GO SHOPPING IN YOUR OWN HOUSE

Our team loves the challenge of walking into a house and visualizing some of their furniture/accessories used in other ways that will enhance their home.

This is a perfect example of a house that had all the necessary furniture but it was in all the wrong rooms.  We often use rooms differently for ‘living’, since we find it more functional, however, it’s important to consider how the masses will use the rooms.

FORMAL LIVING ROOM

Balance and symmetry are extremely important in photos.  The white sectional was jammed in the corner and the heat register looked cumbersome. Fortunately, they had this sofa in the family room so we switched the pieces.  It made a world of difference.  It allowed us to hang larger artwork above the sofa. A floor lamp doesn’t take up as much space as a table and a table lamp which gave us more room.  The palm tree created the balance on the wall. We were able to use this sofa table that was previously in the dining room as a desk when we added one of their additional dining chairs.  It filled in the space perfectly.  The chair was from upstairs.

The new bigger area rug also adds interest and actually makes the room appear bigger since it draws your eyes out.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE 

The first thing we did was turn the dining table in the other direction.  It automatically allowed more traffic flow and it also made the long narrow space feel wider.

By turning the table, the beautiful antique cabinet looked perfect.  We didn’t want to hang too many pictures on the plaster walls, so leaning tall artwork was a great solution.  We kept the accessories simple so buyers would notice the architectural details. We always try to use canvas artwork for Stagings so you don’t get the glare from the glass. Removing a filing cabinet and bench also opened up the room.

FOCAL POINTS

If you look closely, you’ll notice that this sofa is now in the living room.  They did buy a new slipcover for it since they were using the sofa at the next home as well. Not only did we move the sectional from the living room into this room, we flipped all the furniture to the opposite side.  To us, it made much more sense to have the fireplace the focal point (as well as the TV).  We also wanted the sofa along the wall that has the higher ceiling for a more open feel. If you have curtain rods up but don’t have the curtains, take the rods down.  It just looks like something is missing. Drapes are not needed in this room since they have complete privacy.  We love how light and airy this room feels.

Living in a staged house can be hard, but removing the toys make the room feel calmer. This house sold in the first week so it wasn’t’ too hard on the family.  Once again, live plants and flowers are always the perfect accessories.

The homeowners were upset that they hadn’t thought of this furniture placement on their own since they said they spent more time in the room with this configuration. They wished they had done it years ago.

GIVE A ROOM A PURPOSE

My jaw dropped to the floor when we walked up to this loft and saw it’s potential and beauty.  Since there are so many other rooms in the house, the homeowners were using it as a catch-all.  We knew we had to give the room a purpose. For buyers.  Since this was a separate loft from the rest of the house, we thought it would make an incredible guest retreat.  Fortunately, they had all of this furniture already.  It was just in different rooms.  They had this king size bed in their master bedroom but since that room is much smaller, we switched them around so each room had a bed in proper proportions.

Notice this amazing mirror that used to be in the living room?  The chair helped fill in the huge space.  It was from the kid’s playroom.  Removing the dark bookcase also lightened up the room.  Who wouldn’t want to lay in bed and watch the rain or snow land on these windows?

By the time we got home, they had already put the treadmill on Kijiji for sale since they knew they weren’t taking it with them.  It’s so amazing to have eager clients who are open to your suggestions.  Once the treadmill was gone, we could really turn it into a restful retreat. We didn’t have a dresser, but one of their tables works perfectly to show the scale of either a desk or a dresser. Remember, Staging isn’t decorating – it’s giving just ‘enough’ to let buyers visualize themselves living there.

COLLECTIONS

The homeowners hated their kitchen table and wanted to buy a new one to take to their next home as well. We suggested something white to complement their cabinets, and wood chairs to anchor that side of the room.  We try to use as much of the homeowner’s furnishings as possible to keep costs down, but if they know they are buying something new for their new house, buy it now if it helps sell this house.

We were so happy to use all their pottery collection throughout the house.  It went with the style of the house and gave it character.  Just remember, less is more when it comes to staging.  We displayed a few decorative pieces to showcase the open shelves but didn’t clutter them. Notice the little table that was under the window?  That is the table that we put in the loft as the desk. By the time we finished staging this house, we think every single piece of furniture had been moved.

THE RESULTS

Views on Realtor.ca	Facebook Reach	Direct Emails to Buyers
632	1,442	628
Showings	Asking Price vs Sale Price	Days on Market
11	98.3%	5