the de-cluttering can end up being too much .. too little .. or simply not happen because the seller didn't know where to start!

Professional home stagers give sellers a detailed report/plan/checklist of every little thing in every room. We see virtually everything and we give the sellers a focused plan on what should stay .. and what should go. Pro stagers know the right balance to strike so that homes appear lived in, yet are modern, bright and appealing.

2) Neutralizing Decor: Again, its on every list I see but what does that mean? What colours are too personal? What colours should be banished and which colours should take their place? Colour has a powerful effect on people's moods, thoughts and can make the difference between a buyer falling in love and a buyer just passing through a home.

Professional home stagers see the home as a buyer would so they know what decor styles will woo buyers .. and which styles will scare them away. Sellers again, are very attached to their decorating styles and have a tough time letting go. We help them understand how colour plays a huge role in how buyers view their home.

3) Defining functional spaces: This sadly is not on many "must do" lists which are passed around to sellers and its a critical part of making a home both relevant and appealing to buyers. Basically, if you don't show them the correct functions of a space, buyers have a hard time envisioning what to do with a room. We often see this in situations where the seller has an abundance of certain types of furniture so he has four living rooms instead of a living room, a family room, a dining room and an office. Don't think that buyers can see beyond what's in a space - or what's not in the space - gambling on critical things like this means an extended stay on the market.

Professional stagers are trained to know the correct functions for different rooms - and also to be innately creative with awkward or strangely laid out spaces. We have the talent and experience to know how rooms should be laid out so that they create maximum appeal for buyers. This is a tough skill to master and its one of the biggest issues I see among homes which have been staged by DIY'ers.

4) Key Upgrades: We all know buyers want a modern home with upgrades but which upgrades get you the best return? Where should sellers focus their efforts and money? Yes, reading design magazines and paying attention to selling shows on HGTV help but when it comes to YOUR home, what is going to sell it? Many sellers don't know.

Professional stagers keep abreast of market and design trends so they are attuned to what buyers are searching for. We look at every individual home, take in its condition and prioritize all the upgrades and changes which will garner attention. We have contacts with professional trades and can work with our clients to effect the changes. Funny thing is, the overall cost is often far less than the seller anticipated and the end result is always "wow" worthy. When it comes to your home - your biggest investment - it isn't worth the gamble.

5) Merchandising to create that WOW Factor: This is the fun part; accentuating all the changes and upgrades so that the home stands out in the minds of buyers. This is NOT the time to bring back out all the dried flowers, figurines and "props". This is where we stagers often see the "free" staging efforts on behalf of the realtor and most of the time - not all - the effect falls far short of the intended goal. From accessorizing with dated decor items to strange vignettes, these things do not help sell a home.

Professional stagers have access to a huge assortment of modern accessories, bedding, florals, art which will create that model home feel in any home. Rentals are a fraction of the cost of purchasing these items and once the house sells, all the accents are removed so there is no need to pack and move them. Experienced and talented stagers have the design talent to take a home from "nice" to "stunning" in a matter of hours. When you want to make an impression, opting to invest in home staging means buyers will love YOUR home and will therefore justify the asking price!

Realtors strongly advocate that sellers don't sell privately because there is so much involved in the sale of a home. Professional stagers strongly advocate that sellers don't attempt to stage their own homes without - at the very least - a full staging consultation. Why? Because in both cases, there is so much more involved than sellers can imagine and the money they think they are saving is very often negligable when factored against the stress and time it takes to both stage .. and sell .. your own home.

Going with a professional stager is very simply the best way to ensure that your home is remembered hours .. even days later.

Over the past few weekends, I have been travelling down to my hometown of Burlington to help my mom recover from major surgery. Amidst all the things I’m doing to help her, I have found time to go to a number of open houses – hey, its a passion of mine – and see what’s available. I’ve seen some great properties and been tempted by a few, but that isn’t the point of my blog post today.

Today I want to talk about the essence of home staging. The reason I want to do this is because I think people get caught up in the “glam” of staging and go for a finished product when they haven’t even begun to address what’s underneath all the “props” to make a house sellable. Case in point, some of the properties I have viewed in recent weeks were being listed by a realtor partnership which openly advertised that staging was part of their package – they did it themselves as they were certified stagers – and they did it for free. After viewing their first property, I looked them up and their website is very heavily “pro staging”. That’s great. I strongly believe that home staging is one of the most powerful tools realtors and sellers have in their arsenal and not using it means they are giving other staged homes a big advantage. What was not great was when I viewed listing after listing with pictures of rooms with pink wall colours, dated carpets, furniture arranged in strange formations and in the midst of all that .. little vignettes arranged with “props” around them. Sorry folks, hate to tell you this, but these vignettes do not mean your home has been staged. The realtors who are leading you to believe this are doing you a real disservice.

So, what is the essence of home staging? Well, for such a commonly used term, it encompasses a lot of different things. Staging isn’t just about “props”, it’s about furniture layout – most definitely – but if that furniture is in bad condition, really dated or not room appropriate then it doesn’t matter what way its laid out, buyers just aren’t going to get it. Staging really, is about peeling back the layers in a home, it’s about going back to its roots and making the basic shell look really good – and then – adding some great accessories so that the whole package is merchandised attractively to buyers. When I talk about peeling back layers, I’m referring to all those layers home owners add to make the house “theirs”. This includes paint colours, room functions and the normal everyday clutter and documentation of the lives lived within that home. It’s normal to have these layers when you live in a home but when it comes time to sell the family home, all the things which make it “your” home need to be packed away so that buyers can appreciate the house itself – because that’s what they are buying.

It’s hard to be objective when it comes to getting your house ready for sale; when the time comes for me to sell our current home, even though I am a pro stager I’m still going to consult with someone who isn’t emotionally tied to my home. Why? Because even though sellers are told over and over to view their own home objectively so that they can start the process of getting it ready for sale, in reality that’s a tough thing to do. In fact, it’s almost impossible. Sellers need an outside and objective viewpoint from someone trained to look at all aspects of their home, someone who doesn’t have that emotional attachment and can make decisions about what should stay – and what should go. And this doesn’t mean just de-cluttering, this means removing the pink or green rugs which inevitably date a home, removing wallpaper and painting, freshening up the cabinets in the kitchen and adding new hardware, replacing dated light fixtures with new modern ones, cleaning up gardens and taking care of repairs which have been on the “to do” list forever. Then – when all the layers have been freshened up and the house looks new – that’s when those great accents are important because this is the all important step of merchandising your product (your house) to sell.

By taking all of these steps, the value of your home is now clearly apparent to potential buyers. This sets the stage for buyers to fall in love with your property and because you have addressed all the different items which might have meant some sort of price reduction, buyers are now justifying your price point and are afraid of losing out on owning your house. This means a fast sale with fantastic potential for multiple offers.

Now I should take the time to mention that getting a professional stager in to do a consultation or help stage your home is not free. Nor should it be free. I always question “free” things because either there are lots of strings attached or there is little – or no – value in the item I am getting for free. Experienced and design savvy home stagers charge for their time, for consultations and for any accessories they bring in to merchandise your home. We provide hundreds of recommendations which, when followed, garner sellers additional equity in their homes and a faster overall selling process. Rooms in Bloom’s latest success story involves an older home where the seller took all our suggestions, had us in to do the final staging once all the updates and repairs were done. The home sold in less than a week for substantially over asking price. This success story illustrates how by investing in staging services, sellers can make the most of their biggest investment – their home.

Before I end this blog post, I do want to say that my goal here is not to downplay the efforts of realtors who have taken the time to take staging training so they can better serve their clients. Not at all. However, as a professional stager, I don’t want the public to get the wrong idea about what the essence of staging is and how multi-layered a process it is. Buyers are more design savvy than ever, and sellers who want their homes to stand out should be prepared to invest a little in staging services in order to reap the benefits of a successful sale. If the house has been accessorized with some modern art, accent pillows and a cute little bistro vignette in the eat-in kitchen it doesn’t mean buyers aren’t going to see the dated wallpaper and green carpets or notice that the awkwardly arranged furniture highlights the fact that the family room is tiny and won’t fit their furniture. Buyers notice and they cringe at the time and money involved in fixing all these items. They also make deductions off what price they will offer a seller, and that’s lost equity which is hard to recoup.

I'm all for glam - in fact I think maybe we need a new HGTV show on staging but the "glam" shouldn't be trying to hide things or fool buyers when it comes to your home. Home staging is about more than props and moving furniture around and when it comes to selling your home, good home staging is worth the investment.