All I did was...Home Staging Success Stories

Flipping houses in Toronto ....9 Davies Cres.. staged to perfection!

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 13:52:51 -0800

Home staging in Toronto Michelle Finnamore Interiors assists many investors looking to shorten their timelines from start to finish to maximize their profits.

This is the latest flip property by Danny Menna at 9 Davies Toronto. Danny has been building custom homes and flipping properties for years. Quality finishes and attention to detail are Danny's hallmark.

Over 90% of buyers in Canada find their next home online.

Buyers will say that they are buying their next home by a list of wants and needs but in the end, they buy on emotion. This is why Danny has decided that professional staging is one of his accounting lines when planning a flip.

He knows that buyers want that "just move right in" feeling.

The wall colours and finishes are kept neutral so that buyers can see themselves living in the home. We add lifestyle and shots of colour with our staging props and artwork.

Our team took the property from empty to this finished look in 2.5 hours. Photography was booked for the same afternoon and it was on the MLS system within hours.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

5 seconds.

That's how long the average person looking for a property online spends looking at listing photos.

Is your property ready to be seen?

When you need your property staged professional for the 5 seconds that a buyer is looking we are ready to help.

Michelle Finnnamore Interiors Ltd. 416.928.2999 michelle@finnamoreinteriors.com

Staging in Toronto GTA and Vaughan

House flipper hires stager...it's easy, affordable and profitable!

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:28:01 -0800

As a professional home staging company in Vaughan and Toronto, Michelle Finnamore Interiors is asked by real estate agents to assist house flippers when they are ready sell.

The services that we offer make hiring a staging company affordable and profitable for the investors.

Finishes... we select what is popular with buyers, nothing trendy. It is very easy to get carried away at the supplier and choose what you like personally instead of what buyers want. We keep you on track and on budget.

Paint colours...the right neutral colours that work with the rental furniture and accessories that will be brought in to stage the property.

Too often we see a neutral colour selected that has a pink undertone and that is one of the least popular with buyers. It is also very difficult to find rental furniture to coordinate well with it.

Floor Plan... we make suggestions on space planning, adding storage, kitchen design and bathroom design.

65% of buyers will pay more for a home with plenty of storage areas.

We attend seminars on an ongoing basis to know what buyers are looking for and share this with investors so they spend their money wisely creating a home that buyers will want.

Over 90% of buyers find their next home online.

5 SECONDS.... that's how long a buyer spends looking at a listing online.

Calling in a professional stager for finish selections and to stage your property for sale gets your property on the buyers "must see list" and keeps it there.

This property is an example of staging using neutral colours to attract as many buyers as possible.

Living Room Before and After

Dining Room Before and After

Kitchen Before and After

Kitchen pantry wall Before

Kitchen Pantry Wall

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

For your next flip, call Michelle Finnamore Interiors to assist you with finish selections and staging.

The Go To Girl when you just want to get it done on time and on budget.

Michelle Finnamore Interiors 416.928.2999 michelle@finnamoreinteriors.com

A behind the scene look of a product photo shoot & what really happens

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:45:29 -0800

Home staging in Vaughan always leads Advantage Staging to interesting opportunities from the local business community.

In this behind the scenes look at a recent photo shoot you will see what happens and how we meet deadlines no matter what takes place including a winter snow storm that blew into town just to throw a wrench in to the schedule.

Northern Wide Plank Flooring in Schomberg were referred by a real estate agent to our company. We were asked to supply furniture for a photo shoot that would be used to market their new wood flooring line. They ship around the world and needed photographs that would do the talking for them. Their clients could be anywhere in the world and not be able to drop in to the showroom to see how fabulous their wood floors actually are.

After our initial consultation with Shawn Peebles at the plant we found out that the furniture would have to be lifted up to a second floor room which would be our location for the photo shoot.

We would be placing a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood on a tow lift machine and moving it up to the second floor location. It went smoothly and we found ourselves ahead of schedule once the furniture was delivered.

First step was to have the walls painted a colour that we selected to highlight each of the wood floors. Next, the wood floors would be installed along with a baseboard. There were many new wood floors to be featured which would be installed over several days and each time the walls would be repainted as well.

The chandeliers for each shoot would be suspended from the round heat ducts that ran across the entire length of the room. There was one window in the room which overlooked the work space below. A rod and floor length drapery was installed to simulate a window looking outside.

All the furniture and chandeliers were supplied by Camilla House Imports on a rental basis.

Keith Franklikn Photographic Productions set up their light standards and set objects at the side of the shoot area to create shadows that would run across the wood flooring to simulate light falling into the room from a window.

Next we would set up the room to simulate a family room, library, dining room or breakfast room. Furniture styles would vary depending on whether the wood floor had a rustic appeal or a more refined look.

Here are a few of the shots that were selected from the hundred that were taken.

Love the grain in this last shot and the photographer did an amazing job of creating the simulated light fall from the window.

A few more of their beautiful wood floors...

Everything went smoothly on the set and the shoot was done on time and on budget.

Just to make things interesting, a severe winter snow storm blew into the area and made for an interesting time for the drivers when they arrived to pick up the furniture.

Thank goodness the wood flooring company had their own road clearing equipment as 15 inches of snow fell just before they arrived! Troopers that they were, they managed to drive back the half mile to the building that we did the photo shoot in to pick up the furniture and be on their way 50 miles back to their company. It was not a pleasant day to be on the roads. It really is a testament to the professionalism of everyone on the job that everything was completed on time.

If you want fabulous marketing images for your product we would love to be part of making that happen for you.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Contact Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd. 416.928.2999

77-9100 Jane St. Bldg. L Vaughan ON

Another Shade of Gray... home staging leads to product styling staging

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 12:40:08 -0800

Home staging in Vaughan and Toronto has introduced our staging company Michelle Finnamore Interiors to some very diverse business opportunities.

From doing decor selections for the 35th largest condo builder Norstar Development Corp. at their newest condo called Portrait on Sheppard Ave East to attending decor selections with buyers when they purchase their new home.

We are open for business and look to serve the needs of our clients whether it is for a personal residence or for a business.

We recently worked with Northern Wide Plank Flooring staging their newest line of wood flooring for their marketing materials.

Northern Wide Plank Flooring ships wood flooring internationally so it was imperative that we were able to create a visual to attract a buyer when they might not be in the same country.

We loved the distressed finish on this gray wide plank floor. We brought in Restoration Hardware type furniture along with a natural elm bookcase and a very distressed metal mirror which looked like a window in the shot. The gray throw was styled on the arm of the distressed brown leather club chair to draw the eye down to the floor.

Notice how much the floor takes up in the image. A designer or architect anywhere in the world that is looking to spec a wood floor will find the visuals we created for the product will help to entice their clients to select this top quality wood flooring.

This wide plank floor is just one shade of gray that is in the new line up for Northern Wide Plank.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Have a product you want staged for marketing material or online?

Contact Michelle Finnamore Interiors 416.928.2999 michelle@finnamoreinteriors.com

www.advantagestaging.ca

www.michellefinnamore.com

Photography by Keith Franklin Photographic Productions

Home Staging leads to Product Styling for businesses

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 10:29:45 -0800

Home Staging in Vaughan and Toronto has introduced our company to many home owners who also own a business.

Our latest referral from a real estate agent that we work with on his residential listings has introduced us to staging a product styling photo shoot with Northern Wide Plank Flooring in Schomberg.

Staging a product for marketing photos is very much like staging a home for listing photos.

We bring attention to the feature product that is being sold much like we would bring attention to a fireplace or a detail in a kitchen that is in a home for sale.

The product in these images is the wide plank wood flooring. You will see that we brought in Restoration Hardware type furniture to create the lifestyle image required to attract the target market for these gray distressed wide plank floors.

Notice the furniture is staged so that the wide plank flooring is in the fore front of the shot and takes up much of the image so that potential purchasers get a real sense of the detail in these floors.

We chose a highly polished chrome steamer suitcase style coffee table to draw attention to the detail in the flooring as well as styling the throw on the sofa to draw the eye down to the flooring.

In the dining room image below we selected a natural colour distressed table with beige linen dining chairs to market the easy going elegance of the gray wide plank flooring.

Our company will also load the images to houzz.com on behalf of the client. Within hours of uploading the images we had our first contact from someone interested in the wood floors.

Invesment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

If you have a product that you are marketing call us to stage your product for your marketing materials.

We will stage a lifestyle image to direct attention to your product attracting YOUR target market.

Michelle Finnamore Interiors 416.928.2999

www.advantagestaging.ca

www.michellefinnamore.com

Photgraphy by Keith Franklin Photography Productions

HOCKEY STRIKE ENDS.... how to stage a rink in your basement.

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 14:56:05 -0800

Home Staging in Vaughan brings all sorts of properties our way to stage. From 18,000 sq ft. mansions to country homesteads we never quite know what we will find when we arrive to do a consult.

In this country property the home owners had started to create a play room for their kids in the basement.

With the Hockey strike now over we knew what we wanted to do to capture the hearts of buyers when they came in to see this property. With a bit of packing up by the home owner we then brought in our painter to create a hockey rink in the basement that any hockey fan would love!

Now buyers who are looking for a place to call home and love the game of hockey are going to find it pretty hard to tell the kids that they aren't buying this house!

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

If you are selling your home and you want to leave a great first impression with a buyer let us come up with a detailed focused game plan for you to prepare your home for sale.

It all starts with a staging consult.

Take the first step and call to arrange for your personal written staging plan today.

Michelle Finnamore Interiors 416.928.2999

Advantage Staging www.advantagestaging.ca

2012 Client Appreciation Night... The Rolling Stones Version!

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 08:55:42 -0800

It's that time of year again when Advantage Staging and Michelle Finnamore Interiors takes the opportunity to thank our clients for their support.

This year my good friend Brian Liss from Liss Gallery on Yorkville Avenue in Toronto provided fabulous artwork for the event.

Brian carries artwork by Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones, Todd White of Sponge Bob Sqaure Pants fame, Harry Benson the photographer for U.S. Presidents, the Beatles and Muhammad Ali amongst others.

Our office is located inside a real estate brokerage which has their client appreciation night the same day. The agents are invited to drop in with their clients on the same evening which leads to many mutually beneficial partnerships over the next year. Smiles were everywhere, might have been the home made wine in the Sangria!

Some of the most popular pieces of artwork were by Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones and by Todd White the illustrator of Sponge Bob Sqaure Pants.

Dr. Suess was a hit with the young and old alike. Most people have great memories of reading the popular story books. The artists Jim and Kathleen Keifer were commissioned by Scrabble and Monopoly to produce works of art of their board games. Unique in that you can have your family or business name painted in the Scrabble board game for that truly unique gift for that special client.

It was great to catch up with everyone to see how they were enjoying living in their new homes after Advantage Staging had staged their homes for sale as well as the redesigns that Michelle Finnamore Interiors had created for our staging to stay clients.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make it happen in 2012!

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd. www.michellefinnamore.com 416.928.2999

Advantage Staging www.advantagestaging.ca 416.928.2999

Services include -

Home Staging, Redesign, Model Homes and Presentation Centres, Builder decor selections, finish selections for investors and flippers

How do you stage a triangle shaped room that's only 10 square feet?

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 18:08:13 -0700

A builder called to ask if Advantage Staging could stage one of their units in a condo which had recently won a major world wide award. It is known as the Marilyn Building in Missisauga Ontario. It is quite spectacular from the outside.

It was a difficult lay out and they had not been able to sell the condo vacant. Could we help?

When we entered the condo this is what we saw. A very small living area with off set walls which didn't allow for the TV to line up with the sofa. The main living room wall ended in a triangle shape which was set away from the opposite TV wall.

The far more difficult room though was a TRIANGLE shaped room off to the right side of the living room which they did not know how to present to buyers.

That's right, 10 square feet! In the shape of a TRIANGLE!

This is one half of the triangle shaped room. It was difficult to photograph in one shot. This is the left side of the room. You can see Lake Ontario in the distance. Quite the view from the 31st floor.

We needed to market that view to the buyer for sure.

What to do, what to do?

We thought it might work staged as a desk area with a casual chair to the side. That would have been an obvious solution.

But then we are known to be out of the box thinkers when it comes to staging so we offered a second option.

We could stage the tiny space as a lounge area to read, relax and see the lake view off to the south side of the building.

The builder was quite taken aback when we made this suggestion. How on earth would we be able to showcase the room as a lounge. You literally could stretch your arms out and touch the walls.

This is how we staged the triangle room. The first shot is the right side of the triangle room and the second shot is the left side of the room.

We used two pieces of artwork that were done on a mirror background to give added depth to the room. Added two curved back tub chairs, a matching foot stool along with a glass and polished chrome round end table.

Hard to believe that we were able to fit all that furniture in the small space but now it shows as a great little hide away to relax, read a book, enjoy a cup of coffee. And the view is a perfect one of Lake Ontario and the skyline of Toronto.

What a great marketing tool to use in a small space condo. Everyone needs to get away from it all and this is a personal space carved out of 10 sq. feet. With the patio door to the balcony it really feels like a great personal space.

This is how the off set living room was staged.

Space was created for three to sit watching TV, two small modern coffee tables were used so that they could be moved around when needed for extra company. A single chair was set to the left of the TV on the opposite wall and the single tub chairs from the triangle room could be swung into this area for extra seating.

The adjacent kitchen area also provided extra seating if needed by swinging the chairs around to join the party.

Hard to believe, but you could now seat 10 people comfortably in this tiny space if you were having a get together.

Another staging success story by Advantage Staging. When buyers come from all over the world to see the Marilyn Building they now see a truly unique set up inside as well. Buyers would have been left scratching their heads wondering how to live in the odd shaped rooms. Now they can see themselves living there and enjoying the view of Lake Ontario.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Advantage Staging is ready to market your property for sale, triangle rooms our specialty!

Michelle Finnamore 416.928.2999

www.advantagestaging.ca www.michellefinnamoreinteriors.com

Too much stuff... downsize using Transition Squad

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 07:50:45 -0700

Home staging in the Vaughan area does have one very time consuming challenge before we can stage the home for sale.

Garage sales are not popular in this area so almost every older home has from two to three decades of stuff in their home.

When Advantage Staging conducts a room by room consultation, I can see the home owners getting very overwhelmed with the thought of how to get the items not needed for staging out of sight so that the home appears spacious and bright for the buyers.

That's where the Transition Squad comes into play.

When you call Transition Squad you will hear the very lovely voice of Laura.

Laura and I work together with home owners who are downsizing or just looking to declutter their homes before they move to their new home.

Transition Squad offers packing, in home estate sales, online auctions and even have their own consignment store at 3200 Dufferin Street.

Once the goods are packed or sold, that's when Advantage Staging arrives to stage your home for sale.

It's as easy as one, two, three when you have a plan and professionals to help you.

Step one is the room by room consultation.

Step two is the prep work to get the home in condition to be staged. That may be packing up, painting, cleaning, repair work or yard work.

Step three is staging day. The day that your home is prepared for listing photos and open houses.

Transition Squad and Advantage Staging plan to make your next move as stress free as possible.

If you would like to have a professional team handle your next move we are ready to start when you are!

Michelle Finnamore 416928.2999

Advantage Staging www.advantagestaging.ca

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ld. www.michellefinnamore.com

All I did was.... stage Russell Peters home.

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 14:28:14 -0700

Advantage Staging stages many upper price point homes in the Vaughan and Toronto area for clientele that are not always living in the country year round.

As we handle everything from A to Z on the job, we receive many inquiries from agents who are referred to us to work with this niche group of clients. They appreciate that we provide seamless, stres free service with no worries for their clients.

Recently we received a call from an agent in Mississagua who asked for a consult on a property in Vaughan. When I entered the foyer this is what I saw first......

A giant sized poster of a Russel Peters Comedy Tour. I commented to the agent that the seller must be a huge Russell Peters fan. He smiled and said yes, the client was indeed.

I looked into the front living room and this is what I saw....

Now, it isn't everyday that you see a 10 foot tall stuffed giraffe in a front living room along with an area rug with martini glasses on it. I commented that the seller must really love comedians as there was a giant poster of George Carlin on the wall as well.

I tried nonchalantly to avoid mentioning the giraffe but you know, it was RIGHT THERE in the middle of the room.

The agent once again said that the seller loved comedians and had a great sense of humour. It was at this point that I just had to ask who the seller was.

It was none other than Russell Peters. This was his home to drop in to when he was in Toronto. Russell had grown up not far away in Brampton and this was his home whenever he returned to town.

His agent was none other than his boyhood friend since the age of 5, Marlon Dubeau. Yes, the same Marlon that Russell talks about in his comedy routines.

Russell came down to join in the consultation for a few minutes before flying off to his primary residence in Los Angeles. He really is just a normal guy with an outstanding sense of humour that people around the world find funny. I had to ask why there was a giraffe in the front room. Apparently the giraffe was part of the manger scene in the CBC Russel Peters TV Christmas special this past year.

Unfortunatley, the gaffe kept hitting the giraffe in the head so it had to leave the set. It seemed like a good idea at the time to bring the giraffe home.

I continued on with the consult, made notes as to furniture, artwork, props and accesories I would need to stage the home so that it would appeal to a family moving in. The home was definitely in a sought after area by young families looking to raise their children. Schools, shopping and community centres were all close by.

The property sold for the highest price in the neighbourhood.

Staging helped to show this property as family friendly and move in ready. Another staging success story.

Living Room before...

Living Room after..

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

If you have clients that would appreciate a company to stage their home with everything handled efficiently and professionally, Advantage Staging would be happy to take care of your needs.

Michelle Finnamore

416.928.2999

www.advantagestaging.ca

www.michellefinnamore.com

All I did was.... create a simple table setting to allow the grandeur of the room sell the house

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 16:54:30 -0700

Advantage Staging is fortunate to stage in Vaughan which has some of the most magnificent properties in the GTA.

The interiors have such incredible attention to detail that the staging work that is required is minimal.

The focus of staging these homes is always "less is more".

In this property at 100 Rocmary I created the most simple table setting to allow the grandeur of the kitchen to be the focus for buyers.

All I did in this kitchen is place a lemon along side a mango on a square white ceramic plate. All of which the home owner had on hand. Simple and effective staging techniques that grab the buyers attention by being different than the usual for a table setting.

Before staging

After staging

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd.

416.928.2999

77-9100 Jane St. Bldg. L Vaughan ON

All I did was.. add some character and warmth to a library.

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 10:25:48 -0700

Advantage Staging tries to find that one thing in every home that makes the potential buyer feel a connection to that home.

One way to to do that is to create a room that is a place to get away from everything. To create a refuge from the busy lives that we all lead today.

With that in mind, this is the result at 143 Orleans in Vaughan.

Before the room was spacious and had a work desk but the room was lacking that certain something to make you want to curl up and stay awhile.

All I did was add a chaise lounge, throw, accent cushion and an area rug to ground the vignette.

Nothing says curl up and stay awhile like a chaise lounge. Buyers loved it. The property was sold in a few days.

Professional staging is the art of touching buyers emotionally to have them see a house as their home.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Remember, staging is always less than the first price reduction.

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd.

416.928.2999

77-9100 Jane St. Bldg. L Vaughan ON

All I did was.... complete 200 decor selections for Portrait Condos

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 10:04:23 -0700

Advantage Staging is comprised of a great team of people that will stage your home for sale. They know what the buying public is looking for and will create a look that will attract your target market.

They are also the team that builders call when they launch a new construction site and want their purchasers to have a positive experience when making their decor selections.

Whether the purchasers are first time buyers, investors or seasoned home owners they all have one thing in common.

They want their new property to look great!

Advantage Staging was recently selected to work with the purchasers of Portrait Condos by Norstar Group. This condo is located at 701 Sheppard Ave. West in Toronto.

It's always an exciting time for purchasers once they have made their decision to buy a new home.

It can also be a very daunting thought to have to make selections by imagining what their condo will look like when it is finished. Even when the property is for investment purposes, the purchaser still has to be concerned that they are selecting finishes that will appeal to buyers instead of selecting what they might like personally.

That's where our team comes in. We put together a couple of colour stories so that the purchasers can see how everything will go together. It is important in a small space to have a good visual flow from one room to another.

We have just finished decor selections with 200 purchasers. Can't wait to see the final finished product.

There are still a few units left for sale. You can read more about the condo here.

Remember, only about 2% of the population can envision what a home will look when selecting from small samples.

To book your appointment to have Advantage Staging accompany you on your decor selection appointment or if you know of or are a builder looking for an enthusiastic team that will work well with your purchasers call us today.

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd.

416.928.2999

77-9100 Jane St. Bldg. L Vaughan

www.michellefinnamore.com www.advantagestaging.ca

All I did was.... take a dated kitchen and make it look move in ready.

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:38:56 -0800

This home staging in Vaughan had me perplexed at first. I really wanted the kitchen cabinets that were installed in the eating are removed. They seemed to be floating in mid air, they really needed to come down. Or I thought, they really need something below them to balance them out on the wall.

In the end, our team did neither.

We staged the white cabinet with a brand new set of dishes that the client had tucked away in the basement. While I was down there, I spotted (no pun intended) the cow theme seats on two, older looking black chairs. As stagers, we all know we have to keep our eyes open to find the hidden gems in the houses that we stage.

This is what Adantage Staging did to create a modern, funky kitchen that would appeal to the younger families moving in to this neighbourhood.

Kitchen Before Staging

Kitchen After Staging

It worked. This home sold in two weeks just before Christmas. A tough time to sell according to some people. Simple, effective staging ideas created by using things from the home owner. A dish set, three red apples on a white ceramic tray, and two cow theme chairs that now show seating for six people instead of four.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Remember, staging is always less than the first price reduction.

When you are ready to sell, Advantage Staging is ready to be part of your marketing strategy.

Michelle Finnamore 416.928.2999

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd.

See our new showroom at 9100 Jane Street. Bldg. L Ste 77 Vaughan

Hunter Douglas Window Coverings, Sun Glow Window Coverings, Custom Headboards and Finishes.

When you only have two days to list, this is what can happen.

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:13:13 -0800

Recently Advantage Staging provided a home staging consultation in Vaughan that was your typical family home. A busy family with no time to prepare their home for sale.

Or so they thought.

Advantage Staging arrived to do the consult, left a written, detailed, room by room action plan with the family so that they would know what to do to get the property ready to be staged for sale. With precious little free time a seller needs the confidence that a focused, written plan can give them to complete the job in a short amount of time.

The living room was originally minty green and the home owner didn't want to paint. Sellers are always reluctant to paint as they are moving and think that the buyers can overlook their choice of colour. I assured the seller that a neutral colour like CC 110 Muslin by Benjamin Moore was a wise choice as it would allow buyers to move in and not have to do anything before the holidays.

Paint is always the one thing a seller a can do for minimal investment that will have the largest impact with buyers. Paint creates a neutral pallette and a clean, fresh look.

Our team arrived two days later to stage the property. Rental furniture was brought in so that buyers could see how they could live in the home and our team filled in the rest of the rooms with artwork, props and accessories.

Investing the time and effort to purge by the seller and acting on the staging suggestions paid off in short order. The property was listed November 22 and sold in two weeks. Professional home staging was a key marketing strategy to sell a property around the holiday season.

The listing photos showed a great family home that was move in ready. A buyer could move in before Christmas and enjoy their new home over the holidays.

The sellers were at work during the staging process. When they returned, here are a few images of the dramatic difference professional home staging produces in a few hours....

Living Room Before and After

Dining Room Before and After

Master Bedroom Before and After

The lady of the house was smiling from ear to ear when she saw the results our team accomplished. She loved her house and remarked that she never imagined it could look this stylish.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Remember, investing in staging is always less than the first price reduction.

Advantage Staging is ready to be part of your marketing strategy today.

Michelle Finnamore 416.928.2999

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd.

See our new showroom at 9100 Jane Street. Bldg. L Ste 77 Vaughan

Hunter Douglas Window Coverings, Sun Glow Window Coverings, Custom Headboards and Finishes.

All I did was... use artwork to make a house feel like home.

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:12:58 -0800

Home staging in Vaughan Advantage Staging sees many very nice homes with beautiful large bathrooms but no artwork. Most people are afraid to commit to a piece of artwork so they never get around to hanging any.

I believe artwork and lighting are two things that show buyers the lifestyle they are looking for in a new home. It is a very important detail of staging and can make or break the feeling you are trying to create in a home.

The opposite can happen as well. The home owner will have totally inappropriate artwork hung in the most public spaces in their home. Ever see the dreaded nude in the dining room? I have several times. It is the first thing I put into storage when I do see it as buyers spend precious time discussing it instead of looking at the features in the property.

All I did in this home was place a large canvas of the morning fog lifting off the ocean to create a restful sanctuary for buyers who visit this property for sale. The artwork creates an ambience in the master ensuite that buyers will remember when they visit the many properties for sale.

This property sold in a 3 days for 98% of list. The buyers remarked that the home "felt" right to them.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Professional home staging is always less than the first price reduction.

Let Advantage Staging create a home that is staged to attract buyers, have less days on market and help you build a loyal client base who will refer you to others.

Michelle Finnamore CCSP Advantage Staging 416.928.2999

9100 Jane St. Ste. 77 Vaughan

All I did was... stage a model townhome with a Barbara Barry feel, pure luxury.

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:50:08 -0800

Tibro International invited me to design their latest exclusive, in fill project at 292 Merton Street in Toronto.

Features in the four floor luxury townhomes include roof top patios, solid mahogany doors, private elevators, 5" walnut hardwood floors and luxury marble kitchen and baths from floor to ceiling.

The brief for the design was that it was to have a "Babara Barry" feel to the interior. Classic look, soft neutral colours, curved rather than sqaure lines to the furniture.

Sourcing is easy here in Toronto as we have many outstanding furniture and lighting suppliers. My main go to destination is Union Lighting. My rep there is second to none. I describe my needs to Gari and he quickly and efficiently guides me through their 40,000 square foot showroom so that I can make my selections in one visit.

Artwork or area rugs are the first things I purchase so that I have a colour pallette to make my design choices for furniture. I was fortunate that someone had ordered original artwork from one of my suppliers to be framed and had never picked it up. Bonus for the builder, the pricing was excellent. The two pieces were fabulous abstracts that had soft pale blues, yellows and sand colours in them with a splash of grey and black. That was all I needed to start making furniture purchases.

Staging day came and this is what the townhouse looked like when I arrived at 11 am to start staging. Imagine my delight in finding six trades still working on the model home for the launch date the next morning.

Here is what it looked like when I arrived...

Hmmmm..... not quite ready for our team to be staging. The usual protocol for staging to take place is for the property to be in a clean state with a light cleaning booked for after the staging takes place. I offered to come back the next week to stage after the trades were done, however, as with any launch of a new building site, the show must go on.

And on it went. Everyone worked until 3 am to have the model home in showcase condition for the launch the next morning. It is a true testament to the professionalism of the trades to pull this model home together in time for the noon launch the next day.

Launch day was a success, buyers were impressed with the finishes and the workmanship. Another success story for Tibro International and Michelle Finnamore Interiors.

Here are some images of the final look..

I couldn't resist placing this little black dog and The City Dog book on the shelf in the second bedroom. I could see the potential buyer walking their adorable little dog down to the local restaurant, sitting outside on the patio with an espresso, watching the beautiful people go by.

This townhome project is located in one of the trendiest parts of the city called Davisville.

Small boutiques, galleries and the movers and shakers fill the chic restuarants that are within walking distance.

Defining your target market is key to a successful building project. DVG Real Estate was the marketing firm for this project. They came up with an effective marketing campaign to attract the buyers attention to these luxury townhomes. Daria Winnicki has worked on the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Toronto and The Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. Along with her partner, Daria has sold more than 150 luxury properties worth more than $35MM in 2010 alone. Working with Daria on this project was a perfect blend of vision and planning.

If you have a luxury condo project in the planning process think about DVG Real Estate and Michelle Finnamore Interiors to bring your plan together seamlessly. We love real estate, especially luxury real estate and look forward to working with you. To see more images of this project click here.

Michelle Finnamore Interiors Ltd. 416.928.2999

The one thing you can do to stage your home for sale and have the largest pay back.

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:33:13 -0800

There are two things that sell homes. Space and light.

Home staging in Vaughan there is one thing I recommend to sellers when preparing their property for sale that achieves both things in one step.

Paint in a neutral colour so that the space looks larger and brighter. Buyers are attracted to light filled spaces.

To keep buyers from clicking through to the next property (usually in under 5 seconds) when searching on line for their new home, painting is one of the best investments of time and money that a seller can do to get the results they are looking for.

When a home is painted in bright or dark colours, it is not uncommon for a listing to have over 30 viewings in a few days with no offers, not even a low ball offers. The property may be in a desirable area, perfect lay out for a family to move right in and priced competitively. Still, the comments will be that the buyer does not want to paint, too much bother and expense.

So when a seller says they don't want to paint because of the bother and the expense I explain that is exactly what the buyers will be saying as well. It is up to the seller to get the property in showcase condition to create interest on the part of buyers and initate action on their part to put in an offer.

Here are some recent examples of how quickly the look of a home changes once neutral paints are used.

Bedroom Before

Bedroom After - you can clearly see that the chandelier is now a feature in the room. When the room was painted lilac, the chandelier blended in too much.

Bedroom Before - two bright colours in the room chopped the room up too much making it appear smaller than it was.

Bedroom After - neutral paint has helped to make the room look larger as well as allow the chandelier to become the feature in the room.

Buyers are looking for features in a home. Painting in a neutral colour allows the chandelier, wood floors and trim details to become the focus in the online listing photos and in person. Buyers are not so quick to click through to the next listing once the distracting bright colours have been toned down.

When you are listing your home for sale, call Advantage Staging to select your paint colours for you.

Our association worked with a paint company for over a year tracking which colours sell in North America. Then they gave us 10 colours to work with. No guessing involved. These colours are what people want when they are buying. Why not paint your house in one of those colours?

Your professional home stager can visit your home to see how the light in your home effects the paint colours and choose the perfect one for selling your home. Did you know that 40% of paint sold the first time is the wrong colour?

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging 416.928.2999

Remember, professional home staging is always less than the first price reduction.

Can adding crystals to your chandelier update the look when selling? Maybe hanging Barbie dolls upside down is better.

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:15:51 -0700

As a home stager in Vaughan, I thought I had seen every conceivable type of chandelier from every decade.

Homeowners ask if there is any way of leaving the dated chandelier installed and adding crystals to the arms of the chandelier to update the look. This client actually added Barbie dolls suspended upside down and crystals.

I'm thinking just the crystals would have done the trick.

When you are considering listing your home for sale, Advantage Staging will make suggestions for replacement lighting that will suit every budget and look appropriate in the home for sale.

Just one more reason that calling in a professional home stager can save you time and money when you are preparing your house for sale.

Fact #1 -sellers are usually not interested in investing money into new light fixtures for a home that they are leaving.

Fact #2 - Lighting is one of the least expensive upgrades you can make to your home that will reap the most pay back on the money spent.

Home Depot sells a line for contractors that has a satin nickel finish and white shades. From $49 to $125 you can replace any light in your house for an updated look that buyers will love.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging 416.928.2999

Remember, home staging is always less than the first price reduction.

Take a photograph of existing rooms to convince a seller to stage...it works every time!

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:22:07 -0700

Being a home stager in Vaughan can be very rewarding when working with sellers that originally cannot see the value in staging their home for sale. I explain that staging allows buyers to see that the value in the home matches the asking price. You can have the most beautiful house in the neighbourhood but unless the buyers can clearly see that value they will typically go on to look at other listings.

Staging allows buyers to see extra value in a home by creating a purpose in a room or by allowing the room to flow and appear more spacious.

All I did in this home was show the seller photographs of the existing rooms before I started staging and then after I finished staging. Her exact words were " I can't believe my rooms looked like that before, I never noticed".

It's a common reaction in buyers when they see their home staged for sale. Most people really don't see their home like others do. They come in each day and everything looks fine to them.

I'm sure if you took a picture of your own home, you might scratch your head and wonder why you never noticed how cluttered it was, how dark the room colour was, how furniture was misplaced in a room making it feel crowded or difficult to manuouver through, the drapery was crooked or the artwork was not level.

Here are a few before and after images to illustrate why professional home staging encourages buyers to look at your listing photos on line and making the decision to put your home on their must see list.

Living Room before and after

Before and After Kitchen and Family Room

This property was missing a great opportunity to show how you could entertain family and friends with room to spare. Renting furniture that was the correct scale for the open concept rooms was key to showcasing the space in this home.

Master bedroom and secondbedroom before and after

I use snowboards for headboards quite often. It gives a teenage room a great look and markets the opportunity of living in the area and enjoying the outdoor attractions.

These rooms now appear much more inviting and show the lifestyle of living in the home.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Advantage Staging markets your property to appeal to the target market you are trying to attract. This family home is now ready for listing photos and to be seen online. Buyers can quickly see that this home is worth seeing in person.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging 416.928.2999

Staged in 24 hours, SOLD in 3 days, 23 offers and 100K over list.... another staging success story.

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:06:03 -0700

Home staging in Vaughan Advantage Staging is quite often called in to put the final touches in place to prepare a home for listing photos. Vaughan is home to many show stopping homes which benefit by having the rooms "faced" for the camera.

I was contacted by an agent to provide that servcie as well as stage two vacant rooms. The front living room and the dining room were vacant. Not a good thing when they are the first rooms that a buyer sees upon entering the home. All I did in this home was rent furniture for the living room and dining room and provide the artwork and accessories.

Buyers make up their mind about purchasing a home within seconds of entering so it was critical to have these rooms staged to create desire on the part of the buyer.

Luckily, their agent arranged to have me stage the property within 24 hours. The home sold within 3 days for 100K over list. 23 offers were on the table. They had to have parking control in the brokerage parking lot and conference rooms. Can you imagine the excitement that was generated with this listing. It was the talk of the office for days afterward.

Living Room and Dining Room Before

Living and Dining Room After

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

Remember, professional home staging is always less than the first price reduction.

If you have a vacant listing could benefit by being staged to create desire on the part of the buyer to put in an offer contact Advantage Staging to create the look to attract your target market.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging 416.928.2999

This house isn't for me... the dining room is too small... or is it?

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:37:41 -0700

Home staging in Vaughan Advantage Staging will frequently consult on homes that appear to have small dining rooms. As the area attracts larger families it is a sticking point when buyers come to look at listings.

The homes have at least four bedrooms, and adequate kitchens. However if the home is being sold vacant it can be very difficult for buyers to envision whether their furniture will fit in and whether their family will be able to use the space for their needs.

That's when staging comes to the rescue.

No guess work. By renting furniture and staging the room, buyers can readily see that there is plenty of room for their family.

Dining Room Before

Dining Room After

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

If you have a vacant listing and would like to leave buyers with an impression that creates desire and action to put in an offer call Advantage Staging. We will create a look to attract your target market and get the results you are looking for.

Remember, professional home staging is always less than the first price reduction.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging 416.928.2999

Staging a model home with IKEA furniture... see the results!

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:06:09 -0700

Home staging in Vaughan is an adventure every day. I routinely stage 8,000 to 21,000 square feet homes and see some very spectacular properties.

Then there is the other end of the spectrum. First time homes that are stacked condos about 1200 square feet.

Todays challenge was definitely one for the books. I was referred by an agent from the Condo Store Canada to Jacob Buksbaum of Time Equities in New York City. He was looking to convert some rental townhouses to condo sales and wanted to know if I could stage one of the units as a model home for him.

His only request was that it have a young, modern vibe to it to attract the young families he was looking for to buy the towns. He thought IKEA was the route to go to furnish the model home.

I thought he had a good idea but wondered aloud about the practicality of ordering all the furniture, getting it delivered and assembling all forty four pieces. Have you ever tried to assemble Ikea furniture? If you have, then you can imagine my distress at the thought of it.

As the builder was in New York City and I was in Canada, the easiest route for ordering was to use our IPADS and catalogues to build our order list on line while on our cell phones. That went well for about an hour until we realized that most items we wanted weren't available on line. That's when I went in the store to buy the pieces instead.

That's when I discovered that Ikea has a personal shopper at no charge for commercial clients, plus they pick the order for you, deliver it and assemble it. Well that was more like it! Personal shopping and after sales service, a stagers delight!

The personal shopper was no charge, to have the order picked was a flat fee of $40, the delivery was $99 and the assembly was 15% of the items that needed assembling. All in all, I thought a bargain as so much time was saved.

This is what it looked like when it arrived on delivery day...

That's right, a whole truck full! Boy was I glad that I wasn't carrying it in to the house. The furniture is all MDF and it weighs a ton!

Next step was to wait for the people to arrive to assembly it. I waited, and waited and then finally I called to see where they were... lost, late or on their way. The customer service line assured me that I was not in their schedule for that day. Wait a minute, did they just say I wasn't in their schedule?

Squeeze me? What did you say? Can you repeat that?

That was impossible. The owner was flying up from New York City the next morning and he was expecting to see a model home staged with furniture. Uh oh!!!

I asked to speak to someone else and was put through to someone in Montreal. They also assured me that I wasn't in their schedule and that they would look into it. Well I couldn't wait and did what any good stager would do. I drove over to Ikea and asked to speak with the manager. I explained my dilemma, he called right away and sure enough, the furniture would be assembled later that day.Phew!! That was close. I think he managed to get it sorted so quickly as my children will tell you, when I give you the Mom look you better make sure you make Mom happy.

I couldn't stay any longer due to other staging commitments so my staff met with the assembly team later that day to let them in.This if what just one room looked like at that point. There was one really high pile of packing material when they were all done.

Our team showed up the next day to stage and here are the results. We purchased a few accessories and props at Homesense as well to round out the finished look. Here are the before and after pictures.

Living Room and Office Area Before

Living Room and Office Area After

Kitchen and Dining Room Before

Kitchen and Dining Room After

I love the new distressed "Restoration Hardware" look they are producing right now. Very on trend and price effective.

Master Bedroom Before and After

Girls and Boys Room After

The target market for these townhomes is a young family looking for their first home.

Using Ikea furniture and accessories, Advantage Staging has created a "just move right in" look.

Investment, minimal.

Impact, priceless.

If you have a new building site and would like to have it staged to attract your target market call Advantage Staging to get you the results you are looking for on the budget that works for you.

If you have a client that is interested in living in one of these sophisticated lifestyle condos at 2417 Finch Ave. West in Vaughan please call Bonnie Belfer at the Condo Store Canada to book your personal viewing appointment.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging 416.928.2999

77-9100 Jane St. Bldg. L Vaughan

2010 National Home Builders Association U.S. Silver Award for Presentation Showroom Design

2010 Ontario Home Builders Association Nomination for Model Home Presentation Showroom Design

2010 Canadian Staging Professionals Entrepreneur of the Year Award

How to stage with a 5 foot parrot cage in the kitchen

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 09:08:26 -0700

Home staging in Vaughan I run into quite a few homes that have sellers with birds. The latest one was a bit over the top though.

When I arrived to do the staging consultation I found a 5 foot parrot cage in the eating area of the kitchen along with two small freezers. No table and chairs. Just a giant parrot cage and two freezers.

I know what you are thinking. Who does that?

As I like to assure my clients, you live in a house one way, to suit yourself. You pay the mortgage and taxes and if it gives you pleasure and isn't illegal you live the way you want.

But, and this is a big but- when you are selling your home, it is now a product for sale.

And you have COMPETITION in the market place.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I called my Dad.

All you ladies out there will understand why I made this call. My Dad will do anything for me. Always has and always will. I asked him if he would be willing to bird sit until the house sold. He has raised many birds so I knew he could handle it. Dad is now in his 80's so I thought this would be a great social activity for him getting to know the bird and of course teaching him to say a few new phrases. It doesn't hurt that my Dad is a huge Pavorotti fan either.

So now the bird and my Dad sing and whistle together. And the house is ready to be put on the market.

The agent, Peter Klosowski was blown away that I convinced the seller to part with his prized parrot. He really appreciated that I went above and beyond the call of duty by having my Dad bird sit. He really didn't know how he was going to market a home with giant bird cage and two freezers sitting in the kitchen.

Now the property is ready to be photographed and get sold.

So if you need a home stager in Vaughan that can motivate your clients to do what needs to be done to prepare their home for sale call Advantage Staging to get the ball rolling.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging

416.928.299

2010 National Builders Association U.S. Silver Award Design Zancor Homes

2010 Ontario Home Builders Association Design Nomination Devonleigh Homes

2010 Canadian Staging Professionals Entrepreneur of the Year Award

MOVING? Here's my story of how to do it right.

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:49:37 -0700

Home staging in Vaughan, I meet with 100's of clients per year. One question I am asked frequently is who I would recommend for the move.

Having moved recently, I can attest to the total professionalism of PODS container method of moving.

Right from my first experience of ordering my POD on line, to the follow up calls the night before the POD was delivered to the follow up calls the night before pick up, PODS was on the ball.

They arrived exactly when they said they would and were absolutely the most pleasant people to work with. When they were placing the POD in my driveway their lift system was going to have to drive onto my lawn. As with everything to do with PODS they were right on the ball and placed thick rubber pads on my lawn which the wheels ran over saving my lawn in the process.

So a great big THANK YOU! to Chris and Oscar from PODS for making my move a smooth, glitch free affair.

Investment, minimal.

Results, priceless.

Michelle Finnamore Advantage Staging

Home Staging in Vaughan, Woodbridge, Maple and the GTA.

416.928.2999

2010 National Home Builders Association U.S. A. Nomination for Design Zancor Homes King City

2010 Ontario Home Builders Association Silver Award for Design Devonleigh Homes Alliston

2010 Canadian Staging Professionals Entrepreneur of the Year