SHARON CHARBONEAU- Upstaging BC's West Coast

YOU ARE PLANNING TO SELL YOUR HOUSE - MAYBE THIS IS A POSITIVE CHOICE MADE VOLUNTARILY TO DOWNSIZE OR GET A LARGER HOME; OR YOU ARE MOVING TO A NEW PROVINCE OR STATE DUE TO A TRANSFER OR TO BE CLOSER TO FAMILY.....OR THE HOUSE SALE MAY BE THE RESULT OF A DEATH IN THE FAMILY, A PENDING DIVORCE, OR THE ECONOMY......

WHATEVER THE REASON, THE REALITY IS YOU WANT TO GET THE BEST PRICE AND SELL QUICKLY

CONSIDER THESE POINTS:

BEFORE YOU CALL A REALTOR, CALL A HOME STAGER. WHY YOU MAY ASK? TODAYS HOME BUYERS WANT MOVE-IN READY AND ARE PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN HOMES THAT SHOW WELL. LET ME SHARE WITH YOU ONLY A FEW OF THE MANY REASONS WHY A HOME STAGER WOULD HELP YIOU ACHIEVE YOUR REALITY THAT MUCH FASTER

• CONTRARY TO THE PERVASIVE MYTH, STAGING A HOME FOR SALE IS NOT A LUXURY, OR ONLY FOR LUXURY HOMES: HOME STAGING APPLIES TO ALL HOMES WHETHER THE ECONOMY IS UP OR DOWN IN YOUR PARTICULAR MARKET

• CONTRARY TO ANOTHER MYTH THAT PREVAILS, HOME STAGING DOES NOT COST A LOT OF MONEY - IN FACT NOT STAGING A HOUSE FOR SALE MAY COST YOU MONEY IN LOST VIEWINGS, LOST SALES, PRICE REDUCTIONS, ADDITIONAL MORTGAGE AND LIVING COSTS

• FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE CRITICAL - ON THE MLS LISTING AND IN PERSON. YOUR HOUSE HAS MERE SECONDS TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION AND MAKE THE HOME BUYERS "MUST SEE" LIST AND MUST BUY CHOICE!

• YOU MAY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE; HOWEVER IF THE MLS PHOTOS ARE NOT TOP QUALITY OR THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH TO SHOW OFF YOUR HOUSE, YOU HAVE LOST THE 90% OF POTENTIAL BUYERS WHO ARE SEARCHING FOR THEIR NEW HOME ON THE INTERNET MLS LISTINGS

• PROFESSIONAL STAGERS BRING TRAINED FRESH EYES INTO A PROPERTY YOU MAY HAVE LIVED IN FOR MANY YEARS, WITH THE RESULT THAT YOU NO LONGER SEE SITUATIONS WHICH COULD COST YOU A SALE, OR RESULT IN LOWER OFFERS THAN EXPECTED

• HOME SELLERS MAKE THEIR OWN NOTES AS THE STAGER WALKS THROUGH THEIR HOUSE - THEY THEN HAVE THE OPTION OF ACCEPTING ALL OF RECOMMENDATIONS, ONLY SOME OF THEM AND TO MAKE THE CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS WITH ASSISTANCE FROM FAMILY & FRIENDS

THIS WAS A SIMPLE CHANGE I MADE IN THE OWNER'S KITCHEN CABINET AS I WAS SEARCHING FOR TREASURES TO USE IN OTHER ROOMS.

NOT BEING A FAN OF SAME BESIDE SAME, I LOOKED FOR SOMETHING TO MAKE THESE BEAUTIFUL DISHES POP

I DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR AT ALL TO FIND PIECES TO WORK WITH THESE DISHES AND GIVE THEM A NEW LOOK

WE ALL HAVE SIMILAR SCENARIOS IN OUR HOME: SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES NOT PRE-JUDGING AND JUST TRYING DIFFERENT LOOKS AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES A FRESH EYE

THAT IS WHAT STAGERS BRING TO YOUR HOME WHEN YOU CAN'T SEEM TO GET THE LOOK YOU WANT - GIVE IT A TRY!!

WHEN WE WALKED INTO THIS TOWNHOME AND LOOKED AROUND AT THE OWNER'S FURNISHINGS, PAINT COLOURS AND ART WORK, WE WERE NOT SURE WHAT CHANGES WERE NECESSARY.

HOWEVER, IF SOMEONE WANTS A NEW LOOK THAT IS WHY THEY CALL US, SO WE WENT TO WORK TO CREATE A NEW LOOK FOR HER.

THE WALL COLOURS ARE VERY COLOURFUL TO COUNTER THE GREY DAYS WE GET THROUGHOUT THE WINTER IN VANCOUVER. SHE HAD A GOOD EYE FOR COLOUR AND PLACEMENT. WHERE DO WE START?

WE THEN NOTICED THAT THIS LOVELY TABLE WAS STICKING OUT A BIT, BLOCKING ENTRY INTO THE KITCHEN. WE DECIDED THAT WOULD BECOME A COFFEE TABLE AND THEN WORKED ON FURNITURE PLACEMENT TO GET THE PIECES WORKING A BIT MORE COHESIVELY.

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WHILE SHOPPING THE HOME WE NOTED THAT THE MBR WAS NOT AT THE LEVEL IT COULD BE AND WE STARTED SWAPPING FURNITURE, ARTWORK AND LIGHTING BETWEEN THE BEDROOM AND THE LIVING ROOM

THE NEW READING AREA IN MBR

LAST WEEK I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO WORK WITH COLLEAGUES ON A RE-DESIGN FOR A HOME IN THE BRITISH PROPERTIES OF WEST VANCOUVER. THE HOMEOWNER WANTED HELP WITH CREATING A MORE COMFORTABLE FEELING AND LOOK, AS WELL AS SELECTING AND HANGING PHOTOS & ART WORK.

WHEN WE FIRST WALKED IN WE WERE ALL THINKING, YEAH, IT NEEDS SOMETHING! THE CHALLENGING PART WAS CREATING A NEW LOOK WITH HER BELONGINGS.

AFTER MUCH "HOME SHOPPING" AND MOVING OF FURNITURE, THIS IS ONE PART OF THE LIVING ROOM WE CREATED FOR HER. SHE HAD TOLD US SHE LIKED TO HAVE TEA & READ IN THE LIVING ROOM; HOWEVER WE NOTED THERE WERE NO READING LAMPS?

WE MOVED THE TWO SIDE CHAIRS TO THE WINDOW & BORROWED LAMPS FROM HER BEDROOM TO CREATE A READING/CONVERSATION AREA FOR HER.

WE REPLACED THE ART WORK AND DE-CLUTTERED THE FIREPLACE MANTEL. IT IS NOW THE FOCAL POINT IT SHOULD BE.

WE DIDN'T PAINT OR BUY ANYTHING NEW FOR HER. WE FOUND PIECES IN OTHER ROOMS, SUCH AS THE MORE COLOURFUL PILLOWS FOR THE SOFAS, AND EXCHANGED THEM WITH PIECES THAT WORKED BETTER IN THE ROOM THEY WERE IN AND BROUGHT THE BETTER PIECES INTO THE LIVING ROOM.

SHE WAS THRILLED WITH THE CHANGE!

It is a beautiful Fall day on the Sunshine Coast as we celebrate our Thanksgiving weekend.

This is a photo of the pier in Davis Bay, BC where I live and where my boutique is located. In fact this view is across the water from the Mosaic Market where Ooh La La! is located.

I have just sent out an email to friends and customers letting them see what's new in my boutique so I thought I would share it with y'all. This is my contribution to shopping green on the Coast.

This is a lovely old combination desk & table. The top comes down & voila! It was rescued from someone's garage. It has received TLC and is now available to go to a new home.

This chair is thought to be of French origin due to shield back. I am no expert, I just know what I like. I think it may make a charming bedroom chair as it is not too big.

I love this one as well and can see it in a living room or library or......it is quite comfortable to sit in.

The sales are good as more and more people recognize the value of enjoying furniture from the past and creating an eclectic decorating style in their homes.

Shop green before you buy new. Pieces such as these can be placed among newer furniture and look quite attractive. You will be pleasantly surprised at what is available and how much more charming period pieces are compared to some of today's styles.

SHOP GREEN ON THE SUNSHINE COAST AT MOSAIC MARKET IN DAVIS BAY, BC