OVERVIEW
Decluttering goes a long way. It seems to be the most obvious advice that you hear or read of when you are preparing a home for sale. Also, the often repeated phrase, “the way you live in your house and they way you sell your house are two completely different things”.
Some homeowners can end up having a lot of difficulty with adjusting their lifestyle and their things to sell their home. In this case, there was no difficulty whatsoever. However, a lot of effort was involved. Let’s face it, having kids and a daily routine as a family is disruptive to getting a home ready for a photo shoot! No one lives like that. Although I met one couple in my days working in Halifax, that had a remarkably organized home close to what would compete with Martha Stewart’s digs. Completely atypical though.
The client in this case, was highly motivated and he knew he had a gem of a property with beautiful furniture, art and collectibles to help augment the presentation. With the assistance of his agents and myself, we helped him along the way, and created a plan to address the staging process and in the end provide stunning results. The client took on a lot of purging and packing on his own over a comfortable schedule.
Services provided:
I particpated in three phases:
Provide a thorough staging consultation offering my insight into what needed to be addressed.
Put together an idea of what could be rented to augment the presentation.
Work onsite before listing photography to stage the property.
Admittedly, I was like a kid in a candy store, choosing accessories and art to rearrange and place for staging the house. They worked beautifully with the overall vibe of the home; pairing old and new is a fun task.
The important thing to remember, which applies to all staging situations, is to keep it simple and unfussy. Especially in a Victorian home, where decorative features can be ornate, assymetry is common, and there are usually stained glass windows to showcase, it’s important to let these things shine. Distraction through personal effects would be detrimental. Luckily, the contrast of the owner’s modern vernacular also aligned perfectly with the concept of keeping things simple and paired down. It was a perfect recipe!
WHAT THE CLIENT SAID
“I was thankful for my agents bringing in Kathleen to make the property shine at the finish line. She did a beautiful job.”
-Vincent
“Every property and client is a unique experience for us. We appreciate Kathleen’s ability to adapt to the specific needs of a home - we like that she takes a customized approach to her services.”
- Louise and Jason Dodd, Johnston and Daniel