Hard Work Gets Offer On First Day

Typically, it’s not easy to stage a house with a young family and out-of-town guests during the Christmas holiday, however, there was nothing typical about this family.  Everyone came to help, and I was shocked how much they could accomplish in just a week.  They all rolled up their sleeves and worked around the clock, de-cluttering, painting and shopping.  I had so much fun working with them!

When staging a home, not only do you have to think about the house, but you also have to consider the neighborhood and who is moving into the area.  This 100 year old house is located in a trendy downtown area, still needed to feel young and hip, but I wanted to showcase some of its unique features and charm.

Entrance and Hallway

Toning down the paint colour was the first task.  The family loved their funky colours so they were sad to see them leave.  I had to reassure them that the house would not look boring with neutral colours.  Buyers want move-in ready homes.  They can always add their own personality, but it’s easier when they are starting with a neutral palette. Buyers also know that painting over bold colours takes primer and several coats of paint.

The hallway felt so much larger and wider after it was all painted in one colour.  It’s nice to have a calm colour in hallways since they lead up to colourful bedrooms.  I call it my ‘breathing space’.  We just went with a lighter shade of paint that was in the living room so the colour palette flowed.

Living Room

This room would have been the formal ‘parlour’ when it was built a century ago but we need to show buyers how they can use the room in today.

Once all the Christmas decorations were removed, we had to figure out the best furniture layout.  They were able to borrow a sofa from a family member that fit this room better.  Their chairs worked perfectly with it.  The extended family felt that collectively they had enough props to stage the house and didn’t want to rent any of my inventory.  We worked closely making it all work.  It was a bit more challenging than just bringing everything in, but I always have to respect what the homeowners want. They made a few purchases like this amazing floor lamp and artwork.  Simple things like a new shade on the table lamp, completely transformed it.

They wanted to take the furniture and upper storage units with them so we removed it all now.  This piano was in a family room at the back of the house.  I felt the piano was better in this space and then a TV was put in the family room. Notice how the hallway is an extension of the room.

The fireplace and crown moldings are now focal points.

Simplifying all the accessories allows buyers to see all the architectural details and the original wood floors. The homeowner was very happy to remove the sectional from the front window since he said that window was one of the selling features when he originally bought the house.  He liked being able to walk up to it and see the porch and the street.

Kitchen

The gold walls were making their new pale gray cabinets look dirty.  By painting the walls a darker gray, they cabinets look fresh and the butcher block counters look amazing.

I kept red as the accent colour in the kitchen since it carried your eye into the red dining room that they were not painting.  We had to prioritize which rooms to paint on a tight timeline. The gray walls completely updates the house while still maintaining the charm. Kitchens sell homes!

New Addition

This new addition at the back of the house was not being utilized to its full potential.  Since this is a family house,  I felt it would be more beneficial to showcase it as a family room. The piano was moved to the living room and the TV was brought in here instead.  They bought the sofa since they needed one for their new house anyway.  Make sure every inch is showcased in your home and appeal to the needs of the buyers.

Calm Master Bedroom

Removing all the bookshelves around and above the bed instantly make the room feel calmer.  Since they only needed to paint that one wall after all the holes were patched, we decided to paint the feature wall in the same green as the adjoining bathroom color for a cohesive flow. They already had the paint so that was a bonus. White linens always look fresh but not boring when a few accent cushions are added.  A white sheer curtain instead of the drapes keep it feeling light and airy. Now you notice the doorway leading out to a beautiful balcony for an extended living space.

I was so happy that all the hard work from this family paid off with an offer on the first day.  What a wonderful way to celebrate your family.