Show them it fits. - 06/30/11 11:00 AM

 this post will be the first in a series about meeting buyers expectations.
One consideration when you are preparing your Burlington home for sale is to figure out who your home will appeal to ... what age group.
If you are selling a home that may appeal to someone downsizing, there are things that will help your home 'speak' to them.
This type of buyer wants a smaller home but they don't want to give up their lifestyle.
They may plan to travel part of the year and want to be able to leave their home behind.
How do you make … (14 comments)

The answer could set you free. - 06/28/11 03:24 PM

 
Navigating the way to a successful sale of your home can be difficult at times. You wonder what your home needs to make it sell quickly. You may feel that your home is just perfect so the buyers will be able to see that too.
The problem is that you have emotional attachments to the home and that can mean you are wearing rose colored glasses.
If you know your home needs some work and you want to use your limited budget in the best places how will you decide where to use the money? Will you hope that … (17 comments)

Home Staging Tips in Palm Beach County-Home Staging Is Needed AND is Available for Every Pricepoint! - 06/27/11 10:51 AM

Kathy makes a valid point. It doesn't matter what you paid for your 'treasures' it's still clutter to the buyer. No matter what the size of the home the same issues and rules apply.
Via Kathy Streib-Home Stager-Palm Bch County South Florida - 561-914-6224 (Room Service Home Staging):
Home Staging Tips in Palm Beach County-Home Staging is Needed AND is Available for Every Pricepoint!
          I've often heard people say that Staging is only for higher priced homes.
          I've also heard people say that a certain higher end home had expensive design work and therefore did not need Staging. … (5 comments)

Staging shows the buyer how to live with the negatives. - 06/24/11 04:10 PM
There is a misconception out there that Staging is used to hide things from the buyer. Some believe that we use our accessories to cover up problems with the home.
 
This is not what a Professional Stager would do.
 
Our job is to highlight the features of the home. We draw the buyer's eye to features like a fireplace, a window, a vaulted ceiling etc. with the skillful use of furnishings and accessories.
If there are issues with the house we recommend that they are dealt with before the house goes on the market. Repairs should be done, … (11 comments)

What Does 'As Is' Mean to You? - 06/23/11 03:32 PM
When you see an ad with the words 'AS Is' in it, what springs to mind?
For me it means 'needs work' or 'I don't want to take responsibility for this'.
It doesn't exactly inspire confidence in what is being sold.
That's why I believe in Staging. Staging is about preparing a product, your home, for sale.
A home that has been Staged is more than 'primped', it is a sound product.
Repairs have been done, updating has occurred, and it is ready for a new owner. All this is done within the seller's budget. We try to get your home … (15 comments)

You just never know where that next job will come from. - 06/21/11 10:55 AM
I just had a call from Vancouver. It was from an old High school friend. I hadn't talked to her in ages.
It was fun catching up on our families etc.
Then she told me to call her sister who still lives in my area. She is thinking of selling her home and was wondering if I was still Staging. So today I will follow the lead and see where it takes me. LOL
You just never know where that next job will come from.
Keep networking folks.
 
 
 
… (19 comments)

Staging will help to sell but not the way overpriced home! - 06/19/11 02:59 PM

I think Anna has addressed the issue of pricing and presentation well. Price is a key issue when selling your home. Price it realistically and present it well to get it sold.
Via Anna Dovger~Home Staging ~The Woodlands, TX (Add Value Home Staging LLC, 281-704-6607):
Staging will help to sell but not the way overpriced home!
Well we know that staging helps sell homes faster and for more money. What exactly is more money? It means higher price per sq. ft in your neighborhood based on recently sold homes. Talk to your Realtor and discuss the market report with him.
So IF … (7 comments)

Happy Fathers Day to all of you DAD's out there! - 06/19/11 10:17 AM
To all of you Dads ... have a great day!
Being a Dad comes with much joy and responsibility.
From their first cry on, life is never the same.
I remember my father-in-law's words when he saw our son for the first time ... 'now you're really married'. We thought ... 'hey we've been married for 5yrs now'! ... but we soon found out what he meant. LOL.
 
 
 
Happy Father's Day Dad Ankrett!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Happy Father's Day Dad!
 
Even though you're not with us … (7 comments)

Perception is their reality. - 06/18/11 10:25 AM

 
Staging is all about presenting a home to buyers. Staging helps the buyers see the home's features in  a positive light. We stage the home to highlight the features of the home. We also show the buyer how to live with the less attractive features.
If a buyer walks into a home with issues, no matter how small, they will assume there may be issues even worse that they cannot see.
If the buyer walks into a home that has been prepared for sale they will not be distracted by the negatives. They will see a home that a … (74 comments)

Don't forget those outdoor rooms. - 06/17/11 11:31 AM
When preparing your home for sale, do not forget those outdoor rooms. Those exterior spaces will influence the buyer's perception of your home just like the interior spaces.
If your home is going on the market early in the growing season, make sure you display photos of your garden to show the buyer what they can look forward to. Leave an album page out on the counter with wonderful shots of the yard. You should also clean up the yard, keep the grass cut and perhaps mulch the beds.
Once the growing season begins, be sure to keep the weeding … (13 comments)

Summer is blooming. - 06/14/11 06:49 PM
My poppies are out so I thought I'd catch them before they disappear for another year.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And my roses are starting to bloom.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I don't know if it is the long winter and … (13 comments)

That has to go! - 06/13/11 08:57 PM
When you are selling your home it is a good idea to show the buyers one clear purpose for each room. Preferably it should be the use the builder intended.
Some sellers have adapted rooms to suit their lifestyle and that's ok .... until you try to sell your home.
Don't:
Put a in your living room. This is not an accepted accessory for this room.
Put a with a on top in the master bedroom.
Put a in the guest bedroom. Petless buyers may not understand.
Put a in your dining room. They are not elegant and look much better … (15 comments)

Be a Seller not a Target. - 06/11/11 11:39 AM
   
Recently a client said he had an idea about something I should add to my report .... Security. He had personal experience with having items taken while on the market.
Now as a rule I do address this if I see a jewelry box on  display or keys hanging on hooks etc. I don't put it in the report if I haven't noticed any issues.
But let's review this issue. After all, you will be opening your home up to the public for viewing. In the past stories have surfaced about thefts taking place while houses are on sale. There … (11 comments)

Dear Client, - 06/10/11 11:09 AM
Dear Client,
I am writing you today to allay your fears. So often you are apprehensive about our appointment when I arrive. Some of you have turned down my consult because of your fears and that means you will be guessing about the best way to present your home to buyers.
I want you to know that part of my credo is to 'Honor the client and their possessions'. It simply means, I am not there to judge your lifestyle, I am there to help you market your home. It means I will use your belongings as much as possible but … (12 comments)

Oh, nooooooooooo! ActiveRain changed the system! And it's not necessarily for the better! - 06/07/11 07:52 PM

Russell has found out about a new side effect of the changes at AR. Read up before you lose some of your points. 'Draft' has changed.
Via Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector (Russel Ray):


Oh, nooooooooooo!ActiveRain changed the system!And it's not necessarily for the better!

If you haven't noticed yet, you will!
When you got a billion emails from ActiveRain yesterday, it was an indication that ActiveRain had done some changes.
A most significant change concerns our blog posting.
Previously when you clicked on "New Blog Entry," you also had to change the View to "Draft." No … (11 comments)

"It has to look like a home, just not my home." - 06/04/11 07:43 PM
Recently a client said just that to me. I was very pleased because it meant she got it.
She was talking about de-personalizing her home as she prepared it for sale. In her case it was pre-packing her tea cups and cat figurines that were on display.
De-personalizing a home is tricky process. You want to remove the seller from the home without making it cold and unappealing. You have to leave enough there to tell the buyer that the seller is comfortable here and so will they be if they move in.
80% of buyers that view a home cannot … (12 comments)

My Garden is finally alive! - 06/01/11 10:35 AM
It's been a long cold wet spring this year.
FINALLY things are coming to life again! Get a load of my Tree Peony! The blooms are just huge this year.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

… (10 comments)

 
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Janice Ankrett Burlington Ontario Accredited Staging Professional

Burlington, ON

More about me…

Janice Ankrett Home Staging

Cell Phone: (905) 467-5353

Email Me

Home Staging tips and advice offered to help sellers. Working in Burlington Ont. and surrounding areas Janice Ankrett ASP helps sellers prepare their homes for sale. Janice works with real estate agents and owners to help the home sell as quickly as possible for the best possible price.


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