Meet Your Client’s Opposition to Staging Head-on

By Charlene Storozuk

Recently, I had the pleasure of exhibiting at the REALTORS® Without BORDERS Convention & Trade Show, Southern Ontario’s largest annual conference on real estate.

I must say that I was very impressed by the number of REALTORS® who are advocates of home staging.  There are still a few sitting on the fence about its merits, but in time, as home staging grows in popularity, I’m confident that even more will become believers.

In speaking with REALTORS® at the show, I learned that the apprehension voiced by some was out of fear of offending their clients.  They felt that the suggestion of bringing in a home stager would be met with resistance.  Admittedly, this is a legitimate concern, but one that can be overcome.  For that reason, I decided to touch on it in this blog post.

Undoubtedly, you have come across many home owners who feel their home is perfect just the way it is.  How do you tactfully tell them that the life-size portrait of dear old Aunt Edna in the front hall is downright frightening or that the beer fridge in the bathroom has to go?  Offering your client a complimentary staging consultation alleviates that problem for you since you don’t have to be the bearer of bad news.  Don’t worry though; a professional home stager will be very diplomatic. Read more

Bathroom Update: Maximum Impact on a Minimal ($71) Budget

By Charlene Storozuk

Let me start out by telling you that our home was the recipient of this quick and easy facelift.  My husband and I bought our home as a fixer-upper. It’s taking longer than expected to finish because little things such as life, time, and money seem to get in the way. When it came time to update the bathroom, we had a decision to make. Do we totally renovate it, or spend the money on a new patio instead?

Since both of us love the outdoors, the patio won out. Here’s what I’ve done with the bathroom temporarily and something you can pass along as an inexpensive fix for those selling their homes.

You’ll see that the cupboards looked tired and were starting to peel. The previous home owner painted them before listing, but he either didn’t clean them thoroughly, or he used the wrong paint. Read more

A Home’s Intended Purpose: Does Your Home Pass the Test?

By Charlene Storozuk

Before a property goes on the market, it’s important that every room be showcased in a way that portrays its intended purpose. If not, potential buyers can become confused as to the function of the space.  Take a look at the room in the photo below.

For the current home owner, this room functioned as a flow-over storage area for excess furniture.  Want to hazard a guess at what the builder intended this room to be?

You’re probably thinking that it’s a family room, aren’t you? That would be a pretty good guess.

At first walk-through of this property, I thought it was a family room as well.  After all, there was a couch, love seat, and end tables in there.

Here’s a hint: Do you see the chandelier hanging from the ceiling?

Read more