There is a science behind staging, and Leah is exceptional in this area. Implementing her suggestions, from the initial consult right through to the final staged product, was time and money well spent. I knew I needed to take the house to a higher level to put it up for sale, but Leah soared with it. I could never have come close to what she accomplished.

The whole process was very enjoyable and informative. I would definitely use her services again, and recommend that before anyone lists they consult with her first before they do anything. It is time and money that is the most bang for your buck. You will get a big return on your investment.

For my experience, in the first week the house went on the market we got eight offers (all over list), and sold for $81,112 over the asking price!!! I could never have done that by myself. Leah had the Midas touch with the details. Her attention to detail is what made the difference between a presentation that was good to one that was superb! Thanks again for the experience. I just can’t say enough. Leah, you do wonderful work.

-Sandi K. Richmond March 2011

We had multiple offers – 8 in total. We opened them in the order received and amazingly (to me) they kept going up! Even the smallest offer was over our asking price of $728,888.00. The people in first place had no subjects and an offer of $810,000.00 ($81,112 over list). I am no longer a home owner. HURRAAAY!!

- Judi K. Richmond March 2011

“STAGE IT FORWARD” CHALLENGE:

To create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for transition house residents within a cavernous and utilitarian room, using only existing and donated items, volunteer labour and ***$0.00$***

COMMON AREA BEFORE:

December 6 was THE DAY for a downtown eastside “Stage It Forward” project which was seven exciting months in the making!  Late last spring, members of Vancouver’s staging community had formed a networking meetup group.  From the first meeting, those in attendance were in agreement we wanted to find ways to give back, as women helping women.

We were inspired by the 20-year volunteer history of The Godmother of the downtown eastside (Louise Edwards), to use our combined resources and talents in behalf of Sereena’s House, which provides shelter and food for approximately 50 women in transition in Vancouver’s downtown eastside.

While funds for bare necessities are often not available on the eastside, as stagers we regularly work to eliminate our clients’ excess.  We happily repurposed a significant number of items for this project.  A wish list of deficient (yet ever so necessary) items was compiled and donations were sourced: a stove, freezer, dishwasher, dining tables, seating, shelving, pots, dishware, cutlery, and last but not least, games, entertainment and craft items. Then we upped the ante! New lino (supply & install) was generously donated by Mira Floors, paint by Benjamin Moore, and application by painter Pierce O’Sullivan.  This was the happy (and oh-so-satisfying) result:

COMMON AREA AFTER:

THE TEAM FROM CITY-STAGERS http://www.meetup.com/City-Stagers

(That’s me on the far right, in the blue sweater! – Leah)

You can save a lot of time, hassle and resources by using Leah’s House to Home move-in decorating service. From her initial consult she maximized the full potential of what I already had in furnishings. The change was immediate and dramatic, while keeping with the look and feel I was after. Her skillful placement and additional well chosen accessories, made my new home stunning.

In addition, her connection with the trades made it a one stop shopping experience that didn’t cost an arm or a leg. Even later,she still has an eye open for minor pieces and is available for advice. The results speak for themselves. I highly recommend her move-in service to anyone thinking of updating their look or redecorating. Another satisfied customer.

- Robert N. Fairview Slopes Vancouver July 2010

After: Furniture provides a reference point for room size & engages a viewers imagination.

BEFORE: Perception of space is distorted in a vacant space. Exactly how much room is there? How might furniture be arranged?I highly recommend Leah’s services to anyone who wants to maximize the potential of their property.

I had expected to take at least a couple of months to sell. My wife and I were nervous because one of our neighbours had put their newer home up for sale and it had been on the market for awhile. I wasn’t sure about the cost of home staging when I first heard about it, but then I saw how much work Leah put in choosing the colours for our painter, bringing in and arranging rental furniture and art, and giving us tips on how to make the house ready to sell. The trade support provided was excellent quality. House cleaning, window cleaning, blind cleaning and moving team. I had been worried who I was going to get to help. It took away the stress to use the trades Leah recommended.

Our place looked so good that I didn’t want to move! We had lots of compliments at the open house. And we sold our home 2 days after the first open house! We couldn’t have done it without Leah. She helped us sell our house quickly, without stress and for the price that we wanted. Home staging with Leah was definitely worth every penny.

- James C. Burnaby June 2010 Listed for $1.35m (4700 sq’)

Living Room AFTER The way we sell is designed to display the features of the listing & enhance the sense of space, inviting the viewer in.

Living Room BEFORE The way we live is designed for function, not MLS photographs.

Dear Leah, I would like to thank you so much for the seamless experience we had with you in the staging of our condo. You took the time and made everything clear and easy for us. You helped us know exactly what we could do and the rest was up to you…. WOW….the results speak for themselves!! I feel your service was well worth it as we could not have accomplished such beautiful results on our own. We are very proud to show the condo now as you have made it look well worth the asking price. Thank you so much!

– Maureen H. Coquitlam April 2010

We had a very tight deadline of 2 weeks to get the house ready for an open house weekend. Her knowledge and experience resulted in us having total confidence in her. The recommendations she made were based on meeting our needs both from a budgetary and a personal perspective. She juggled and arranged getting trades in to do minor renovations and fix ups with very short notice and timelines and yet good quality.

Leah’s customer service was outstanding and she followed through on her commitments, connected with us to help us through the times where we were wondering what we had done and was always supportive and professional. She made our house look its best and many of our friends and family commented on how she was able to highlight the things that made our house a great place to be in.

Thanks to Leah and her staging, we received excellent multiple offers after the first weekend open house. We were able to sell our house that weekend and find one in our new location. Having had the positive experience, we hired Leah to put together the colors and help with the design of our new home. Already the people who have come into our home have expressed how welcoming and calm the house is.

So a big “THANKS” to Leah as we could not have done it without her.

Lydia and Melay D., Coquitlam. November, 2009.

Thank you for the work you did on staging my vacant listing in Richmond. I really feel that because it was staged so beautifully the property sold faster and at a higher price then most of my comparables, 99% of asking! Leah, thanks again for the beautiful work.

- Sylvie Alexandris Royal LePage Coronation West Coquitlam 604-939-6666 September 2009

BEFORE: What room is this?? Vacant listings sit on the market 50% longer than staged ones!

Living Room AFTER: Staging defines the purpose of the room & establishes size.

Here are some photos from the townhouse I staged: