Lydia Pollard - LydiaSellsHomes.com & Owners Pride Home Staging - Mississauga ON

Homeowners Help Realtors Sell Your House - #1. Leave the Lights On

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:59:40 -0700

Homeowners Help Realtors Sell Your House - #1. Leave the Lights On

There are many ways which homeowners can help Realtors.
One way is to leave the lights on inside and outside when appropriate.

When a Realtor is showing your house to a qualified potential buyer
it is because either the Realtor or the buyer have chosen your house
to view from all the other comparable houses for sale on the Multiple
Listing Service.

The Realtor does not know your house, but wants to show it to its
best potential. Motivated buyers view houses at all hours of the day
and evening, during nice weather, as well as during inclement weather.

You can help by leaving your exterior lights on especially during the
evening hours so the Realtor can easily get the lockbox open. The buyer
will get a good look at the front of the house and curb appeal upon arrival.
Leaving the backyard lights on will catch the attention of the buyers and
make sure they look in your backyard and easily see its features. Installing
timers or motion detectors on exterior lights and timers on a few interior
lights would be an alternative.

As I mentioned the Realtor does not know your house, most light switches
are easy to find, but some are not. A well lit room is always more inviting.
If you have special lighting, for example pot lights that are a selling feature,
we want to make sure the buyer sees them. We especially want the buyers
to be aware of all your upgrades and selling features.

Leaving the lights on inside and outside when appropriate benefits
everyone in the end.

Lydia Pollard, Sales Representative
Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage
Direct: 905-272-4764
Office: 905-812-8123

Lydia@LydiaSellsHomes.com
http://www.lydiasellshomes.com/ and www.OwnersPride.ca

Selling During the Holidays – Home Staging

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:36:46 -0800

In every market, including the holidays, it is important that you stage
your house. It is important that your house appeals to the tastes of the
widest range of potential buyers, that selling features are highlighted
and enhanced. During the holidays, refrain from covering or hiding
the houses architectural features with holiday decorations. It is best
to avoid decorations that will distract buyers from really seeing the house.
Avoid anything that is in bad taste, tacky, vulgar, offensive or overwhelming
in any way. If in doubt, pack it away for next year.

A spot light on the entrance. A simple cheerful wreath on the front door
in holiday colors that coordinate with and compliment the house will welcome
potential buyers. Exterior lights, kept simple in one complimentary color
will flatter the house, look more elegant and be less distracting.

You can't go wrong with greenery, wreaths, garland, and branches
of evergreen, pine cones and decorative ribbon inside or outside
during the holidays.

Use simple, elegant decorations that maintain the color scheme in the house,
avoid clashing or too many different colors. Use holiday decorations in place
of the existing accessories during the holidays, to avoid a cluttered or overdone
look. Be selective in the decorations used; use decorations that compliment
the style of the décor. A poinsettia enhances any room. In today's multicultural
society it is best to keep all religious Icons packed to use in your new home
next season.

The goal is for the house to be warm, inviting and festive, the decorations tasteful
and minimal so the potential buyers can picture their family celebrating the next
holiday season in this house.

Also keep security and safety in mind. It's probably not a good idea
to leave gifts under the tree.

Remember the Home Staging basics..."Keep it Simple", "Less is More"

Wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke in Ontario, Canada
http://www.ownerspride.ca/
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Agents, If you are interested in Home Staging articles to use in newsletters,
emails, on your website, etc., you are welcome to use my articles at
lydiapollard.activerain.com as long as they are left intact including full text,
contact information and link to my website.

CLIENTS…PLEASE DON’T BE OFFENDED

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:57:37 -0800

Staging is for selling. Please don't be offended by the suggestions
that your Home Stager or Real Estate Sales Representative make.

How you live, how you decorate your home is your choice alone.
A home should reflect its family, their likes and preferences.

When a Home Stager suggests that you remove several pieces of
furniture and put them into storage...this is very common. Don't
take it personally; it usually has nothing to do with the furniture itself.
The reasoning is to show off your rooms, their size, and their features
so that they show their best. Buyers are not buying your belongings,
they are buying the house, so we what to show it off.

The Home Stager is looking at your house through the eyes of the most
discriminating buyer and will notice things that you don't. You live in the
house every day, it has sentimental value, memories and you just get
used to small irregularities and don't notice them any more. So when
the Home Stager recommends repairs, color changes, the removal or
replacing of specific items, don't take it personally. It's the Home Stager's
job to see these things and mention them for your attention. Many times
it is not because they are right or wrong, it is because it's the way that
Buyers have become accustomed to expect homes on the market to look.

So love your treasures that you have collected over the years, and don't
be offended if it is suggested you put them away and pack them up to
take to your new home. These are the special irreplaceable souvenirs,
treasures and keepsakes that will make your new house special and
turn it into your home.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke in Ontario, Canada
http://www.ownerspride.ca/
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Agents, If you are interested in Home Staging articles to use in newsletters,
emails, on your website, etc., you are welcome to use my articles at
lydiapollard.activerain.com as long as they are left intact including full text,
contact information and link to my website.

DECORATING IS FOR LIVING, STAGING IS FOR SELLING

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:53:35 -0800

My tag line on my business card is:

A home is where you live,
A house is what you sell.

Decorating is for living,
Staging is for selling.

A home is where you live and decorating is for living refer to
a home that is not on the market.

"Your home is your castle," and you should enjoy it. You should
live with the colors you like, the style of furniture of your preference,
and the photos and accessories that are special to you and that make
your house a home.

A house is what you sell, Staging is for selling refers to a home which
is on the market, completing for the attention of all the buyers.

The best way to get the best price and a quicker sale is to modify the
house to meet the buying criteria of the largest share of the buyers.

The best way to do this is to neutralize all the colors, de-clutter which
includes the removal of anything that is of a personal nature, including
family photos, culturally, religiously or politically specific. And the
cheapest way to improve you house is to clean, clean, clean.

Home Staging is taking the home out of the house.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke in Ontario, Canada
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Agents, If you are interested in Home Staging articles to use in newsletters,
emails, on your website, etc., you are welcome to use my articles at
lydiapollard.activerain.com as long as they are left intact including full text,
contact information and link to my website.

Each Home Staging is Different

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:51:08 -0700

In Home Staging no two projects will ever be the same.
There are such a wide variety of variables and circumstances
that can come into play; the age of the house, if it has been
updated over the years, the clients budget, time factor,
price point of the house, target market, the type of furniture
and accessories the client has or does not have, if the client
is going to do the work themselves or have the Stager do it,
if repairs need to be done.

It also depends on how motivated the seller is. Motivated
sellers tend to be open to suggestions and possibilities.

The final decisions as to what suggestions are or
are not implemented are entirely the clients’ decision.

The purpose of Home Staging is to position the house
to be more competitive and appeal to the greatest range
of potential buyers in the target market.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke, Ontario
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

A Room with a Purpose

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:25:34 -0700

When Staging a house for sale, some of the things that
should be addressed include; visual flow, furniture layout,
scale and proportion, balance and harmony, focal points
and room function.

When enhancing the functionality of the rooms, you
should take into consideration the over all layout of
the house, and the intended purpose for each room.

A good example is the formal dining room. Today,
many dining rooms have turned into home offices,
or multi purpose rooms. If your house plan has a formal
living/dining room combination, when preparing your
house for sale, the ideal situation would be to return
the dining room to its intended purpose.

Many buyers can't look at a dining room which has
been turned into a home office and picture their dining
room furniture in the room. On the other hand, when
the room has dining room furniture, it is easier for
them to look the space and feel confident their own
furniture will or will not be appropriate for the space.

Home Staging includes room function as well as
enhancing room functionality.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
http://www.ownerspride.ca/
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Update Your House - Quick and Easy Ideas

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:43:51 -0700

There are many ways to quickly, simply and
inexpensively update the look of your house.

Take down old curtains and put up sheers or blinds.
The room will look larger and brighter.

Strategically placed mirrors can make a room look
larger and lighter. Replacing a small bathroom
mirror with a larger one can have dramatic results.

Give you bathroom a lift with some new towels,
fancy soaps, candles, give it that spa look and feel.

Plants come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and textures,
they are an inexpensive and easy to accessorize with.

Replacing an old light fixture, with a modern one, can
update as well as add more light. Updating light switches
and plates are an inexpensive.

Replacing the handles and hardware on kitchen and
bathroom cupboards can update instantly.

The right pictures can make or break a room. If your
room does not have a focal point, a large appropriate
picture will do the trick.

Home Staging can be easy, simple and inexpensive.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Take a Picture of the Landscaping at its Best

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:06:42 -0700

Houses go on the market at various times of
the year for various reasons. If you are listing
in the winter or fall months, the chances are
the landscaping and curb appeal is not showing
at its best.

Landscaping in the front and back yards are
selling features. Perennials, shrubs, trees, decks,
patios, pools etc. are all part of the landscaping.
You want to entice prospective buyers; you want
them to see all these features when they look their best.

Sometimes, this is not possible, the alternative
would be, if you are planning to put your house
up for sale next year, plan ahead. If your house
is not going to be on the market when the landscaping
is at its best, why not take some pictures when it is.
The listing salesperson will have these pictures to
show the prospective buyers in the photo gallery and
the presentation folder.

A deck covered in snow, is not as inviting as a
picture of the deck in the summer sun, with the patio
furniture laid out, accessorized tastefully. A covered
pool is not as enticing and appealing as it is when
you see the sun reflecting off the water and pool
accessories and landscaping in the back ground.

Take a few minutes and plan ahead and take some
pictures of all the selling features of your house
when they are the most appealing and attractive.

Home Staging includes the outside of your house.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Your Selling Lifestyle…NOT Work!

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:43:40 -0700

A sparking clean, tidy, uncluttered well maintained
house and yard make it look easy to maintain.

Uncut grass, weeds and overgrown hedges will
remind them of work.

Put away the tools, lawnmowers etc. outside.
Hide the vacuum and cleaning products inside.
Buyers don't need to see reminders that it takes
work and upkeep for the house to look this good.

Put out the patio furniture, accentuate fun and relaxation.
Play some soft music in the background to set the mood.

If it is a hot summer day, have the air conditioning on.
If it's a cold winter night, have the fire place crackling.

Don't have them coming into a house that is cold, dark,
and silent with the curtains drawn.

Welcome them to a warm cozy atmosphere that will
make them feel like they are home.

Put the Home into Home Staging.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Light Fixtures - Brighten it Up

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:21:22 -0700

Take a look at the light fixtures in your house. Are they the
original fixtures that the builder installed? Do your light fixtures
give off enough light? Does the room look dark and dreary or
does it look bright, light, airy, and spacious? Does the room
have an ambiance which is welcoming to the potential buyer?

Light fixtures today come in a large variety of styles, sizes,
shapes, colours and price points.

Light fixtures can add luxury to a room. The style of lighting
chosen can make a big difference to the over all feel of a room.
For example, if you have an elegant traditional dining room,
you would pick an appropriate chandelier with perhaps a couple
of wall sconces to give the room the feel you are looking for.
A country style fixture with a fan would take away from the
look you are trying to portray, as would a sleek modern fixture.
Use the lighting to enhance the style and mood of the room.

Light fixtures can be replaced at minimal costs. This quick
and easy change can immediately update the look of a room,
increase the visual attractiveness; show off a rooms best features.

Make sure the light fixture and bulbs are clean, the highest
wattage allowable used, all the bulbs of the same wattage and
working, free of dust and cobwebs.

Home Staging addresses the lighting as well as the lighting
fixtures in a house.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
http://www.ownerspride.ca/
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Home Staging with Landscaping

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:34:41 -0700

Capture the attention of potential home buyers, make a
good first impression with a well landscaped yard. Home
Staging includes curb appeal which includes landscaping.

Stage with landscaping to highlight and enhance the houses
selling features, to create a focal point and visual flow with
balance and harmony.

There are so many options to choose from; trees, shrubs,
bushes, hedges, planters, urns, hanging baskets, window
boxes, basket trees and trellises. A combination of a few
of these options strategically placed can give your house
a whole new look.

All in a variety of different sizes, colors, shapes and heights.
Flowering perennials or annuals, ornamental grasses, roses
come in climbing, bush and miniature. Ivies, vines, cedars,
evergreens, topiary, flowering bushes and ground cover are
just a few of the many options available for your landscaping
projects.

Accessorize the outside of the house, using outdoor furniture,
lawn decorations and ornaments, outdoor lighting, multilevel
planters, boulders, rocks and stepping stones to name a few.

You can get ideas from magazines, garden centers, do it
yourself TV shows, or just drive around and look at other
houses that are similar to yours for design ideas.

Home Stage outside as well as inside to entice buyers and
get the competitive advantage over your competition.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
http://www.ownerspride.ca/
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Are You More the Contemporary Style?

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:01:37 -0700

Do you like that current, modern sleek simple subtle sophisticated look?
Do you like geometric shapes, intriguing shapes and forms, as well as
interesting styles? Maybe your decorating style is Contemporary.

Wood, leather, glass, chrome, stainless steel and an assortment of other
materials are popular in the contemporary style. Contemporary is modern,
yet still comfortable, practical and welcoming without being cluttered.
Less is more in the contemporary room. An open plan is popular for the
brightness, lightness, and spaciousness.

There are no fills, ruffles or floral in this style, no cornice molding,
chair rails or wainscoting. Very little pattern, no wallpaper, fancy drapes,
tablecloths or other non-essential details are used in this style.

Neutrals, black, and white are the common main colors in contemporary
interiors. Often color is used to be bold, to contrast. Accessories tend to
be few, and they tend to be large and bold with clean simple lines

Home Staging includes the elements of basic room styles

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
http://www.ownerspride.ca/
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Is Country your Decorating Style?

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:03:11 -0700

The friendly, casual, cozy, warm lived in feeling of past times, history
and ancestry is characteristic of the Country style.

Common in this style of decorating is the mixing in of family heirlooms,
cast-offs, vintage furniture, and mismatched dishes. Antiques of all any
sort, in various conditions are very popular in the country style. Open
shelving, accessorized using knick knacks of ceramics, pottery, rustic
items, hand made items, antiques, enamelware collections, natural
materials, candles, old chests and boxes, woven baskets, dried herbs or
flowers and clusters of framed photography often in black and white,
antique-looking chandeliers, wooden antiques or antique reproductions,
plate racks, aged surfaces, as well as area rugs are very characteristic
of this decorating style.

Common in the country dinning room is a large rectangular table made of
pine, oak, walnut or mahogany with wooden chairs or old benches. Furniture
and wooden floors are often distressed to give it that rustic look and feel.
Wainscoting, wide-planked flooring, wood trim, frames and doors are
common in this style.

The rustic and old give this style a charm and timelessness, a nostalgic
keepsake of the simple way life used to be.

Home Staging includes the elements of basic room styles, room flow and
a harmonious mix of furniture, fixtures, colors, textures and accessories.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
http://www.ownerspride.ca/
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Room Styles – Is Your Style Casual?

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:41:05 -0700

There are six basic room styles which include; the Casual room style,
the Contemporary room style, the Country room style, the Eclectic
room style, the Formal room style and the Traditional room style.

Today, we will have a look at the Casual room style. The elements
which are characteristic of this style include; its focus on comfort,
casualness and an inviting feeling, yet attractive but not luxurious
or elegant.

Casual is a well-chosen and harmonious mix of furniture, fixtures,
colors, textures and accessories that give a room that homey feeling.

The use of oversized comfortable furnishings, typically sturdy,
rectangular, chunky, and sometimes softly curved are common in
this style. The pieces do not need to match, and older pieces can
be mixed with newer pieces. In the casual style, you often see a
mix of various metals, woods, textures and warm tones giving
it that relaxed peaceful look.

The Casual's main focus is not on symmetry, but on the visual
balance of the room. No formal elements or elaborate details.

The casual placement of simple and homey accessories and accents
such as photos, vases, candles and other decorations give this style
a lived-in look, yet not over done or bold look.

Home Staging includes the elements of basic room styles.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Why Did You Buy Your House?

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:08:25 -0700

When you are getting ready to put your house up for sale,
think back to the time when you bought the house, remember
the reasons you fell in love with it, the reasons you bought it.

What were the things about this house in particular that made it
stand out from the other houses you looked at that were on the
market at the same time. What were the selling features that
made you want to buy this house as opposed to the other

Tell your Agent so he/she can highlight these points in the listing.

Was it the open concept of the main floor? The luxurious ensuite?
Was it the large windows, which made the house sunny and warm?
Was it the many storage areas to keep your things stored and organized?
Was it the hardwood floors? Large entrance/foyer? Large fenced yard?

Chances are these features will be the same ones that will attract the
buyer. Highlight these features so they stand out.

Home Staging includes highlighting the selling features of the house.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
http://www.ownerspride.ca

Clean, Clean, Clean

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:00:25 -0700

- Once your house is de-cluttered, it needs to be spic and span from
           top to bottom.
- In addition to making your home more attractive to buyers, it shows pride
           of ownership, makes buyers more comfortable, reduces allergens,
          eliminates odors, and makes the house feel more spacious because
         it reflects the light, lets the light in and brightens.
- Clean all light fixtures and chandeliers, including the bulbs. All light bulbs
           should be working and at maximum allowable wattage.
- Clean all the windows, insides and out, including window sills and ledges.
- Clean all mirrors and pictures.
- Wash all window curtains and blinds.
- Shampoo all the carpets.
- Wash all moldings, banisters, stairs, base boards, doors, door and window trim.
- Open windows and air out the house daily, using air fresheners and too
           many scented candles looks like you are trying to cover up smells,
         it is best to eliminate them at the source.
- Foods that have strong or lingering odors should not be cooked while house
           is on the market.
- You might be used to your pet litter basket, beds, toys, food, etc.but the
           potential buyer might not be.
- Avoid smoking in the house while it is on the market, the smell is offensive to
           any non-smoker and very difficult to eliminate.

No matter how nicely your home shows, if it is not clean, the buyer will notice.

Cleaning is a very important part of Home Staging.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Spring – Garage Sale Season

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:18:58 -0700

If you are planning to put your house up for sale. Plan ahead.
A great way to de-clutter is to have a garage sale. De-cluttering
is a very important part of Home Staging.

1.   Organize a Street Sale instead of just a single garage sale.
            Turn it into a neighborhood social event.
            A street sale will attract more customers and make for a fun atmosphere.
2.   For a street sale, distribute the work. One person can be in charge of making
            the signs. Another for putting up the signs. Another in charge of balloons. Etc.
3. Have residents park their cars on other streets during the garage sale. This
            will make for easy parking for customers and more visibility of the street.
4. Have some neighborhood kids set up a lemonade, coffee and sweets table.
            They can donate the proceeds to a children's charity. Get the kids involved.
5. Have neighborhood pre-sale scheduled for a certain time the night before the
            sale. This is a fun time to catch up with neighbors and get the first chance
            to view and buy each others stuff and discuss any pricing challenges.
6. Put the signs up the night before, be prepared for early visitors.
7. Instead of selling everything separately, consider grouping like things or sets
            together and bundling.
8. Instead of throwing out odds, sods, irregular or small items, you can put them
            in a box marked Free. It might be something someone can use.
9.   Remember to get some change in advance and have bags available.
10. Anything that doesn't sell could be donated to the Salvation Army or a
            church yard sale. Think recycle before you think land fill.

De-cluttering is a very important part of Home Staging. Plan ahead.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

House For Sale, does it Pass the Sniff Test?

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:58:38 -0700

A potential home buyer comes into your house and the
first time they inhale, they are over come with a stench.
Not a very good impression.

An offensive odor can turn the potential buyer off from
the moment they first get in the door. It can distract them
from seeing the houses real potential.

Pets are the biggest culprits, smelly litter boxes, animal
beds and animal toys. Cigarette or cigar smoke is another
culprit and can be very offensive to non smokers. The
smell of certain types of food, un-cleanliness, mold and
mildew all leave their scents. The home owner gets used
to the smells in their home, and doesn't notice them.

It's not enough to just cover up the smell. The source of
the problem should found and dealt with to eliminate it.
Clean the carpet and furniture. Wash the blinds and curtains.
Give the house a good cleaning from top to bottom. Wash
bedding, blankets etc.

Take out the garbage daily. Air the house out regularly.
Be conscious of the cooking smells left behind.

Does Your House Pass the Sniff Test?
Home Staging includes the Sniff Test.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Curb Appeal in March

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:41:47 -0700

While out on the weekend, I couldn't help but notice
a house that was listed for sale. The owner had made
an attempt to stage the exterior front of the house.

In Ontario it's a tricky time to decorate the exterior
of your house. It's too late for Christmas decorations
and too early to start planting or putting out the patio
furniture.

This home owner had purchased bright yellow plastic
daffodils. The daffodils were in bouquets. Even though
it is still too early for daffodils, if the owner had strategically
placed a few bouquets in appropriate locations...it might
have been acceptable.

The home owner had however used so many of these
plastic bouquets, that this front yard looked like an
advertisement for the Cancer Society.

To accompany the daffodils, were brightly colored little
animals, again not just one or two strategically place,
but families of animals.

If your not sure how to give your home curb appeal,
it's a good idea to drive around and see what others have
done that is visually appealing, look in magazines, or go
to you local home improvement store or garden centre
and ask the sales clerk.

In Home Staging...often less is more.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
http://www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Importance of Lighting it Up

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:01:01 -0700

When a room has a lot of natural light, it makes the room look and feel
warmer and larger. Open the window coverings and blinds. Less is
usually better for a house on the market.

In townhouses and condominium, natural light is often in lower supply
than in a detached house due to the direction and layout of the unit. In
these situations it is important to make the most of overhead lights,
light fixtures and accessory or decorative lighting.

Every light bulb should be the highest allowable wattage for that particular
light fixture. Today there are many more types of light bulbs available than
just the standard bulb. If you go to your local home improvement store, you
will find, incandescent bulbs, various types of halogen bulbs, fluorescent
bulbs, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), low-pressure sodium lamps, and
light emitting diodes (LED).

If you know there is going to be an Open House, or a showing, leave all the
lights on. Not just the fixtures, but the accessory lighting as well. It will add
a bit to your electrical bill but the benefits will outweigh the cost. You want
to show off and bring to the attention of the potential buyers all the selling
features you house has to offer.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

House Plants – Great to use to Decorate and Accessorize

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:47:03 -0800

          Many people over look using plants as a fast, easy
          and economical way to decorate and accessorize when
          Home Staging your house for sale.

Plants clean the air, improving the air quality
so important during the winter months
Economical, buy when small or on sale
Come in many shapes, sizes, colors, textures
Can be accentuated with decorative pots
Can be used to fill any space, high, low, large or small
Can be used in almost any room and any décor
Appeal to a wide array of tastes of the target market
Available and can be used throughout the year
Look great to decorate porches, decks and patios
Require minimal care and upkeep

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Home Staging – Final Decisions are up to the Seller

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:25:42 -0800

As a Home Stager, my job is to look at the Sellers house through
the eyes of the most discriminating home buyer and give the Seller
my honest and professional recommendations on all of the improvements
that can be done in the house to position the house to be more
competitive and appeal to the greatest range of potential buyers in
the target market.

The final decisions as to what suggestions are or are not implemented
are entirely up to the Seller.

I had a Home Staging Consultation recently, a listing that had expired.
After the Consultation, the very motivated Seller implemented the majority
of the suggestions and the house sold firm in 3 days.

The more motivated the Seller, the more suggestions they are apt to
implement. The more suggestions they implement, the more apt
the house is going to sell faster and for a higher price.

Home Staging can help, but in the end, it's up to the Seller.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
http://www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

General De-cluttering

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:07:34 -0800

A very important part of Home Staging is the de-cluttering.
De-cluttering is high on the list of important things to do, to
get your house ready to put on the market.

All extra "stuff" should be removed. Clutter eats space and
space is a selling feature. De-cluttering makes the rooms,
their size and volume of space feel bigger. When the house
is de-cluttered potential buyers can focus on the selling features
of the house and not on the "stuff" or the possible lack of closet
and cupboard storage.

All closets, cupboards and drawers that are attached to the house
need to be de-cluttered as the potential buyers could look inside.
Leave only the items necessary, pack and put the rest in storage.
The easiest way to describe the desired look is a store shelf for
cupboards. Items of similar size and shape together, stacked and
organized neatly.

Refrain from buying in bulk (eg. toilet paper, etc., Costco size) while
your house is on the market. This extra bulk takes up precious space
which could give the buyer the impression you house is short on
storage space.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
http://www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

February – Time for Christmas Decorations to Come Down

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:53:29 -0800

As I drive around this weekend. I can not help but notice the number
of houses that still have their Christmas decorations up. I have to
wonder if these people still have their Christmas decorations up
on the inside of their houses as well.

I follow an Open House sign. Interestingly enough, it leads to a
house that still has their Christmas decorations up outside. A
Christmas wreath on the front door, a Christmas mat at the foot of
the door, big red bow on either side of the garage doors, and Christmas
lights which have fallen down in various places and are just hanging.

Inside, there is no Christmas tree, but there are many Christmas
decorations throughout the house in the front hallway as well as
in several other rooms.

Driving around a bit more, I found several more Open Houses
and went inside. I was happy to see there were no Christmas
decorations in February.

A few attractive, tastefully placed Christmas decorations are
appropriate for the season and make the house more attractive.

It is February, the season is over. These are things potential home
buyers notice; pride of ownership, upkeep and regular maintenance
and attention to the home.

Home Staging involves the appropriate use of decorative
accessories on the inside and outside of the house.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca

Dare to Compare – the Competition

Lydia Pollard (Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:48:22 -0800

For any Home Seller, or any person considering putting their house on the
market, one of the first things they should consider doing is go out and attend
some Open Houses.

Have a look at the houses in the market which would be considered comparables
for their property. Comparable in size, location, age and price range.

This will give the Home Seller a realistic picture of what is going on in the market
at any given point in time. Who their competition is? How they compare to their competition?

What price range would be reasonable for their house? What condition their house
should be in to be competitive? Should they consider Home Staging to make their
house more competitive?

Put themselves if the potential buyers shoes. As we all know...a house is only
worth what a buyer will pay for it. A bit of homework in advance could save a
seller a lot of frustration latter.

Lydia Pollard
Owners Pride Home Staging & Design
Serving Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Milton & Etobicoke
www.ownerspride.ca
lydia@ownerspride.ca