Staging Tip: It’s spring! – do home sellers know?

Prospective buyers do.

In Canada, spring makes most us feel light of heart with the anticipation of new beginnings and long awaited warm days and nights.

Homes should also reflect this.

Follow these tips to bring spring right into a home!

Remove signs of winter – boots, mats, shovels, mitts, all evidence of yukky weather, should all be packed away ready to move or in off site storage. Check walls in mud rooms and entries for scuff marks from boots.

Feature Fresh Flowers –  one of the most economical accessories that anyone can use. Spring flowers give instant lightness, a pop of colour and an added special touch to any room. Use reflective vases and remember to keep the flowers fresh for all viewings and open houses.

Check carpets and floors – they may need a cleaning, especially if the home has been on the market over winter or through inclement weather.

Open windows and get rid of the musty stale air. Dust off blinds and shades and sills. Wherever possible open blinds and window coverings. Welcome spring and sunshine right into a home.

Washrooms -  Be sure to use white fluffy towels and shower curtains in your washrooms. If you have hand soaps out, replace heavy wintery pine/cinnamon/etc scents with light scented hand soaps/liquid soaps or gift sets such as orchid, lavender or spring blossoms.

Closets – the perfect opportunity to showcase your organizational skills! Put clothes into colour groupings using crisp contemporary colors and whites. Dark heavy suits, sweaters, other wintery items should be packed away. Even clothes closets should have a light feel – they’ll seem more spacious.

Change bedding and pillows – dark heavy wintery bed coverings are for hibernating. Fresh pastels and crisp linens are what northern winter-weary buyers want to see this time of year.

Outdoors and Curb Appeal – Spring can be messy with rain and in many areas we wait until late May to plant gardens. Use patio pots and window boxes for curb appeal in late April and early May. Don’t be stingy – these should look spectacular not half- a@#%d. Put them on back decks and patios too. Take advantage of any nice weather days to start early spring prep and clean up of gardens and flower beds and in the GTA…TRY TO GET A HANDLE ON THE DANDELIONS! That alone will make your house stand out from many.

And by the way….by now there should be no evidence of Christmas -  wreaths, hand soaps, decorations, or those last sad poinsettias desperately hanging on with 3 wilting leaves.

Embrace the spring and enjoy!

The 'Less Stress...More Kindness' Experience

Over the past year, in both my professional and personal world I’ve been faced with several scenarios involving seniors. It’s really amazing how different people and companies react to the unique needs of this demographic. For example, some people are patient and really understand that many seniors aren’t tech savvy, some may need you to speak slower and eliminate today’s buzz words, while some are always connected, use an ipad and have in-depth business acumen.

After experiencing a few incidents of unethical and unkind behavior towards the seniors in my life, and being told others’ stories of vulture- like treatment I wanted to be sure and take special consideration of this group when they come to us needing property consults, home styling and moving logistics arranged. 

That’s why we created the ‘Less Stress…More Kindness' experience at Regroup. I tend to be extremely service driven as it is (training at the Royal York back in the day will do that to a person!) but with this group I really go the extra mile.

We try to determine what else is going on in their life: is this move an unwanted or unexpected change? Are they physically challenged, medically ill, hard of hearing or seeing, grieving, far from family, suffering early Alzheimers or dementia, in denial of a situation or …. a combination of all of these things? Then we act accordingly. Our team never talks down to the seniors we work with or over their heads. We keep communications, discussions and activities at their comfort level and involve family members whenever possible.

Just think, some of these seniors haven’t moved in 30+ years.

For many, dealing with an unfamiliar industry such as Real Estate can be intimidating.

What a shock – they don’t know how much easier it is in general these days but they also may not know where to start with this daunting undertaking to transition to a new chapter of their life. And it may not even be their choice to sell and move.
I like the idea of possibly being able to take away some stress and make a difficult experience a little easier or an anticipated event a little worry-free.

We've all heard stories of overcharging, padding an invoice, and even selling an unnecessary service to seniors. I could go on with examples of people being borderline criminal to simply taking a little "harmless" advantage of a senior in a vulnerable situation.

We are all going to be a Senior  - it’s better than the alternative - so lets keep in mind what goes around, comes around and pay the ‘Less Stress…More Kindness” experience forward.

Dial "M" for MOLD!
As a home stylist when I help a client prepare to sell their home I am at times, faced with what I call ‘under the hood’ issues. Things that have nothing to do with design, décor and esthetics. These include plumbing, hard water, odd electrical setups, unique and inventive construction and MOLD.

Mold in our homes is an issue that has come to light in recent years as a potentially very dangerous substance. My job as a stager is to focus on the positive attributes of a client’s home and play down the negative, but that doesn’t mean hiding or covering up something as serious as a mold problem.

Most of us know that mold can lead to heath problems and damage to our homes but what some don’t know is that there can be serious home insurance issues. And we all know insurance issues can often mean mortgage issues.

There has to be moisture for mold to grow: it cannot grow in dry places.

Not all molds are harmful to all people but the elderly and those with respiratory problems and allergies are at risk.

How to determine if its mold?

According to CMHC, “Dab a drop of household bleach onto a suspected spot. If the stain loses its colour or disappears, it may be mold. If there is no change, it probably isn't mold.”

Find out what stimulates its growth, learn about special mold testing kits as well as specialists who can help remove it.

Read more on this CMHC site:

Fighting Mold — The Homeowners' Guide

Last week I was at a client's house to give a consultation. They were getting ready to sell. The house was in nice shape and I could see right away the pride of ownership.
After my initial walk through I had an average size 'To Do' List for these vendors - minor repairs and some sprucing up. One thing topped the list: LIGHTING.
Several rooms were really dim.They had shadows, seemed smaller and had an overall gloomy feel. The vendors had been living in these dimly lit rooms for so long they didn't notice anymore. Their furniture was stylish and accessories were contemporary but the poor lighting affected the whole ambiance of the house.
Look at your lighting from a visitor's perspective. Remember to make the most of natural light then add accent lighting and task lighting.Update light fixtures and lamps.
Proper lighting is an economical way to improve the look and feel of your home when getting ready to sell.You can make a hohum regular room seem spectacular for a relatively low investment.