Staging and Decorating Bedrooms

Stagers don't just stage to sell - we also help homeowners decorate spaces they find difficult to work with on their own.

Bedrooms are a huge selling feature of a home - think bigger is better. If you DON'T have a luxury master bedroom, try these tips to create a bedroom with WOW factor...

Click to Read the Article:
Home Staging Bedrooms

On the other hand, if you're trying to make a decorative statement in your kid's room, but you're stuck for ideas, try out these suggestions for a fun and easy-to-change bedroom. After all, they won't be little for long!

Click to Read the Article:
Kid's Room Decor Ideas

Painting Kitchens for Staging

Thinking about updating your kitchen for a sale? It's a very wise investment, however, to get your best ROI (return on investment) you should stick to money saving options that look great.

I've written an article on choosing the right color for painting your cabinets and how to paint wood, melamine or metal kitchen cupboards.

I hope you find it useful: 'Painting Kitchen Cabinets'

Home Staging on a Budget

As a Suite101 writer I now have the opportunity to share my love of home decor and staging with a wider audience. Please check out these new articles on "Home Staging on a Budget" for all you do-it-yourselfers, and "How Much Should You Spend on Home Staging?", OR find out how I can help you save with some sound advice and some easy staging tricks!

Staging Helps You Sell - Myth or Reality?

A slight diversion from my previous posts - I was interested to find the headline of the Vancouver Sun of April 26th to be "15 Real Estate Myths and Realities." Naturally I was curious what the article would discuss. What I found should be of interest to anyone selling their home, in Vancouver or elsewhere.

"Myth# 13: A home that has been staged using professional design principles to make it more appealing to buyers sells and for more."

Myth or Reality? "REALITY"

A short comment on the impact staging makes on buyers, along with the admonishment that No, buyers WON'T look past your stuff, accompanied other myth and reality checks about selling your home. Some of the other topics included whether flipping is profitable and what renovations will or won't pay off, something your home stager may be able to help you decide.

The confirmation given should help you appreciate the need to get your home market ready. If you haven't already started, please review some of my previous posts for step-by-step instruction, or, go to my website at www.artisanhomestaging.com for more information.

step #5: Be a Handyman (or Woman!)

NOW is the time to start working on those little projects you've been putting off!

In your mind you may feel that after all your cleaning and decluttering the little jobs should be easy enough for the new buyer to fix up. They WON'T! Little things, even if they are not a serious problem, will add up in the buyer's mind and leave them with the impression that A) the house has not been maintained well (meaning there could be WORSE problems they can't see) and B) they will have to be bothered with the repairs instead of being able to move in and get settled right away.

In either case, you are not doing your best to attract TOP DOLLAR offers, are you? So get out your tool box and repair the loose cabinet door, replace the missing baseboard and fix the leaky tap.

Don't forget bigger jobs either - what you pay now could be the difference between a good offer or a low one or even none at all! Watch for mold, cracked pavement, rotting wood and missing drainpipes. If you're buyers don't notice these things the home inspector will and if the offer stands they will likely ask for discounts to pay for these repairs.

Doing your best to make a great first impression will always pay off. Remember that each job you do is money in your pocket at the end of the day and stay motivated!

Up Next: Curb Appeal!

Step #4: Clean it UP!

So the new year is here and you're serious about getting your house on the market. Maybe you started clearing the clutter and packing some non essential items away but now it's time to take a serious look at the nitty gritty areas of your house.

Buyer's are looking for faults - be prepared. Stained carpets, water marks on the ceiling and crayon on the walls mean hundreds of dollars off your bottom line. Why lose money and potential buyers when a weekend of heavy cleaning will have your home gleaming?

Here are the basic areas to watch for - once you start looking at your home like a buyer all the 'invisible' dirt you didn't notice will suddenly start looking like money going down the drain!

1) Clean the carpets - hire a carpert cleaner or a company - the difference can be miraculous, especially if regular shampooing has not been done in a few years.

2) Clean the walls. A Magic Eraser will do wonders cleaning fingerprints, crayon and scuffs off your walls. Pay attention to door frames and light switches which tend to show the most wear.

3) Clean the windows. Light and bright is what sells homes. Give yours the best showing with crystal clear windows. You may be surprised at how much a small layer of dust or grime cuts the light entering your home.

4) Bathrooms and Kitchens. These are the critical areas buyers will look at. Food preperation and personal hygeine are areas where sanitation is of huge importance. A dirty sink, stove or toilet will turn buyers off immediately. If harsh chemicals bother you don't forget that a paste made from baking soda and water works wonders on cutting grime and white vinegar will make bathtubs and other surfaces shine!

5) Get rid of odors - smelly laundry, garbage cans and closets need to be freshened up. Keeping these areas regularly cleaned is important, but in a pinch don't forget air neutralizers. Don't mask smells with freshers, use the right tool for the job.

6) Leaves still covering the yard? Garage filled with junk? Plan a weekend to tackle the big jobs as soon as possible so that your only cleaning before a home showing is touch ups and general maintenance.

Once you've acheived a thoroughly clean, decluttered home there are only a few steps left!

Next: Repairs

Step #3: Lose Your Personality

"Lose your personality? What is she talking about?"

Here is the difference between a show home and your home - anyone could be living in a show home. That's the key to staging a home for sale - take out the personality of the owner so that potential buyers can imagine it as their OWN home.

Take a look at this example: Sample Rooms

Do you ever browse decorating magazines? Rarely do you see personal photos, quirky collections or day-to-day items laying around. How can you mimic this look?

1) Remove large collections of family photos. Photos are a huge personal stamp on your home making it more difficult for buyers to imagine themselves in the home. Instead, they're just getting to know the present owners.

2) Clear off the fridge door! We all do it, but now is not the time to leave out pictures and messages for visitors to read and view.

4) No makeup, lotions, curling irons or other personal items in the bathroom. Grooming areas are very personal - make it as clean and de-personalized as possible.

5) Remove collections that have limited appeal. Love unicorns/heavy metal/frogs? Now is the time to pack your special mementos, posters and other collectibles away. Remember, you're not selling your taste or collections, you're selling your house.

For some home sellers the advice to remove personal items is the most difficult to follow. These items have personal memories and feelings attached. Just remember - selling your home is BUSINESS - make this a business decision and you will reap the profits!

Next: Cleaning Up!