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.

BTSH Reflects on 2017

As another year comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past 12 months, and peer through the looking glass at the year ahead. We want to thank you for continuing to be a part of our journey, and look forward to another year serving the residents of Waterloo Region.

So what made this year so fantastic? Here are just a few things that happened at Beyond The Stage Homes - thank you for being a part of it!

January - Shauna Lynn Simon and Jennifer Roth attended the biggest home staging industry event in North America, RESACON in Las Vegas, where they continued to develop their skills and build relationships. In addition, Beyond The Stage Homes’ sister company, SLS Academy, was honoured as a finalist for Most Innovative Product for their Client Care Package, a staple in all BTSH consultations since inception.

January – Shauna Lynn was officially sworn in as the Canadian Representative on the National Board of Directors for the Real Estate Staging Association. In her 2-year term, her aim is to grow a stronger home staging community across the country, build awareness for the industry, and forge relationships with Canadian home staging leaders. In her first year, she has travelled to visit all Canadian RESA Chapters, and was instrumental in bringing the Staging to Sell – What Every Agent Should Know professional development course to Canada. The inaugural Canadian class was taught right here in Kitchener-Waterloo in September, providing savvy KW agents with the CSA (Certified Staging Advocate) designation. 

April – Spring is a time to refresh, and BTSH took this as a great opportunity to refresh our home staging inventory! We sold off most of our inventory, helping us to clear out space to bring in new, top-quality items for staging our homes, as we continue to be Waterloo Region’s #1 choice for vacant home staging.

May - BTSH continues to be a proud sponsor of the KW MS Walk by raising funds at our hosted home sellers workshops, providing TeamMS prizes at the walk, and volunteering their time before, during, and following the event. This event helps to raise much needed funds for the MS Society’s Grand River chapter.

July - Received 1st place Diamond Award for the Waterloo Chronicle Reader Awards Interior Design/Furnishings Category 2017

October - Received 1st place Diamond Award for the Record Reader Awards Favourite Interior Decorator 2017 (our 3^rd year in a row, thank you so much!!). To say thanks to our loyal supporters, we are offering a chance to win a $500 shopping spree from Wayfair!

Other notables of 2017:

BTSH enjoyed surprising clients with home-grown maple syrup from Harvey Martin Farm, in commemoration of Canada’s 150!

Shauna Lynn was featured on CTV, Rogers Daytime, podcasts, blogs, and more!

We continue to support local businesses and new entrepreneurs through the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre. Shauna Lynn is a volunteer mentor with the centre, and has provided leadership through guest speaking and 1-on-1 coaching.

We met some incredible people throughout the year, and we couldn’t forget about the furry friends that we made as well.

  

What does 2018 have in store?

You know what they – time flies when you’re having fun! Well, we cannot believe that the spring of 2018 will mark our 10 year anniversary – stay tuned for details on how you can help us to celebrate this incredible milestone!

In July, Jennifer Roth and Shauna Lynn Simon will attend the 2018 RESA Convention at M Resort in Las Vegas where SLS Academy will be exhibiting once again. 

Beyond The Stage Homes will continue to make Waterloo Region’s homes beautiful, and service our clients in the only way that we know how – by always exceeding expectations in our designs, and in our service, and by creating a home that they can cherish, regardless of whether they are selling staying.

Wishing you a healthy and prosperous 2018!

All the best, from Shauna Lynn and the entire BTSH team 

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

The Dos and Don'ts of Hiring a Designer

 DO

·      Provide information regarding your style

o   This may be magazine photos, Pinterest pins, or physical samples – you don’t even have to know what you like about something, but the more information that you can provide to your designer, the better

·      Provide Samples

o   If you have already selected any renovation materials, be sure to have samples of those items available for your designer

·      Provide Creative Autonomy

o   This is something that many homeowners struggle with – remember that you hired your designer for their expert, professional opinion, and there may be times where you will need to trust them to take you outside of your comfort zone.

o   Our goal is to integrate your style with our expertise to create a design plan that you will love for years to come. The more autonomy that we have, the easier it is to create this, but we want to ensure that we do so with your trust and understanding – if at any time you do not feel that you are being heard, or are not comfortable with a decision that has been made, be sure to address it as soon as possible to avoid any issues or unnecessary costs.

o   It’s all in our head - we understand that you may not always be able to see what we see! Sometimes, you may simply need to take a leap of faith and trust, but if this is something that you are not capable of, ask, and we will do our best to provide a visual representation of our vision.

·      Understand what your roles are

o   This is important to address in the beginning, to ensure that there is no confusion.

o   If you are uncertain, ask questions.

o   Your designer should provide you with a contract outlining the scope of the project and any fees, payment schedule, etc – this is intended to protect both you, and your designer

DON’T

·      Rush

o   Quality takes time! Plan for your design or renovation project – by allowing the proper time needed, your designer will have more flexibility in negotiating the best quality and price for each product/finish selection.

o   Allow sufficient time for create the proper plans for any renovations PRIOR to beginning construction.

·      Be afraid to speak up

o   It’s your house, and your money! The role of a designer is to create a space that fits your style and needs – if you do not like something, be sure to address it with your designer.

o   You get final say, but remember that you hired a designer for a reason – sometimes you just need to trust us and our final vision.

·      Withhold your budget

o   I cannot stress this one enough! Be sure to communicate where your comfort zone is, and plan for a contingency (as a general rule, we recommend allocating approximately 5%-10% of your total budget for design services, however this can vary by project and designer).

o   We often find that clients are afraid to reveal their budget, for fear that we as designers will spend every dime of it. Our role is not to maximize your budget, but to maximize your dollar. The most effective way for us to do this is by ensuring that we can purchase quality products, and have the freedom to explore low-cost options when available.

·      Keep things bottled up

o    All relationships take some element of work, so it may take a little bit of time initially to work out the kinks of understanding, and setting, appropriate boundaries. Be sure to clearly communicate with your designer to ensure that you are on the same page.

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

Top Designer Picks for Home Decorating "Must-Haves"

When you’re planning a room, it’s easy to forget the details. In order to complete the look of a room, and make it feel like your own, you need to invest in some of the finishing touch pieces to add that final design layer. This is where we find a lot of our design clients get stumped, unsure of what to get, or how to put it all together, so we’ve put together a list of our best “must-haves” for every home!

Daisy Pillow Cover by Birch Lane (Wayfair.ca)

Some key elements to completing the look in your home:

Decorative pillows – you can never have too many of these! It’s fun to change them up by season, with warmer colours in the winter, and more vibrant colours in the spring and summer. Don’t be afraid to add a little bling to a room, such as an elegant bedroom, with some jewels on your pillows. And one thing that we absolutely love to do is mix patterns for a more layered look.

Elvie Indoor/Outdoor Lumbar Pillow by August Grove (Wayfair.ca)

Luanna Synthetic Throw Pillow by House of Hampton (Wayfair.ca)

Comfy Throws – these serve double duty at a great accent piece draped over a chair, sofa, or bed, and are perfect for curling up with on a cold night. They’re also a perfect way to add a subtle hint of colour to a room!

Higgin Lounge Throw by Brayden Studio (Wayfair.ca)

Whitney Throw by Birch Lane (Wayfair.ca)

Area Rugs – especially in a gathering room, area rugs will help to “ground” the room and pull the conversational seating together. For larger rooms, area rugs can help to break up the space to create two distinct areas, with separate purposes, within a room. Ensure that the area rug is large enough to extend at least slightly under each piece of furniture in the room, to avoid it “floating” in the room. 

Platinum Venetian Silver Area Rug by Kalora (Wayfair.ca)

Zunheboto Hand-Tufted Light Grey Area Rug by Meridian Rugmakers (Wayfair.ca)

Rugs can also be placed in front of a fireplace to create a cozy place to cuddle up in the winter, while adding some luxury to the space.

Straight Edge Taupe Area Rug by Fibre by Auskin (Wayfair.ca)

Wall Art – if you have a fear of commitment to art, get over it! And no, don’t try to tell me that you don’t want to put holes in your wall – that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do! If you really dislike the holes, you can explore the option of the 3M Command Hooks and Strips. Other artwork hanging solutions can be found in our January Blog “Hang Artwork Like a Pro”. Wall art can range from framed paintings and pictures, to canvases, to metal wall sculptures, mirrors, decorative clocks, and whatever else you want to display.

Aspen Forest 1 Painting Print on White Wood by ParvezTaj (Wayfair.ca)

Heck, you can even hang small accent furniture pieces or accessories on the wall if you want to! Adding a variety of styles of wall accessories will add texture to a room, and help to really complete the space by filling the eye-level areas for a cohesive look and feel.

Sunburst Brass Wall Décor by DwellStudio (Wayfair.ca)

Corner items – we all have that empty corner in a room in our house, and clients are often perplexed with what to do with these areas. They’re often considered fairly non-functional space, though an attractive shelf could fix this.

Corner Shelves by Zipcode™ Design (Wayfair.ca)

63" Display Corner Unit by DanyaB (Wayfair.ca)

Courtdale 71" Corner Unit by Varick Gallery (Wayfair.ca)

But what’s to say that every space needs to be functional, can’t it just be pretty? Create a decorative vignette with a large vase, plant, or other floral display.

Grass and Bamboo Floor Plant in Decorative Vase by Nearly Natural (Wayfair.ca)

Or add some fun boxes or trunks, stacked to add some height.

Torrance 3 Piece Trunk Set by Aspire (Wayfair.ca)

An old wooden ladder can work great in a corner on it’s own, or used to hang magazines, towels, plants, or other display items.

4 ft Barn Wood Rustic Decorative Ladder by RusticDecor (Wayfair.ca)

Factory Ladder by Hip Vintage (Wayfair.ca)

Large Mirror – These are a great way to reflect light to brighten a room, add the illusion of space, and fill a decorative need in a room, whether hung or leaning on a wall.

Large Rectangular Paneled Mirror with Antique Gold Leaf Frame by Majestic Mirror (Wayfair.ca)

Montrose Mirror by Howard Elliott (Wayfair.ca)

Statement piece – there are really no rules to a statement piece. As indicated in its name, it’s intended to make a statement, and create an impact for anyone that enters the room. This could be achieved by its size, colours, historical significance, or simply its overall uniqueness. It should be eye-catching, and most importantly, something that you absolutely love. It’s not necessary for every room or home to have a statement piece, but it adds a great element to a room, in addition to creating conversation amongst your guests.

Infinity Tunnel Coffee Table by Nova (Wayfair.ca)

Antique Replica RCA Victor Phonograph Gramophone by EC World Imports (Wayfair.ca)

When designing your room, don’t be afraid to add personal elements, and items that make you smile, for whatever reason, to create a room that you’ll be sure to love.

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