Nursery by design

Your little bundle of joy is expected to be arriving soon and there is so much do to! There is so much selection, so many products and if this is your first baby, like me, it can be hard to know where to start. But relax, the set up of the nursery should be fun and it is a great activity to keep you and your partner busy.


If you have been to any baby or department stores - the choices are incredible! How to decide? Where to start? How much to spend? Those are some questions you should ask before you start. Here are some easy decorating tips to create your dream nursery!

1. Once you have selected the room (I would recommend one close to your master bedroom) clear it out and give it a good cleaning.

2. When choosing the colour palette or the theme opt for something with ageless appeal or something that can grow with your child. Re-decorating a room every year can get very expensive (and time consuming). Keep in mind your little one could quickly outgrow the Winnie the Pooh theme, so try and make your nursery easily adaptable for a young child's bedroom, with some minor modifications as he or she grows. Select at a colour palette that is soothing and calm, the addition of toys, stuffed animals, photos, curtains, bed linens and other baby belongings will add colour, pop and energy to the room. Neutrals colours are best, white, soft grey, light green or light yellow - they will compliment not compete. Themes such as florals, nautical, under the sea and jungle are good examples that will still be appropriate as he or she grows.

3. Before you arrange any of the furniture be aware of where the sun hits at different times of the day. Make sure you place the crib in a place away from direct sunlight. Other essential pieces in a nursery are: a change table, a dresser and a rocking chair. It's very important to choose a comfortable place for you to sit while you rock your beautiful baby to sleep.

4. Safety. The first step to organizing a nursery is to make it babyproof! Make sure there is a functioning smoke detector near or in the baby's room, cover all electrical sockets with plastic plugs, keep all electrical cords away from the crib and it is recommended to place non-skid pads under decorative area rugs. Another tip to keep in mind, wall-to-wall carpeting can accumulate allergy-aggrivating dust and pet hair so make sure to clean your carpet regularly.


Remember to have fun and enjoy the experience!!

what is staging?

What is staging?

Staging is the un-decorating or de-personalizing of your home in preparation to sell.

When you first move in to your home you want to make it yours. You paint it the colours you like, you add personal photographs and your furniture is positioned to suit your lifestyle. But when it comes time to sell your home, you need to think about presenting your home's best features and assets and to make it appealing to as many potential purchasers as possible.

Here are the top tip to make your home looks its best before your first open house:

1. Clean up! Make sure the house is clean. Bathrooms, the kitchen and floors. It might seem like a lot of work but if you want top dollar for your home you cannot afford to "turn off" the guests at your open house. It is also really important to deorderize your house especially if you have pets!

2. De-clutter! Throughout our daily life we all accumulate clutter - the pile of bills, our bottles of vitamins on the bathroom countertop, small appliances on the kitchen countertop and stacks of papers and files in our home office, but it is so important to remove all of this clutter. Clutter makes any space feel much smaller and seeing as purchasers are likely looking for a larger space or at least a space that appears larger, you want to make sure your home feels spacious.

3. Repair! It is important to fix any repairs in the home. A cracked tile or a leaky faucet can tarnish the image of your home. Remember you want to present your home at its absolute best!

4. Colour! It is not necessary for everyone to re-paint their home before your realtor takes photos for the listing but you might want to consider painting if...your house has not been painted in about 10 years, if your home is currently painted in really bright or intense coulours such as deep reds or bright lime green, or if your walls are in bad shape. a fresh coat of paint can make a home feel clean and if you select the right tone, larger. Tones to look at should have a LRV (light reflective value) of 50 or higher.

5. Furniture! You want to make sure your furniture is clean so remove or cover stains and get rid of the pet hair - it just looks so much better. The positioning of the furniture is also very important and this is where you might want to get the help and advice from a professional. Just re-positioning or re-purposing your furniture pieces can make a huge impact. The way we place our furniture pieces can make a room look large or small and remember when it comes to selling your home, bigger is better!

6. De-personalize! This can be the toughest tip to follow especially if it is your family home you are leaving. When people come to tour through your home at the open house, it is important that they can see themselves living in your home and that can be hard with your family photos and memories all over the home. Just think of this part as pre-packing for your move and you'll see your photos again soon in your new home.

How do I get in touch with a stager? Some real estate teams have stagers on staff, such as the Bennett Real Estate Professionals, offer the services of a stager to their clients. They will even have the stager prep your home for the professional photographer so your listing photos look their absolute best!

The process of staging can seem like a lot of work but it is worth it. Staged homes sell faster and for more money!

Statistics don't lie!

If you ever wondered if staging your home to sell was worth it, here are some statistics that should convince you!


Staged homes sell 50% faster than unstaged homes

Staged homes sell for (on average) 6 to 10% more than unstaged homes

94% of staged homes sell in one month or less

98% of staged homes sell for more than asking price

77% of home buyers view homes first on the internet before booking a showing

63% of buyers are willing to spend more money on a house that is move in ready

87% of buyers said that the overall home presentation was a major factor in their decision to buy

Top three interior features for selling were -- freshly painted, organized storage and current flooring (from HGTV)


Buyers only know what they see, not the way it could be!