Bringing out the ‘swan’ in your listings

WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE

We have all at some point had a listing where we no doubt wondered ‘I wonder how much more this house could be listed for if it was staged?’

My motto at HomesSoldBeautifully.com for most of my Calgary listings is this: ‘If you are selling in 2013, then let’s make it look as close to 2013 as possible’. A client’s house may be full of 1990’s furniture, have collections that are numerous or not on-trend, or the home may no longer have that ‘loved up look’ after a separation, death or job loss. Selling in 2013 does not mean that you have to make it look like the latest interior design trend–true design is classic, timeless. And if someone loved that home once, with the right attention it will be getting loved all over again by a new buyer. And that’s the thing these days. So many people are now following the investment property trend, that it really does not matter if the home looks like a page out of Homes and Gardens. Since we don’t know what kind of taste the potential buyers have, it is not the non-fixed items that are the most important in the home, but HOW you present those four walls that is the clincher.

A truly passionate property stager will know how to work with what is there, enhance it and deliver it in a manner that lets the building of the home shine through. We work to bring light, space, character and EMOTION to a home. This is truly where art and business collide .

ALL IS NOT LOST.

If you have a great property stager, they will know how to deliver the beauty, functionality or features or your listings to the buyers.

Yes, sometimes the furniture may not be of the latest fashion, or the walls be painted dark colours. A property stager that knows their stuff will be advising those clients of colours that are for selling (as opposed to colours for dwelling). They will have the right accessories that can bring about an interesting mix of both classic and contemporary (one such example of a company that embodies this is Restoration Hardware– a company that blends antique looks and delivers them in 2013 style). We may not all have a Restoration Hardware budget, but we can all appreciate their example of blending old or classic looks into this new age.

And sometimes, it is not about transforming a home’s entire look, but artfully and creatively positioning their home’s items to emphasize space, light or potential. We work to support the real estate professional as much as the home seller (and the home buyers that are ready to fall in love with our stage homes and BUY FROM YOU AND YOUR CLIENTS NOW).

If it came to pricing a home lower, or working with a Property Stager to unleash a home’s true potential (and thus a better asking price), what do you (or the client) have to lose?

I think a professional property staging consultation beats a price drop any day.

And we Property Stagers are a pretty creative and passionate bunch. We are here to deliver potential (and dollars) to your sellers. If you have never used a property stager before, now is the time.

Call HomesSoldBeautifully.com on 403-926-4603 to find out how we can deliver that potential and enhance/protect your next property’s income today!

Monique Mondor
Certified Canadian Staging Professional
Calgary, Alberta, 403-926-4603
HomesSoldBeautifully.com