The following is a testimonial from the listing realtor for a semi-vacant staging of a Burnaby townhome that incorporated rental items. You can see more photos of the finished product on the Blum Real Estate Team website.
Hi Leah,
The living room after staging
What a superb job you did at Dave’s place. The transformation was as day and night, it truly looked like a show home. We had a tremendous amount of interest and buyers and agent alike had nothing but compliments.
We had over 40 parties coming through the grand opening on Saturday which resulted in quite a number of second showings for Sunday and on Monday at 2 PM we presented 10 offers and ended up $30,600 over asking price. This never would have happened without your amazing work.
The living room before staging.
Thanks again and I am sure we will work together again soon,
Heiner Blum
Associate Broker, N.P. (Asc.), R.R.S
Blum Real Estate Team
www.BlumRealEstateTeam.com
Leah, thanks for your terrific work. The home looked absolutely georgous. After only 4 days on the market and our first open house we received 6 offers and sold the home $15,000 over asking price. Many thanks. I am looking forward to working with you again
- Monika Biertumpel Royal Le Page Showcase Plus 604.461.2844, Coquitlam, July 2009
Leah, I wanted to let you know you how pleased I am. Your staging really made a difference! Prior to staging, we had 47 showings, but no offers, and 79 days on the market (March 10 – May 28). After staging and relisting, we had an accepted offer in just six days! You managed, yet once again, to make things look more spacious and attractive, and “feel right”, all by just repositioning the existing furniture and accessories! Implementing your suggestions for improving curb appeal and the patio area truly made it so much more inviting.
- Jean Geiger RE/MAX Sabre Realty 604.612.9168 JeanGeiger.com Coquitlam June 2009
BEFORE Home Staging: Bathroom photos uninspiring, and frankly boring?
Before home staging
AFTER Home Staging: Jazz them up by shooting into the reflection of the mirror!
After home staging
Ensuite after staging
AFTER Target Buyer young family. Rental accessory package augmented homeowner's furnishings. TIP: Think of new ways to display familiar things. Couch cushions reversed for greater visual appeal. Chest used for a coffee table.
Leah, I would like to take a moment to let you know what a pleasure it was to work with you. You were able to explain ahead of time the changes you would place in our home for staging purposes and although I could not see your vision at the time, what you did made an obvious impact on our home for the better. We were able to put our home on the market on a Monday and received an offer that very evening!
Living Room BEFORE
We made the decision to use home staging during this process because we owned a town home that looked very much the same as everything else in the complex. We felt we needed an edge in this trying market and you assisted us in achieving exactly that. The offer we received was $10,000 above what the previous unit sold for and that unit was the mirror image of what we had on the market. You made our home look appealing to the largest market and yet we still felt very much like it was ours and comfortable for us to be in. Thank you again for taking such a vested interest in our home. It made a difference and I would certainly use your services in the future.
-Susan and Neil V. Port Coquitlam May 2009
“If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it. Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
- William Norris,1834-1896
“Space is not something to be filled with beautiful things; space is beauty.”
- author unknown
BEFORE: Living Room before ReDesign, conversation area felt cramped and the room small
Living room before home staging
AFTER: Living Room after ReDesign – “Space is beauty.” Restyling opened up room and created opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the room and the serene view.
Living room after home staging
Dear Leah,
Thank you so much for the amazing job you did staging our townhouse in Port Moody. Although we felt wewere priced to sell, this slow uncertain market was a cause for concern.
After the initial consultation I cleared the decks as you directed and when you and your assistant arrived I was astonished as you transformed my house into a spacious, beautiful showplace – and using only our stuff.
To our delight the very first people who viewed our house made an offer and after a short negotiation we had a deal. And you gave me lots of great ideas for placing our stuff when we get to our new home in Campbell River.
Great job and worth every penny.
- Barbara S. Port Moody April 2009
For MLS pictures to hold a buyer's interest, the selling features of the room must be captured in a glance. In this case, spaciousness, great light quality & gleaming floors!
Hi Leah – I can’t remember if I had a chance to say thanx for emailing the photos. The place looked great when it was done and we sold it in a day after that. Presentation still rules!!! Thanx again for all your help.
- Jeff Gemby. Remax All Points Realty 604.936.0422 RealtyGuys.ca April 2009
Are you familiar with the saying “You can’t see the forest for the trees”? Successful home staging corrects a situation where “You can’t see the house for the things”.
THE CHALLENGE: In this family room, the furniture overpowered and crowded the space, and distracted from appreciating the dimensions of the room itself. Though quite spacious, it felt cramped and crowded. A room arranged for living, the TV unit was the focal point and the fireplace ignored. The wall color and window coverings needed updating.
Family room before redesign
THE SOLUTION: Redesigned to sell, the fireplace and view became the key features of the room to draw attention to and showcase. Staging repositioned the conversation area to face the room’s primary focal point. Extraneous pieces of furniture were removed to enlarge the sense of space, and allowed the room to be captured favorably visually, in a glance. Fresh paint and a new lampshade completed the restyling of the homeowners own furnishings.
Family room after redesign
THE LESSON: The way we live and the way to sell are two very different things. Edit furniture and possessions to increase the sense of space. Restyle positioning of furniture to focus attention on the room’s focal point. Remove any distractions that hinder a buyer from capturing a snapshot view of the room with only a glance.
Hello Leah, Just want to drop you a quick line to say a huge “thank you” for a job very well done.
My house opened for sale on Aug 01, 2008. The first couple who walked through put down a bid for it the same evening. They had been searching for about three months, and they said they “fell in love at first sight” with the house!
Considering the state of the housing market, which is evident from the number of “for sale” signs up in my area as well as from the news reports about the cooling BC real estate market; I thought I was very very lucky.
You must have created some magic in my home and I thank you once again. I would not have known where to start my preparations to sell if it wasn’t for you.
- Indira M., Coquitlam August 2008
