Home Staging and Decor Trends

A big part of staging your home is making it look current.  In the final steps of prepping your home for the real estate market you want to make it pretty, buyer ready and photo ready.  One way to do that is knowing what decor trends are out there and bring them into your home.  Since 95% of buyers are online first trying to find the home of the dreams…you need to make your photos stand out and attract those buyers!

1.  Outdoor spaces.  Assuming the weather is working in your favour - stage your outside.  Staging is about creating the vision of what life in the home would look like and including the outdoor living areas is critical! This staging trend is probably one of the most essential and we see so many sellers not have their outdoor areas staged. Remember a photo is worth a thousand words.  Clean up the outside - rake, cut the grass, plant some colourful flowers, set up the patio and prepare it as though you have guests arriving any minute!







 2.White Kitchens – Huge trend now for home owners is light, white, bright kitchens! In a recent Houzz survey an overwhelming amount of respondents desired a white kitchen in their home. When the kitchen comprises almost 30% of the buyer’s decision (according to NAR - National Association of Realtors) a little more expense in this main area makes a world of difference in price!Can't replace the entire kitchen or paint the cabinets? Look at updating the back splash (or adding one) in a light tone, update the kitchen lighting to make the kitchen light and bright, paint the walls in a lighter tone and/or update the hardware.



3. Birds On Display – The bird in the pillow is just a taste of what we will see more of in the future. Whereas last year’s trend was the white porcelain deer head on the wall and horses, this year’s trend is sweet, little birds.Right now, birds are hot for spring and every spring we tend to see animals and florals pop into all decor.  If you home is going on the market in the spring - think about adding some 'nods' to spring like floral, birds or any botanical elements. Currently, the hot trend is peacock but any bird in spring is up to date





 4. Metallic accents. Framed mirrors, art or brass bar carts add warmth and sophistication in any room. Metal accents add an element of shine to any room and they add some sophistication too.  Right now warm metals are hot like gold, brass and copper.  so think about adding a few touches of those in decor pieces, frames of mirrors, lamp bases even occasional tables.



5. Pops of colour. Colour can help you stand out from the crowd.  Even a neutral space could benefit from a floral arrangement in bright yellow or orange.  If your home decor style can handle it, try adding some colourful pillows to the sofa or bed and a throw blanket.  Colours like yellow, orange and bright green are perfect for spring but coral, aqua and purple can also make a big impact when used in small doses.





6.Dual Coffee Tables – placing two coffee tables next to each other to scale a larger space is a much better staging solution than just one. This is also a great way to add surface space to a small room.  Look for side tables, benches even stools (as long as they are the right height, 16" to 21") to be used as a coffee table





7.  Clear Tables, Chairs, Lamps and More – Glass has always been an excellent staging tool because of it’s reflective nature and ability to create more light in what would probably be a dark space. Glass is great becasue it gives the surface space without the bulk.  If you are selling a condo or a smaller space - try a glass dining table and pair any style of chair you like.  It makes the room look nice and big and you still are showing off how to live in the space. Glass furniture comes in a variety of styles too, and price points!  You can use the 'buddy system' too so if you have a glass dining table add some glass elsewhere maybe a side table or in a lamp....





8. The Navy Comeback – Navy blue is making a come back in a huge way!  Navy just stole our hearts originally via patterns like chevron, ikat (see below) and floral  but now it’s really making it’s presence known as a “new neutral” that pairs well with yellow, turquoise, coral, chartreuse, wheat …almost all of the spring 2015 hues   that add pop to a space. Navy is one of those versatile colors that can work with bright or earth tone accents (just open your latest Pottery Barn catalog to see it with earth tones). If your space has a lot of neutral beige, cream or sand tones add navy for a rich contrast and timeless combination.

Let's get Market Ready!

The real estate market is competitive all year round - and every seller wants the same thing - to sell their home for the most money and in the shortest period of time. 

In every market (hot or not) an 'as-is' home will always sell for less than it should.  Why? Because the condition of the home will be reflected in the offer, either the offers will be much lower than asking (due to the condition of the home) or the offer will be low (because an 'as-is' home sits longer on the market) or the seller/agent has had to reduce the asking price (and sometimes drastically reduce the price) to generate interest.


Preparing your home for market doesn't have to be costly but if you know you are thinking of selling in the near future, it's a good time to start getting ready to sell by following these simple suggestions.

De-Clutter : after years of living in the family home, we accumulate so much stuff.  Start purging and tossing.  If you are downsizing, you'll need to do this anyway.  Clutter makes any and every room feel small (buyers are never looking for something that feels or looks small - even if they are downsizing themselves).  Even your precious collectibles will look like 'junk' to a buyer.  Clutter can actually leave a person with a feeling of stress.  Get rid of the personal items like photographs and collections - make the home feel neutral so that nay buyer can mentally move in.



Cleaning : Inside and Outside.  This includes trimming the hedges, cutting the grass, removing cobwebs, sweeping the walkways and porch, dust, mop and scrub those floors, if you have carpet - a professional steam clean is a good idea, pay close attention to giving the kitchen and bathrooms a thorough cleaning.

Repairs: Pay attention to leaks, cracked tiles etc...also get your heating and cooling serviced and if you have a hot tub or pool get that serviced as well.  If the buyers sees that these minor repairs have not be taken care of, they will wonder what other repairs are needed. 

Staging: Now that the house has been de-cluttered, cleaned and repaired it is time to dress it up.  staging involved moving around existing furniture (and possibly tucking some of it away), could involve re-painting in a neutral tone, ad adding some current elements like mirrors or art.  We want to set the stage for potential buyers to visualize themselves in the space. 



Listen : to your realtor.  Follow their suggestions and advice when it comes to presenting your home and marketing your home.  they are up on the current market trends and are also working with buyers so they know first hand what buyers are looking for.  your realtor can also keep you informed on what the comparables are in the neighbourhood are and what is happening in your city. 

Prepping my own home for sale...

So you probably think that it is easy for a home stager to prep her own house for sale.

In some ways it is - I know the importance, I know what has to happen to make the most money from my home sale, I do this everyday BUT it is still a lot of work! Especially with two little ones running around...

We have started...the big decluttering happened roughly a week agao and WOW, it is amazing how much junk and clutter are collected after only 4 years of living here! I still have two more closets to tackle - that is on my to-do list fo this week. I am no means an organizational freak but I know it is important for the closets to look neat and tidy so I have been decluttering and organizing too.

Since we had some renos and painting to do, we decided to minimize the chaos and put our dogs in the kennel.

The touch painting is done! Not a huge job but a bit of a pain. But it really makes the rooms look clean and fresh.

This past weekend, like many of you, we did a lot of spring clean up in our backyard and that has made a huge difference. My husband cleaned out the gutters - what a mess! I will start the planting next weekend.

There is a lot on our to-do list but we know it is all worth it! We have a few small renos that are in the works now and are progressing smoothly (with the execption of a neighbourhood power outage) we are moving forward!

Staging your home is much more that just putting some throw pillows on a sofa and some touch up paint. It is having your home turn key ready for the new owners. Yes, staging your home and prepping it to sell for the most money possible is a lot of work but it will be worth it for us (the sellers) and for the buyers.

Next...we have to finish the renos, clean the carpets (professionally), some planting and the final step - staging!

Staging for your target market

I recently staged a one bedroom with my team and much to my surprise the seller was disappointed with the end result. I spoke with the listing agent and he told me that the seller found the staging to be masculine looking and very modern, she was hoping for more traditional and cozy decor because that is what she likes. I explained to the agent (so he could relay the message to his seller) why certain looks and styles are used in specific properties.

Staging is not personalized decor it is a tool to help sell a property. A good stager will meet with an agent and discuss who the target market is - simply who will likely be most interested in this property. In this case, this listing is a one bedroom one bathroom unit in a large condo building, the pricing is great for someone who wants a downtown condo look about cannot afford the price tag. We determined it would most likely be a younger, single male. So with my team we selected furniture pieces that would appeal to a male crowd. We chose leather furniture and some darker wood pieces too. We were also careful to select pieces that worked with the scale and size of the floor plan, apartment sized furniture fits in the room but does not over stuff the area. A smart stager will also work with colours that 'pop' on film. We chose a lot of fun and funky artwork with lots of colour - which displays energy and fun! We also accessorized the space with pieces that demonstrate a chic and luxurious lifestyle with plush towels in the bathroom and martini glasses and voss water bottles in the kitchen. We created a chic and contemporary living space that looked like a downtown hot spot!

It is tough when a seller has lived in their space in a certain way and it takes time for many people to adjust to change. I have heard people say "I would have never placed my sofa there - I always thought of having it here". The way we present a home to sell is not the same as we live in a space and many sellers have a hard time making that distinction. Many sellers ask me "Does anyone actually live like this?" The answer is "No" but we are selling a fantasy, a dream of a certain lifestyle. If a buyer sees photos of your property online and they like it they will want to see it so your photos must make an incredible first impression after all those photos is what will book a showing. It's like going on a first date - are you always so pressed and perfect, maybe not but you don't want your date to know different...

In the end, the seller was really surprised to hear what all was involved in staging a home to sell for more money. She thought we just moved furniture and artwork in a property and left. And many people do. Now that she realizes what when into staging her place she sees and understands that staging to sell is a process and not just a crab shoot. She is happy with the number of showings and the positive feedback. Her property has been receiving rave reviews from agents and should be receiving an offer soon...

It's nothing personal....

This week my team and I had a staging appointment in a great neighbourhood in the Parkwood Hills area, a well maintained 4 bedroom home with beautiful landscaping on a family-friendly street. The seller has decided to downsize into a condo now that her children have all grown up. she had lived there for years and I can only imagine the emotional attachment she has to this house. she is keen to sell but was very unsure of the staging process and why it was needed.

We arrived on Monday and toured the entire home and took some notes. The big issue in the house was the clutter - papers, family photographs, gifts from her children, and other 'collections'. We decided to start by clearing off the surfaces. We operate by the rule of 3 - no more than 3 items on a surface. The home still looks 'decorated' but not swallowed up by clutter and other items. We cleared off the fireplace mantle completely and added one simple vase with flowers. Clearing off the kitchen counter top and tucking away the small appliances made the space feel so much larger and cleaner too. And in the bedrooms and bathrooms, more of the same! What a difference!

We returned on Tuesday to add some flowers and a few splashes of colour so that the home was photo ready and much to our surprise - everything we had done to stage the home had been un-done! We had to start all over again. At least we had had some practise the day before (lol).

My assistants were somewhat confused and a bit frustrated, asking why would someone want their home staged only to un-do all of the stager's work? Well, as odd as it may seem many people, especially those who have been in the home for a significant amount of time, are offended or feel like you are criticizing them in some way. It is so important for the homeowner to understand what staging actually is and that it's nothing personal. We are there to help you sell your home for top dollar. In order to accomplish that, we sometimes have to remove (temporarily) the personal touches in the home and allow the potential buyers to mentally move-in.

The photographs are to take place this morning, I just hope the owner has not un-done all of the staging work. It is so important to have amazing photographs of your home - that is how you will draw in your buyers. It's nothing personal...just staging!

If you are interested in this listing or interested to see how the photos turned out, check out:

www.bennettpros.com/Ottawa/Ontario/Homes/Parkwood_Hills/Agent/Listing_17333605.html

Staging in a slower market

There are two very important factors when selling or listing your home today. The first is: the price and the other is : staging. In a slow or down market, when two homes in the same location are priced the same, the buyer will almost always purchase the staged home. Why? Because a staged home is usually better cared for, and it is much easier to visualize your furniture and other personal items in the staged home. Even in a slower market most clients are willing to pay a bit more for the staged home because it is move-in ready and the purchaser will not have any surprise costs.

Statistics show that even in a slower market, 95 % of staged homes sell on average in 35 days or less! Homes that are not staged on average take 187 days or more to sell!

In slower markets creativity is a definite factor when it comes to selling your home. Once a home is staged think of other ideas to get potential buyers through the home - charity event, food tasting, a garden tour. Potential buyers may come for the creativity but they might leave with the keys to their new home!