On Neutral Paints when Selling a House

Giving your house a fresh coat of paint prior to selling continues to be one of the best updates you can do in terms of return on investment; not only does it make the home look fresh and clean but it provides for a great first  impression and a well-maintained look!

You may have heard about choosing a neutral colour for selling a house.  Sticking with neutrals eliminates any objections and distractions and provides buyers an easy backdrop for their belongings… it allows them to move right in and personalize it down the road if they choose!

There are countless neutrals to choose from, all with different undertones — some more pronounced than others.  So how do you choose which colour may be best? The most important thing to keep in mind is paint colours should compliment the home’s existing fixed finishes such as flooring, countertops, and cabinets.

This bedroom is painted with Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray SW 7029 | Waterloo, ON

Some of the most common choices for selling a house would be lighter neutrals with little visible undertone.  Some colours, by Sherwin-Williams, that are versatile and consistently work well in a variety of settings are: 

• Alabaster SW 7006
• Agreeable Gray SW 7029  *shown in bedroom photo above
• Amazing Gray SW 7044
• Moderne White SW 6168
• Repose Gray SW 7015
• Worldly Gray SW 7043

KW Home Staging & Redesign | Favourite Neutral Paint Colours

Neutrals tend to be my favourite even when not thinking of resale!  I like complimenting them with deep muted hues on accent walls!  

And remember: Neutral coloured rooms don’t have to be boring!  If you feel like you’re missing some colour, try pops of colour through artwork and accessories (new throw pillows)!

Paint discounts and trade professional recommendations available to KW Home Staging & Redesign clients!  Please inquire!

An in-home Colour Consultation is included as part of the Home Staging Consultation service or can be scheduled on its own.  Please review our services at: https://www.homestagingkw.com/serviceoverview

How We Refinished Our Staircase - Without Sanding!

Written by Julie Metaxas, KW Home Staging & Redesign

This is a quick post to give some courage and inspriation to those who may be considering refinishing their dated oak staircase.  This is simply one tried and true option -- as I know there are many out there.  After doing it ourselves, I can definitely say I would recommend this method -- after considering the unique features and requirements of your particular project, of course! 

We followed the methods and suggestions from this particular blog: http://www.practicallyspoiled.com/2014/10/23/how-to-gel-stain-oak-banisters/ 

...and we're extremely happy with the way it turned out, and have no concerns with how it's holding up either!

Incase you're wondering, here are the products we used (for the gel stain components used on the stair treads, spindles, railing, and posts):

What We Used
(for the gel stain components used on the stair treads, spindles, railing, and posts)

So now, you HAVE to CHECK THIS OUT! 

Before & After & Along the Way 

Realtor.ca Listing Photo from when we purchased the home in 2017
(however you may guess this photo was taken in 1977!)

And here it began: 8 months into our move (as renovations go... many months later than planned)... Ripping up the carpet!

This is me applying the gel stain... With my husband's old (clean) sock on my hand.  We went through several of these in the end.

Some photos of the process...

After gel stain coat #1

After gel stain coat #3

Painting (priming) proved much more difficult than it seemed and I was worried I wouldn't be able to get a nice professional finish.  To the rescue, a pro painter for the finishing coats!

Some more Before & Afters...

Before

After

Before

After

Source Guide:
Paint: Sherwin-Williams SW7006 Extra White (primer: Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond Primer)
Carpet: Tuftex | Only Natural in Carbon | https://www.tuftexcarpets.com
Carpet purchase and installation: S.L. Marcella Carpets in Waterloo http://www.marcellacarpets.ca
Painter: Debbie Ennis, Creative Walls 519-573-6359
The How-To: http://www.practicallyspoiled.com/2014/10/23/how-to-gel-stain-oak-banisters/ 

It's Been Too Long - Hello 2018!

Wow, it's been way too long since I've updated the blog!  Where did 2017 go?  As an entrepreneur largely tackling this business on my own, I guess something's gotta give, and my time has been spent primarily on Home Staging Consultations, the occasional vacant staging project, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with running a busy little business.  All this to say, better luck seeing me on Facebook or Instagram!  Happy upcoming 2018!

Julie

Design Project - Main Floor Renovation

Incase you missed it, visit the link below to take you to a Facebook photo album telling the story of this recent Design Project, from start to finish:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1850001535268131.1073741839.1694621390806147&type=1&l=f1984c8c5d

The Power of Paint: BEFORE & AFTER

Most often, home sellers know they have to do some level of refacing to get their homes ready for sale but the problem is they are not sure exactly where to begin.  

A list of property-specific recommendations are covered in our Home Staging Consultation in a collaborative approach with the Realtor and home owners.

In this case, a can of paint and some guidance and support went a long way to get this dining room move-in-ready for potential home buyers.

When a home stager recommends that a client remove personal touches and give a room a fresh coat of neutral paint, the goal is always to achieve a move-in ready feel and to allow buyers to see the true potential and value of the space.

Before

After this Home Staging Consultation, our sellers were left with some clear direction and support on how to best showcase this dining room using their existing belongings and a fresh coat of paint.

By making these small changes, buyers can now entirely focus on what we’re trying to sell - the house!  

Bright, spacious, functional, beautiful!

What an outstanding transformation!

Paint Colour:  Sherwin-Williams SW 7029 Agreeable Grey

This Kitchener-Waterloo home sold in multiple offers for well over asking price in less than a week on the market!

Congrats to our sellers and their hard-working Realtor, Paul Koebel, on their outstanding efforts and quick, successful sale!

Top 5 Reasons REALTORS Choose to Work with KW Home Staging & Redesign

(for a Home Staging Consultation) 

Derived from feedback and conversations from current Realtor clients, read below to learn the top reason why Realtors choose KW Home Staging & Redesign to provide a Home Staging Consultation to their home seller clients.

1.   The tactful approach 

Sometimes home stagers can get a poor reputation for being harsh, rude or even insulting.  This is never our approach.  We are not hesitant to deliver information that could hamper or impact the sale of the home, however we choose a tactful and professional approach to this conversation. 

2.   The full-service consultation

Home Staging Consultations in Kitchener-Waterloo vary in price and can include any combination of: verbal recommendations, obtaining the stager’s hand-written notes, written reports, and/or after-service care.  Not all consultations are the same and many offer the verbal recommendations ("walk & talk consultation") only.  KW Home Staging & Redesign’s consultation is competitively priced and is considered a full-service consultation.  Our goal is to make home sellers feel confident in their ability to implement our recommendations, on their own, without any additional and unnecessary costs.  We are, however, available upon the sellers' request, for additional services.

3.   The written report and after-service support 

Proven to be the very elements that allow our DIY sellers to be successful in properly preparing and staging their homes!

4.   Value-add for listing presentations 

With a shortage of inventory on the market, there is more competition than ever for local real estate agents to get listings.  A complimentary Home Staging Consultation for home sellers is considered a value-add service for a realtor's listing package, and with us, a home staging consultation does not need to be intimidating for home sellers as there is never any pressure to hire KW Home Staging & Redesign for additional services.

5.   The handyman referral 

Often Home Staging Consultation recommendations include suggested updates and repairs required prior to listing, but let’s face it - not all sellers have the time or budget, or skill to accomplish this.  Our trusted referral partner, Kingwood Craftsmen Ltd. can help and KW Home Staging & Redesign offers a 20% referral discount on their Handyman Service.

Owner-Occupied Home Staging & Design Solutions

Servicing Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas
KW Home Staging & Redesign

Say HELLO to KW Home Staging & Redesign's new Home Office!

Say HELLO to KW Home Staging & Redesign's new Home Office!

Further to a previous post "Wallpaper is Absolutely a Great Option Today" I thought I would share my 'After' photos from my home office makeover.

As some of you know, the need for this project escalated over the months.  I wish I had a picture, but I had been working off a plastic and metal folding table from a hardware store.  It lacked adequate workspace, shelving, drawers, comfort, and of course, style!

I'm a firm believer that disorganized work spaces hurt productivity.  A work environment needs to be clean, organized, functional and inviting; it needs to be a space where we feel comfortable and that inspires us.  A happy place, at work!

The opportunity came this August, when my in-laws offered to take the kids away to 'Gramma Camp' for the week.  What better time?  I jumped on the opportunity!

I couldn't forego the wallpaper!

And after careful planning and a few late nights, I couldn't be happier with the results!!!  Invoicing and those tedious day-to-day tasks of running a business is just SO much more enjoyable with this project complete!

Source guide:

Wallpaper - Brewster Home Fashions
Chairs - Pier 1 Imports
Desktop - 98" walnut countertop
Cabinetry - Ikea Sektion, Alex
Decor - Various

KW Home Staging & Redesign 

www.homestagingkw.com

WALLPAPER IS ABSOLUTELY A GREAT OPTION TODAY!

There seems to be some debate about whether wallpaper is 'in' again.  For some, the thought may make them cringe!  I will not hesitate to say, however, that WALLPAPER IS ABSOLUTELY A GREAT OPTION!!!  ...When done right and in the right application.  My strongest recommendation would be to restrict it to a feature wall and use it subtly.  Do not overdo it or go so bold that it overpowers the room.

Source: Pinterest

Source: Pinterest

Source: Pinterest

  

Source: Pinterest

Great patterns available today!
...These are by Brewster (see link below)

Another reason to not shy away from wallpapering: There are products on the market today that ease the ability to remove it down the road, while making it easier to apply, too. Here is one example:

Shur-Stik 78 Premixed Wallsize

A glimpse into my current project in the making:

Home Office Makeover

I have to admit, it wasn't an easy thing to DIY, but well worth the effort and it turned out amazing!  Thanks to Dulux Paints - Waterloo for the excellent service and support for the scope of this project!  

Visit www.brewsterwallcovering.com for a great selection of subtle modern patterns and even more traditional ones, available by special order at retailers in North America:  Where to Buy

The Goal is Mass Appeal!

Q: Is Home Staging for a particular type of home?

I read something recently supporting home staging for every price bracket and I think it's so true. It referenced the point that EVERY home is SOMEONE'S luxury home. 

Adequately preparing a home for sale and staging it can help create the 'luxury' effect for ANY home on the market, for ANY buyer looking to visualize THEIR perfect space. 

A large number of professional home stagers will work in diverse markets and price points and will address far beyond the scope of what is traditionally thought to fall under the umbrella of home staging. From traditional decluttering and depersonalizing to recognizing areas of concern for buyers on both a conscious and subconscious level... But I'll save that for another post!

The bottom line is that regardless of the home itself, it is now a PRODUCT - and the goal is mass appeal! Even professionally designed homes may not highlight the home's best selling features and may reflect personal tastes that may not appeal to most buyers!

Finish & Fixture Selection Service

Here is a glimpse into our Finish & Fixture Selection service including customized idea boards, design boards, product sourcing and shopping services!  It all starts with a preliminary meeting (full consultation) to determine the scope of the project, your timelines, and your goals.  Following this visit we will deliver a detailed proposal with a plan and cost to execute this service.  

Customized Design Board by KW Home Staging & Redesign

AREA RUG SHOPPING? Here’s something you may never have considered!

There are so many considerations for choosing the perfect area rug and this has been proven to be a tedious and time consuming task given the selection (or lack thereof) on the market.

Did you find the perfect rug… but it’s not the right size. Find the right size… but it’s not the perfect colour or pile height? Are you pretty sure you found what you like but are contemplating if it's worth lugging it home onlyto find out it’s not right? Side note of precaution: Some online retailers (i.e. Wayfair.ca) will allow free returns, but make you pay for return shipping - Yikes!

PROBLEM SOLVED! Consider having your rug bound! There are countless options on the market today, more than ever! You can choose from different stylish patterns, colours and shades. You can bring home the palette sample to ensure the right pattern and colour and then order to your specs! It’s that easy! PS. Bound rugs also tend to be better quality too!

And the cost? It may surprise you to hear it’s quite comparable to what you may pay at major retailers (HomeSense, Lowes, Wayfair, etc).
Tuftex is a brand I’m familiar (and happy) with but do your research and I’m sure you’ll find many more! Try calling the friendly staff at The Carpet Store in Kitchener for more information!

On Staging and Toys, Toys ...and More Toys; Staging Kids' Spaces!

Sellers often have the notion that they must hide away all their kids’ stuff when selling their house.  The good news is, this is absolutely unnecessary in my opinion - especially if young families are part of the target market for the sale!  

Prospective buyers with kids will like to see a usable play area for their kids!  I do, however, feel it’s often necessary to scale down, quite drastically, on what we have out around the house.  Over the years we tend to collect more toys than any kid would ever need (sound familiar?) and kids toys, more than anything, tend to overrun our daily living spaces.  My most common recommendation when it comes to kids ‘stuff’ (toys, craft tables, etc) is to isolate and display it in a designated space...  a section of the basement rec room, kids’ bedrooms, or ideally, a playroom.   Use decorative baskets or bins - they make everything look neat and tidy!  And again, don’t forget to take this opportunity to pack away or donate a majority of the small things that can be seen as clutter and take the focus away from what we’re selling - the house!

KW Home Staging & Redesign | Home Staging Consultations | Staging Kids Rooms

Let's Create Some Gallery Walls!

Spent some time at HomeSense last night with two great friends!  The mission:  Gallery walls for their homes!  The inspiration:  A past project I had done!  The limitations:  Nothing but the space we were working with, and the current feel and decor of the home, of course!  We had some great success with both collections, and what better end to the evening than a delicious pina colada on an outdoor patio!  Thanks for the nice evening, girls! 

KW Home Staging & Redesign

Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas

Hidden Gems from Around the House Help Create This!

I thought I should share an example of a room transformation from an owner-occupied Home Staging I was a part of recently.

This room was staged using the home seller's furniture and accessories from around the home. It's incredible what we can do with repurposing and relocating furniture and items from shelves, bins and closets to create a pleasant space buyers can enjoy without distraction!

Even if prospective buyers do not intend to make this a child's room, the furniture helps show scale and the subtle decor helps bring the space to life!

-with Beyond The Stage Homes  http://www.beyondthestagehomes.com

KW Home Staging & Redesign | www.homestagingkw.com | info@homestagingkw.com | 519-208-6406

Julie's Top 3 Tips for How to Sell a House with Kids!

I've worked with numerous sellers who ask the question all the time... "How am I going to keep this house clean and show-ready with kids?!"  Here is some advice I like to give and some things that have worked for our sellers!

1.  GET THEM INVOLVED  Talk to them about the process and why it’s important to keep the home looking its best for potential buyers.  Get them excited about getting the house sold (asap) and the new adventure to come for them!  

2.  SORTING AND ORGANIZING CAN BE AN ACTIVITY  Make a game of it or provide small rewards if that’s something that tends to work for your kids!

3.  HAVE A SPOT FOR EVERYTHING  Use nice baskets and bins - They make everything look neat and tidy!  Make sure items aren’t spilling over and with open top baskets, be sure things are placed nicely within if you can see up top.  Be careful with clear bins that aren’t in a cabinet, closet, drawer, or storage room since they can look junky! 

KW Home Staging & Redesign www.homestagingkw.com

23rd Annual Charity Golf Tournament

KW Home Staging & Redesign is happy to support the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors' 23rd Annual Charity Golf Tournament in support of Habitat for Humanity on June 28th. We will be donating two Home Staging Consultations, available for auction at the event! 

A couple foursomes left to fill - don't wait! Click the link for more information or to register:  https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/kwar-23rd-annual-charity-golf-t…

We Eliminate Distractions! What does that mean?...

Distraction \ dis·trac·tion (home staging): Anything that takes the focus away from what we're selling - the house!

YOU MAY BE SURPRISED to learn what can be distracting to a buyer. Some distractions are obvious, like bold coloured walls and clutter, while others are subtle and can often affect buyers on a subconscious level. 

The average home seller may not know how to pick out what may be a distraction (not to mention sellers are often understandably biased given it's their own home). Even avid DIY-ers will often miss eliminating these!

Home stagers are trained to identify and eliminate distractions that could prevent buyers from seeing the true potential and value of a home.

By identifying and addressing distractions from a buyer's perspective, KW Home Staging & Redesign helps its clients create a home that will appeal to the most home buyers.

Contact us today!

www.homestagingkw.com/#!consultations

Back to Basics | The Home Staging Consultation

Real Estate Agents, Home Sellers:  Read on to see how this service can benefit you!

A Home Staging Consultation is the cornerstone of the home staging process.  When we talk about staging a home, it all begins with a consultation.  Home owners can choose to implement recommendations themselves or schedule a home stager for a choice of Staging Services.  

Depending on the market and what is offered as part of the consultation, the investment for a staging consultation can range anywhere from $75 to upward of $500 (in areas like the GTA), in general.  

About KW Home Staging & Redesign, specifically…

We are specially trained to ensure that money invested on preparing your home is being focused on the right things and places.  We will make recommendations on upgrades, repairs, and staging that will benefit your property in today’s market.

KW Home Staging & Redesign has structured its consultation to include a detailed walk-through of the home (with the home owner) for up to 2 hours.  At the end of the visit we provide a property-specific report detailing the recommendations discussed.  

Our Home Staging Consultations address a number of important points, such as:

* suggested updates, upgrades and repairs that will yield a high ROI (return on investment);

* colour consultation for paint recommendations;

* cleaning, decluttering, depersonalizing requirements;

* practical tips for organization and storage;

* proper furniture and accessory layout and placement; and

* decor assessment.

The feedback on this service has been phenomenal!  Our clients love receiving a report to work from and have expressed satisfaction with our process, ideas, and delivery.

KW Home Staging & Redesign is pleased to offer this comprehensive and property-specific Home Staging Consultation service for only $200!  Realtors and Home Sellers alike - Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you simplify and reduce the time your property is listed!  Not to mention an amazing ROI when our recommendations are implemented!

Realtor.ca | Listing ID: 30512552 | For sale

Open House Saturday 2-4!