How to Transform Your Backyard and be the Envy of Your Neighbours

Canadians love to entertain all year round, and nothing can keep Canadian’s inside during the summer months! With summer weather now in full swing, we are not only enjoying the gorgeous weather but are entertaining our friends and family in our outdoor living spaces. We continue to see the trend of bringing the indoors outside, but outdoor entertainers also crave convenience. This means that they want to have everything that they need at their fingertips – for serving food, storing drinks, and whatever else they need. This means that portability, durability, and weather resistance are a must. Not only that, we want these items to be attractive, and really make a statement.

There is no better product for achieving all of this than the CANVAS Vik Outdoor Fire Table. This stunning table creates a warm and comforting atmosphere in the form of a very versatile, and functional, statement piece. Featuring a unique design to help to keep beverages cool in the pull out ice bucket drawer, this piece provides additional table top space as well as the warmth and ambiance of a fire as night falls. It screams function, convenience and style!

When it comes to outdoor furniture, the trend is much sleeker and more elegant looking than ever before with lighter coloured furniture really making its mark. The CANVAS Clarkson Teak Dining Table is classic and chic, and pairs perfectly with the comfortable rounded back and tapered legs of the CANVAS Seabrooke Wicker Patio Dining Chairs. Not only does this table provide seating for up to 8 people, but it adds a unique and stylish touch to any outdoor dining space.

We just can’t get enough of this year’s on-trend outdoor décor colour of blue, whether it’s with a pop of navy, Mediterranean, or Cobalt, accent any outdoor space through your accessories and linens. The striking patterns on these accent pillows, like the CANVAS Porto Toss Cushion with Tripel and CANVAS Indigo Toss Cushion, really elevate the space and bring in the comfort of indoor living with a durable fabric and with high quality fill that holds its shape.

Anchor your outside space with a durable outdoor carpet that has loads of style. The CANVAS Melita Outdoor Rug boasts a contemporary design that adds texture, colour, and personality to your outdoor space.

Setting your outdoor table with CANVAS Faux Marble plates and bowls add a modern elegance and, while marble is nothing new, the smooth textures and swirly natural designs in a durable outdoor place setting, looks as elegant as our best indoor place setting. The CANVAS Round Marble & Acacia Wood Board is ideal for serving everything from appetizers to desserts, pairs beautifully with this place setting.

As the sun sets, lighting extends our time outside and adds an elegant ambiance. This year, lanterns are the statement pieces that not only provide light but add a level of sophistication. Check out the detail of the CANVAS Souk Patio Lantern and whimsy of the CANVAS Black Rope Solar Powered Lantern, which as the name indicates, has the added convenience of being solar powered.

Most importantly, have fun with your outdoor spaces. This is a great way to bring in some edgy and fun décor, and let your personality shine through.

Click here to see Shauna Lynn discuss the CANVA line with Lindsay Morrison on CTV Kitchener.

Marketing A House That's For Sale

The key to top-sales is a solid marketing plan – this means identifying your target market, understanding their needs, creating an impactful marketing message, and presenting a quality product. You need to make the sale all about the person that you are trying to sell to.

So, what does this mean for selling your home?

Everything…

Home staging is an effective marketing technique that integrates decorating with marketing and creates an experience for home buyers. It’s about more than just furnishing a home – it’s about selling a lifestyle! In order to present a “product” that your potential buyers will want, invest in a home staging consultation, and if needed, hire a home stager for additional services, including furniture, artwork, and accessory rental, to complete the look. By working with a home stager, you can identify and address all buyer perceptions, positive or negative, and ensure the most positive experience possible.

Home staging alone is not what sells a house, though it is certainly a contributing factor! Regardless of how great the home shows to buyers, listing the home for the correct price for the market, the neighbourhood, and the quality of home is key to a successful sale. This will allow you to draw in buyers from the right target market, and get the best value out of your home. A qualified real estate agent is your best resource for pricing your home appropriately – avoid making a common mistake that many homeowners make when choosing an agent. Do not choose the agent solely based on providing you with the highest list price, or the lowest commission – a qualified agent will price your house based on what they feel will net the largest return, without discouraging buyers. As well, you want your agent to work hard for you. This means putting in the time and marketing efforts necessary to ensure a successful and profitable sale, and top agents will charge a fair commission based on industry standards.

Select an agent that will ensure your home receives the greatest amount of exposure to home buyers, and is marketed to showcase the best selling features of the home. Your qualified agent will also help to advise you on the best offers to consider, and ensure that you net the highest amount of money possible for your home while also working to get you the terms that you need. In choosing the right real estate agent for you, consider the following: 

• How well do they understand the current market and trends? 
• Ask around – if you know of someone that has recently sold a home, ask them about their experience and ask for recommendations. 
• What type of negotiation skills do they have? 
• What value-added services do they offer to ensure that you will receive top-dollar for your home? This may include a pre-listing home inspection, professional photography, home staging, and more. 

Review their marketing plan – what will they do to provide you and your home with the maximum exposure that it needs to ensure that you attract all potential buyers?

Once your home is staged and ready for market, and you have selected the real estate agent that will work to get your home sold, it’s time for you to share your home with the world. It’s time to make an impression, and that impression is first made through the photos that you show of your home online. This is where the skills and expertise of a professional photographer come in. With ever-changing technology, no matter how great of a photo your cell phone might take, it cannot compare to the tools, and the talent, that a professional photographer will bring to the table. To prove our point, we have taken some great photos with our iPhone 6S, and compared to those of our photographer, Ross Bennett at 3SixtyVideo.

So when it’s time to sell your home, remember to put all of your best marketing tools to work for you, and you will see the results in a quick sale, and maximum profit.