Selling Your Home with Kids

I get it – you all have to live in your home while it's listed for sale...

The home-selling process can be very disruptive, and often stressful, on kids. You may want to recommend that they play a part in preparing their rooms for sale themselves, to help them with the transition. If you have any knowledge of their next home, you can also help to get them excited about getting their new home ready.

-       Engage your kids in the process – get them involved with deciding what will stay, and what will be packed for the new house.

-       Kid’s toys should be limited to their bedrooms and play area (if available). Remove all additional toys from the living room, kitchen, dining room, and other adult entertaining areas.

  -       If you need to have some toys in an adult area, considering investing in a wicker or canvas basket - fill with toys, and place a blanket over the top to cover. This will cleverly disguise your toy basket as a simple “blanket basket”!

-       Kid’s play areas are a great selling feature, in the right neighbourhood, if there is space available for them. Adding baskets to these areas will help to keep the toys contained, and somewhat organized.

-       Kid’s Rooms – Kids will be kids, but when selling a house, it’s important that to check their rooms each morning to ensure that the beds are made and toys put away.

-       Limit the toys to a maximum of 2 toy bins, and unless these are considered decorative, such as a storage bench, keep these bins stored away in the closet or under the bed.

-       Take advantage of your “free” storage areas – these are areas that prospective buyers will not be looking in and includes under beds, dresser drawers, and inside any other furniture that you own. Remember, if it is sold with the house, they will look inside, so avoid over-filling any built-in cabinets or closet spaces.

-       Tone down any accessories and wall coverings – since it’s a kid’s room, some toys or other fun items should be on display, but be sure that these are kept to a minimum as well, and aim for a few select larger items rather than multiple small items.

-->

While parents have often joked about shipping their kids off for the time that the house is for sale, some clients have actually make arrangements for the kids to be out of town, or have an extended stay at grandparent’s house for the first week or two. This helps to minimize stress on everyone, and allow them to be more flexible with available showing times – this can result in a faster sale, and return to normal life.

Selling Your Home with Pets

When preparing your home for sale, the ultimate goal is to ensure that the home shows at it’s very best, and appeals to as many potential buyers as possible. This strengthens your chance of receiving quality offers, and selling the home quickly.

Unfortunately, not all buyers are pet lovers, and in fact, a home with pets can often be a cause of concern for many, especially for those with allergies. Evidence of pets such as toys, food dishes, and pet beds will also put potential buyers on the lookout for damage throughout the house that may have been caused by furry family members. By eliminating the presence of the pets in the home, buyers can focus on the home’s features, instead of scrutinizing and looking for flaws.

The BTSH team consists of serious animal lovers, and we are proud of our dedication to the animal community. We are all pet owners, and Shauna Lynn takes “crazy cat lady” to a whole new level. Despite this, our recommendations when selling a home with pets is always the same - consider removing all pets from the home, not only for showings, but for the duration of the sale. At the very least, aim for a temporary home for your furry family members for the first two weeks that the home is listed – this is when you receive the greatest amount of traffic and interest in the house. Approach trusted friends and relatives about opening their home to your fur babies. This will mean less stress on both you, and the pets. Animals can be incredibly sensitive to changes, and to strangers in the house (even when they are removed from the home for showings), and you won’t have the worry of trying to maintain the home with the fur, dirt, and other messes that these pets create for us.

If removing your pets is not an option, there are some steps that you can take to ensure that the evidence of them is minimized. To minimize any potential pet odours, ensure that all pets and pet areas are given a thorough cleaning. Opening the windows for a few minutes every day, regardless of the season, will help to remove any stale odours that may be lingering.

Selling Your Home With Cats
Selling your home can be especially stressful for cats, so it is strongly recommended that cat-owners find a temporary home for them while the house is on the market. Indoor cats, when left in the house for showings, often escape, whether by fright or negligence of the potential buyers.

If the cat(s) absolutely must remain in the house for showings, it is important that their presence is minimized as much as possible.

• Litter box should be cleaned twice daily
• Litter box should be completely emptied and washed at least once a week
• Remove cat and litter box for showings if possible (sometimes this can be as simple as a car ride for the duration of the showing or open house)
• Store food in an unmarked, opaque container – this will help to keep it hidden from buyers, as well as keep the food fresh
• Remove all scratch trees, beds, and all toys
• Ensure that their food area is kept clean and tidy, and remove it for showings
• Vacuum and dust daily

Selling Your Home With Dogs
Dogs are a little easier to “hide” while a house is on the market. Usually, a homeowner (or a friend or family member) can remove the dog(s) for showings, if given sufficient notice. It is still recommended that a temporary home be found for dogs whenever possible, but if they must remain living in the house for the time that it is on the market, their presence should be minimized as much as possible.

• Remove the dog for all showings
• Hide all evidence (leashes, food, toys, beds, etc.)
• Store food in an unmarked, opaque container – this will help to keep it hidden from buyers as well as keep the food fresh
• Thoroughly clean all fabric surfaces (couch, carpet, rugs, bed, etc.)
• Keep dog(s) well-groomed
• Clean the house regularly
• Keep the yard cleaned and patch any bare areas

To check out a few of the furry friends that we have had the pleasure of meeting and working with, check out our video here.

For more information on how to prepare your home for sale, contact Beyond The Stage Homes!

Phone: 1-266-240-0766
Email: info@btshomes.com
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

How to Celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday in Waterloo Region

This is a big year for Canada, as well as Waterloo Region! So how can you make this the most memorable birthday yet? Here are just a few ideas that the BTSH team has put together for you:

1. You know how great it is when your birthday lands on the weekend – it means no work, all play, and a leisurely start to the day! Nothing says “Canadian” like morning pancakes or waffles with some local Maple Syrup.

PHOTO CREDIT: HARVEY E. MARTIN MAPLE SYRUP

2. Hosting a party? Check out some of our favourite Canadian-themed pins!

3. Create your own fireworks display – here are the by-law guidelines for

• Kitchener – Canada day or the day prior or after 
• Waterloo – Canada day or on the 7 days prior or after 
• Cambridge – Canada day or 2 days prior or after 
• Guelph – Canada day or the day before 

4. Head to downtown Kitchener for a free concert and fireworks display. Festivities start at 5pm and feature the James Barker Band (19+)! Check out the Kitchener Market 10am-2pm for a family-friendly Canada Day event including live music, face painting, crafts and more!

5. Organize a neighbourhood bike rally – set up a table to supply Canada themed bike decorations, including ribbons, stickers, garland, etc. and invite your neighbours to bring Canadian themed snacks and treats.

6. Dress yourself in your favourite red and whites! Check out Old Navy for some great Canadian themed garbs for every age.

7. Host a Canada Day scavenger hunt - around your neighbourhood or your back yard!

• For around your neighbourhood, create a list of red, white, or Canadian flag items to be found, and have your players take photos as they uncover these items. 
• Around your yard, hide red, white, and Canadian themed treats and prizes 

8. Canada Day 2017 at the University of Waterloo celebrates not only Canada’s 150th, but also celebrates the University’s 60th anniversary, PLUS the 50th anniversary of the UW Federation of Students. Celebration includes performance by Tom Cochrane with Red Rider! Get all the details here.

Phone: 1-266-240-0766
Email: info@btshomes.com
www.beyondthestagehomes.com

10 Things Your Home Stager Did NOT Learn From HGTV

We get it, you've watched all of the home renovation and home sale shows, read all of the online articles and tips regarding setting up your home to sell, and you have checked off everything on every home selling checklist you could find, so why would you need to hire a Professional Home Stager? We often hear homeowners say, “I don’t need a stager, I watch HGTV all the time, and I know that I need to remove the clutter and the personal items.”

These reality shows have really put the home staging industry in the spotlight over the last few years, and have helped homeowners to better understand the importance of preparing their home prior to listing it for sale. But, while these shows provide the basics of what this preparation involves, they don’t provide the full picture of what it really takes to properly style and STAGE your home in order to evoke the emotional connection that your prospective buyers are looking for.

Your home is one of a kind, and it should be treated as such! You want to stand out from the competition, so why would you use the same checklists as everyone else? Would you clean your own teeth, or would you choose to hire a trained professional to do this for you? Your home deserves the right attention with specific recommendations, geared towards your home, from an expert that specializes in doing just that, in order to highlight your home’s greatest features. So what are these articles and lists NOT telling you? As a Home Stager, these are just a few of the things that we have learned, through our professional training and many years of experience: 

      1.      Where to place YOUR furniture so that the room remains open and inviting, while maintaining function and flow

This does not mean simply moving all of your furniture to the edges of the room. This means understanding proper traffic flow, as well as the latest furniture styling trends. We will evaluate what should stay, what should be removed, and where to properly position your furniture to optimize flow, eliminate awkward spaces, and highlight the best features of the room.

      2.      Shelf Styling

By far one of the trickiest decorating techniques to master, this is the art of filling the shelves to catch your eye, without diverting your attention from the room. This means selecting the right size and style of pieces to compliment the space and the shelving unit, and understanding the balance between too little and too much.

      3.     Paint Colour selection

Just because a colour is popular or trendy, does not mean that it’s the best one to use for your home. Colours are selected based on lighting, home style, and the colour of the finishes of the home. Sure, we have our favourites, but each colour is selected to best suit the home.

      4.     What local trades will provide you with the best services, at the best value prices

We have spent a great amount of our time forging valued relationships with highly skilled trades to ensure that you receive quality work, every time. We only work with professionals, and often these professionals will provide special discounts to our clients.

      5.     Where to shop for the final touches and accessories that your home needs

We spend more time than anyone shopping for home décor items and finding the best deals, and we can provide you with some direction on this to help you to avoid driving all around town looking for the perfect piece. Of course, you would save even more time if you hired us to provide you with the accessories and accent pieces that your home needs.

      6.     Which updates/upgrades will most benefit YOUR house in YOUR market, neighbourhood, and price range

We not only evaluate what upgrades and repairs would add to the value of your home, but we look at what will help to increase it’s overall sell-ability – upgrades are not worth much if they’re not the right ones to entice your specific buyers. We consulted on a home once that spent a great deal of money replacing their kitchen, but for their target market, their funds would have been better spent doing other repairs to the home and minor updates to the kitchen.

      7.     How to make a bed

Forget what your mother taught you – making your bed before work, and styling your bed to sell your home are completely different! I can’t tell you how often we see this common mistake in listing photos.

      8.     How to utilize a piece of furniture for an alternate purpose

This does not mean putting an end table in an office and calling it a desk. It’s about thinking outside of the box when it comes to finding the right piece, often within your home already, to fulfill a purpose for a room and help to clearly define the space.

      9.     How to enhance your curb appeal

Yes, cut the grass, trim the trees, and mulch the gardens, we know that you have that covered. But there’s likely more that you should be doing. If your buyers are not engaged with the home before they get to the front door, you could potentially lose out on that sale. We are property stylists, and we want to be sure to create an inviting space, inside and out.

      10.    How to maintain function and daily life, while living in a staged home

  

      We understand that it’s not easy to maintain a show-ready home, but we have seen it all and are prepared to provide you with easily implementable solutions to help you to get through the day-to-day. Of course the best part is, in a professionally staged home, you won’t have to maintain it for long before it’s SOLD!

The checklists and tips you find online are a great step towards preparing your home, but a Professional Home Stager can provide you with the specific recommendations that will help you to bring in the buyers and sell your home.

Contact Beyond The Stage Homes today to find out how to get your property sold!

Phone: +1 (226) 240-0766
Email: info@btshomes.com
www.beyondthestagehomes.com