Sveta's Blog

New home staging class in Gatineau/Hull/Ottawa area

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:29:37 -0600

Hello,

I have been teaching home staging classes for aspiring full time or part time home stagers since early 2008 in Quebec and in Europe.

I get to meet wonderful people who are looking for a new challenge and they are very motivated and excited by the end of the 3 day course. I try to keep in touch to follow their progress in the home staging business. Not all of them continue and persevere long enough to make it happen and that's normal.

I tell the prospective students that Home Staging is a growing field but we have to work very very hard and learn to be patient and not to give up if we REALLY want it to succeed! Over time we develop notoriety and business network which will propel our business forward, but it does take time.

I see a growing demand for courses - in the last year, I have had many requests fro classes in French in the Gatineau, Hull and Ottawa area. So here I am, trying it for the first time - in Gatineau, December 5-6-7, 2009. I am also looking for a house for sale in the area, which my class could use for a practice session in return for a F.R.E.E. home staging consultation on December 7, 2009.

Please contact me for more information on www.home-staging-montreal.com or 514-482-9776.

If home staging interests you and you are serious about making your life better, this might be what you need! I know that making other people happy makes ME happy! Cheers!

Flexibility is essential to Home Staging

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:19:51 -0500

As I teach Home Staging classes, I always get tons of questions from aspiring home stagers, looking for a fail-proof formula to success.

I probably disappoint them by telling them that there is no such thing, but I give them suggestions and ideas and tell them what works (and what doesn't!) for me, everything I have learned from trial and error in the last four years.

Several factors are important to make us successful. Today, I want to concentrate on FLEXIBILITY.

Every property is unique, every seller's needs and requirements are different and so are their personalities! It's almost impossible, I think, to always sell the same packages, as they will not fit everyone.

I have a 'standard' offering of services, which are priced and a per-service basis, but I'm always wiiling to work with a client to modify them. For example, a small one-bedroom condominium will certainly not require as much of my time as a three bedroom+office+basement house. Another example is of a client who wants me to help her decide which furniture will move to the new house in two weeks and which one will stay behind and be used for staging the old house. And many more examples...as many as there are sellers out there.

So, being flexible and fair to the client is one of the key ingredients to success, in my humble opinion. I am curious to know what you think, please let me know!

Realtors & Home Staging - what's the problem?

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:28:14 -0500

Today's blog is about a topic that has been bothering me for several months now and I would like some help in finding the answer.

Even if the recession has hit Montreal less than some other areas in North America, the last several months were tough on realtors and home sellers, the average decline in the number of transactions hovering between 30% and 37% compared to the same month in 2008. The time to sell a property doubled as well, on average from 3 to 6 months...

With these statistics, I was convinced that my time has finally come and the realtors will be thrilled to have me around to help them sell properties faster and better. So, I have made presentations in several offices across the city. The topic of How Home Staging benefits agents is obviously close to their heart, as many came to hear me. They applauded, they stayed after the presentation, they came one by one to tell me how great I was and how excited they were to work with me, how many clients they had for me and then......you guessed it.....NOTHING, ZILCH, ZIP, NADA....

When I follow up with them, they either don't return my calls or make up some lame excuses that they totally believe in Home Staging but their clients don't want to do it or don't need it....I don't believe it for a second, as I have rarely seen a house which didn't need any home staging at all and many home sellers contact me directly through my website.

So, what's the problem? My guess is that most agents don't know HOW to introduce the concept and the value of Home Staging to their clients in a positive way. A realtor girlfriend of mine gave me another reason - 'Agents are cheap!' she said. By the way, she is one of the rare agents who has NO problem in recommending home staging to her clients and she refers me business on a regular basis. It works for her, her properties sell! If she can do it, why the others can't? What are they afraid of?

I am very perturbed -I would love to hear from all of you - realtors and stagers - hopefully together we will find the answer and then I can build a marketing strategy knowing what the problem is. HELP!!!!

Staged Home sells the same day!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:57:40 -0500

Good day to you all!

I wanted to share this recent story with you - a Staged house sells in 3 hours! Of course it's exceptional but it does happen inspite of a slower real estate market.

I was recently asked to help a client to prepare her home for sale. The house is small (2 bedrooms only and a very small office), but very well located and well maintained. The paint was recent and the color neutral enough on the main floor but needed to be refreshed in a couple of rooms on the upper floor.

The problem? Old and outdated furniture, outdated and darkish curtains, some clutter and several personal items, such as the owner's artwork displayed everywhere in the house (pretty but not to everyone's taste).

We worked on a very limited budget (approximately $700). I made a list of accessories to purchase and we split the tasks - I went off to IKEA and the owner shopped in smaller local stores to locate items such as decorative pillows, a vase, branches, a mirror and some fabric. She repainted her old dining room table a dark brown (instead of a previous blue color) and recovered the chairs with dark brown microsuede fabric. She also repainted a small office and a bathroom over a weekend. The seller also worked very hard to declutter and put some of her furniture in storage.

Last, but not least, we rented two small white chairs and we reorganized her furniture to optimize the spaces, changed the curtains on the living room and set up the accessories.

As soon as the photographs appeared on the Internet, the phone started to ring. Three appointments were set up for the evening. The second visitors made and offer to purchase on the spot and it was accepted. The house sold the same day for %96 of the asking price. End of story!

A practice session Home staging

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:15:59 -0500

As part of my Home Staging training program, I organize practice session at a client's home. As each home is different, each staging project is different as well. We have staged vacant homes as well as performed a minor miracle on a lived-in home and all that in about 4 hours!

I want to share some projects my classes worked on, as I am very proud of the results.

The first one is a vacant condominium in downtown Montreal, which is listed for $300K. I prepared everything in advance by renting the appropriate furniture and bringing the accessories in before the staging day. The students had to try different configurations and reach a consensus on the optimal furniture positioning and accesories placement... They saw what a REAL staging is and how hard we work (LOL)!

And here are the results!

Bedroom Transformed!

Living room and dining room area

Let me know what you think. I will post another project in a couple of days.

Have a great week!

Will 2009 be good to Home Stagers?

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:27:53 -0600

Everyone wants to know. I get that question in all my training sessions and I understand why. The state of the economy being what it is, real estate is in crisis...How bad is it really?

Here are the most recent stats and predictions from the Montreal Real Estate Board:

In January 2009, there were 37% LESS transactions recorded than 12 months ago, but the median price of a typical single family home is keeping steady. Good news and bad news!

The realtors still list properties but they are taking longer to sell. There seems to be less buyers out there and the ones who are buying are more cautious and more selective. They expect MORE for their money.

I think that the sellers who are serious about selling their properties will soon understand that they have no choice but to give MORE to the buyer. Therefore, making the house look its best and offering a move-in solution will become even more important in 2009. Home Staging services will, in my opinion, become a NEEDED asset to the realtors and the sellers (I certainly hope so! LOL).

Next week, I am giving a presentation to a group of realtors from the biggest real estate agency in Quebec and I am anxious to see their reaction and willingness to work with me and my teammates. Are they finally ready for Home Staging? Maybe they won't have a choice!

What is your opinion on that matter? let me know.

Staging a vacant property = higher offer!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:11:10 -0600

I just had to share this one with all of you, as this real life case is proof on what Staging a vacant property can do!

I had a client who was not able to sell his condo for several months, as in spite of the fact that it's quite nice, it is situated in a very lively area of Montreal (not to say 'party time' central') - not to everyone's taste...The client already moved to another house in suburbs and the property was sitting empty. Several visits a week but no offers...

So, I asked the client to use his place for my Home Staging training practice session at the end of october. I staged it wih my students and sent the client the pictures. He liked it so much that he decided to keep the furnishings for one month.

Last week, the agent received two (2) offers on the same day. The offers differed by $12,000. Guess who put a higher offer in? A buyer who saw the condo staged, of course! Isn't that motivating for us, the Home Stagers, to see a concrete difference that our work makes?

I was (and still am) thrilled and the agent as well as the client are my fans LOL!

Happy Holidays to all! Happy New Year, may it be good to Home Stagers across the land!

Staging vacant properties - I am loving it now!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:23:48 -0600

I am not sure why but I am being asked to stage quite a few vacant properties in the Montreal (Quebec) area these days. I think I am becoming the Vacant Property specialist! LOL

We all know that vacant properties are even harder to sell, as the defects on walls, floors and ceilings stand out more and over 90% of people are unable to visualize the empty space and what it MIGHT look like furnished...

I used to be scared of these phone calls for several reasons. I was afraid to make a mistake -miscalculate the amount of furniture required, choose the wrong furniture and accessories, not have enough stuff to stage it with, etc...Well, now they are my favorite kind of Stagings!

True, there is more work involved, more preparation, more organizing and more sweating! On the first visit, I take pictures and make my list of everything needed - especially the furniture for the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom..Usually, I can reuse the same or similar furniture from one property to the next - off-white micro suede, chocolate brown leather - contemporary style - will look good anywhere! Then, depending on the wall colors, style of the house and the accessories available at that time in my inventory, I decide on the ACCENT color.

The day or two before the staging, I prepare my furniture, bins (all accessories), artwork, mirrors, lamps, bed coverings, etc...and I go shopping if I am missing some items. And then I am ready for a day of hard work and pleasure after I see the result. I hire an assistant from one of my Home Staging courses and we set everything up, sometime trying different things until we are satisfied. It does take several hours but the end result is worth the effort! And the best part is that it's going to stay that way until the house is sold!

The only part I dislike is DESTAGING - after the house is sold, when we have to come back and dismount everything, pack it up and move the stuff back...but that's part of the job, so I try to stay positive and think that all this furniture and accessories will be finding a new home very soon!

House number 1:

House number 2:

Home Stager Training programs galore!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:51:03 -0500

Hello,

I know, I have been delinquent lately, too busy with everyday running of a Home Staging business (and travelling to France to teach - poor me LOL).

But there is a topic that has been on my mind for a while now and that is the training programs available out on the market as well as the number of Home Staging graduates in the market.

Home Staging services in Quebec are on the rise ! As the general awareness of the concept is spreading, the demand for Home Staging is increasing and more sellers and realtors are open to the idea.

On the SUPPLY end, we are seeing a proliferation of Home Staging training courses and dozens of Home Staging graduates every month. The interesting phenomena at this time is that there seems to be more newly minted Home Stagers on the market than clients! And they seem to think that easy money is coming their way. As there is NO OFFICIAL accreditation of Home Stagers in the industry, anyone can claim to be one!

So, how do you choose? What makes one training program better that another?

In my opinion, EXPERIENCE, honesty and a healthy dose of realistic expectations is what makes a difference. No training program can guarantee a full proof success formula for its graduates. But teaching them the ropes of the business, from the decorating basics to specific staging techniques to selling techniques as well as some essential business skills is what will help the graduates the most. Providing means of coaching, follow up and participation in client projects will assure that the most motivated graduates will acquire additionnal skills.

So choose carefully and ask a lot of questions before taking a decision! Don't be fooled by the fancy marketing terms and false promises - ask a lot of questions and be realistic. Home Staging is a wonderful profession and it deserves to be practiced in a professionnal way!

Home Staging Montreal is developping the market in France!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:26:35 -0500

Home Staging has arrived in France - through the media, of course! As France is experiencing a severe real estate crisis, the Home Staging seems an obvious service to help sellers and realtors.

Great Britain has been at the forefront of the Home Staging for a while, but the rest of Europe is catching on as well. Slowly but surely, the French are becoming aware of Home Staging and its benefits. Several newspaper articles and TV shows paid attention to the Home Staging in the last few months and the effect is quite dramatic, with hundreds of people interested in exercising the profession of a Home Stager. Eventually, the sellers will become aware of and interested in the Home Staging as well.

Home Staging Montreal has had an incredible opportunity to participate in the birth of that market in France. Our intensive 2 day seminar in French (of course!) is quite a success and we have so far delivered it to over 50 participants from all over France . Four more sessions are scheduled (and pretty much full) over the next 3 months - in Paris, Lyon and Marseille.

I know it's tough but someone has to do it! LOL And I'm happy it's me!

So, you think you don't need to stage your house?

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:52:01 -0500

You have decided to sell your property. You love the home decorating shows on TV. You have good taste and you house is well decorated. You are ready to put the property on the market. But, are you really?

I often hear this kind of thinking from certain home sellers, especially women. It's perfectly normal, as home decorating is becoming an established hobby and is well represented all over the media (on TV, magazines, books, Internet, etc). That's great!

But, please remember that Home Staging is a set of specific and very efficient techniques. The goal of Staging a home is not at all the same either; we decorate our house for ourselves, in accordance with our personal taste whether the Home Staging is decorating for others, namely the potential buyers! The point of vue is completely the opposite - instead of personalizing, we actually depersonalize the property for sale!

And, another important point: it's very difficult to be objective about your own home. As long as you look at it as a "home" and not as a real estate investment, you won't be able to present it at its best FOR SALE.

A professional and impartial Home Stager will execute an assessment of your property and will provide you with recommendations to make the property irresistible to buyers. The assessment may show more or less changes to be made to the property but, believe me, in three years, I have still to see a "PERFECT" house!

A video interview with me on Home Staging on YouTube (in French)

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:57:10 -0600

A really quick blog post tonight, I am quite tired and need to be in shape tomorrow, as I am giving a 45 minute conference on Home Staging at a very big «Country homes and cottages» exhibition in Montreal.

About a year ago I approached the Founder and President of the biggest Sell-by-the-owner website in Canada. It started with a cold call (or several) and blossomed into a great business relationship. I might not get tons of direct business from them, but the exposure for me is outstanding and I do get a lot of business from that. They, on the other hand, are very pleased with me and my services and are using me to develop and promote information on Home Staging to their clients and to the market in general (they are well aware that the topic is HOT!).

Recently, they launched a Web based Tv channel through YouTube and asked me to help me prepare 2 video capsules on Home Staging. The first one is in interview with me and explains what Home Staging is in general. The second one will be available in a few days and will demonstrate an actual staging project - Before and After.

So, how is your French? You can practice it and watch the first capsule at

http://www.duproprio.tv/index/reportages/56-home-staging-embellir-sa-maison-pour-mieux-la-vendre/

As I am NOT the most technical person, I hope this will work. If not and you still want t see it, you can go to www.youtube.com, choose Channels, enter DUPROPRIOTV and see me!

Home Stagers and realtors unite!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:02:51 -0600

I have been away from Activerain for a while, but I have had a very busy month of January.

I am working hard on my website, which is my main marketing tool, always expanding it and making it better for my visitors. One client recently hired me after a 10 minute conversation over the phone (after finding me on the Web) and told me that I was not the first Stager she contacted. Why me? Because she LOVED my website and felt that I could answer any of her questions and concerns. I have helped these sellers establish a marketing plan for their home and will even get a Video out of it (more on this in the near future). Not only have I been working, Staging homes and shopping for clients, but I have also been away on a Western Carribean cruise (sorry, I keep getting off topic).

I have seen a significant increase in awareness, understanding and interest in Home Staging over the last eight months or so and it makes me particularly happy when realtors contact me. Sometimes they call me because a client of theirs asked them to find a Home Stager and sometimes they want to be proactive and see me as an added value they can bring to their clients. Whichever it is, I am always pleased - it allows me to demonstrate my trade, show them the benefits of Home Staging, establish a relationship with them and grow my future business through their client referrals.

But it's not a one way street and I don't expect something for nothing. I am happy to recommend good, professional realtors whom I know and trust to my Home Staging clients. I think it makes a lot of sense for everyone involved and creates a real partnership. I want the house sold as soon as possible and at the best price possible, as it makes me look good!

So, one client at a time - a seller, a realtor or a person wanting to improve their living quarters on a budget - I am growing my business and having lots of fun doing it!

Reflexions on the New Year 2008

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:20:16 -0600

I would like to wish a Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone. Let it bring you joy and success in whatever areas are important to you!

As for me, I am looking forward to a better year than the one that just passed. I've had some good times and some bad times and learnt (and am still learning) to adapt and deal with new situations and challenges.

As for my Home Staging venture, I suspect the year 2008 will be the Coming OUT year! I have noticed a lot more awareness and requests for my services in the last six months of 2007. Some questions and situations were a challenge and, on a few occasions, I had to be quick on my feet....But every new project taught me something and made me better equipped to handle the next ones to come. I set some modest goals at the beginning of last year and I am pretty happy to have achieved them.

I worked and am still working very hard on my website, which is my main marketing tool it it's really paying off. Almost all of my clients come to me after finding me on the Web. I tried several marketing strategies to see what works best for me and am fine tuning my sales pitch and the way I present my services. You can always make it better! I have established some important partnerships ans associations - with some hand picked realtors as well as some quailty tradespeople. I have invested in some props inventory. My articles are regularly published on the Web as well as in a local newspaper. I have been invited to participate as one of the speakers at a big Home event in February 2008 - looking forward to that! I even got a request from France to teach a Home Staging course there - who can say "no" to that?

I have tons of ideas and projects for the new year - my goal is to at least double my business in 2008. I am looking into adding a couple of people to work with me, so I can take more clients, expanding my props inventory and adding some products and services to sell from my website. So, I need to keep working at it - one thing at a time - slow and steady and it will come. I am very excited about the year 2008 and all the good things it will bring!

Cheers and good luck to everyone!

Home Staging and more (renos, realtors and a friendly ear)

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:46:47 -0600

I was recently called in to a client who needs to sell his home quickly. He has tried to sell it on his own, then with an agent and didn't get any offers in a year. He realized he had a serious problem, as visitors (especially women) would walk in and walk out quickly, without giving the property a chance.

So he asked me to help him fix the house up. When I walked in, I was discouraged, not only by clutter everywhere and lack of proper furniture and decor, but also by the choice of colors....hmmmm, check it out below, you'll know what I mean. After touring the house and talking with the client, I gave him an ultimatum - if he wanted to work with me, he had to get his act together and declutter (get rid or put away at least 50% of his stuff), repaint most of the house and listen to my advice. To my suprise, he agreed and we got going! I also provided a friendly ear - I listened, I encouraged and I motivated (sometimes, I felt like whipping...LOL).

I recommended a realtor in his area, who means business and he gave us 10 days to get the house ready. The colors were chosen, a painter was hired and lots of work done. Than I brought in lots of my furniture and accessories and we Home Staged....The house is now on the market and had already a couple of visits in the last 3 days. The agent is happy and tells me that the reaction is very positive. So we'll see how fast it will get sold and for how much!

Home staging starts with top quality pictures (Part 1)

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:28:57 -0600

Home Staging starts with good quality real estate portfolio.

Since the Internet became readily available in North America, more and more home buyers use the Web to shop for properties and select the ones they want to visit. The latest statistics indicate that over 85% of the potential buyers for YOUR home will use your pictures to make a decision whether to visit based on what they see. So, if your pictures are out of focus, blurry or unclear, you'll likely lose many of those potential visitors....

One important question to consider for best quality photographs is the number of megapixels your digital camera should have. (A megapixel is a measure of how much detail a digital camera can resolve and record.)

The answer to this question depends on where and how you are planning to use the photos you take of a property or listing.

If your photos are only going to be used online (such as for the MLS or an FSBO site, for a realtor website, or for a single-property website), any digital camera with at least 3 megapixels is perfectly fine for real-estate photography. Actually, more megapixels may work against you because the size of the resulting image file becomes larger and takes more time to transfer. For example, pictures taken with my backup 3-megapixel digital camera generally are only about 2 MB, while pictures from my digital SLR camera are around 4-6 MB each (at least)! Although you wouldn't be able tell the difference between these images if you viewed them on-screen, you WILL notice a difference in the time you'll wait for the pictures to appear, especially at their full size!

On the other hand, if you are planning to use these photos offline (to print a flyer, brochure or handout, for example), then a digital camera with more megapixels will allow you to print larger images from a file. For example, an image from my 3-megapixel backup camera, I can create good 4" x 6" prints and O.K. 5"x 7" prints, but not 8½" x 11" prints. On the other hand, my digital SLR camera produces very good 4" x 6", 5" x 7" and 8½" x 11" (or even larger) prints. This is very important if you want to use a full-size print for the cover of a home's brochure or in a handout, as well as if you plan to use the image within an online video tour or slide show.

So, depending on your real estate marketing plan, decide where and how you are going to be using the images you capture with your digital camera. If you are shooting online images, your current camera might just do the job. If not, you might want to invest in a new camera or consider hiring a professional real estate photographer, who will take the BEST quality pictures for your home selling project.

The content of this blog was contributed by Home Staging Montreal's partner, Justin Soles. Justin is the owner of JustSo Photography, Montreal's only real-estate photography boutique studio. To reach Justin or read all about Home Staging, please visit www.home-staging-montreal.com/activerainnov07.

Realtors meeting - Home Staging presentation - did I succeed?

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:52:46 -0500

I went to my first realtors office meeting this morning to introduce myself and my Home Staging services and it was quite an enlightening experience! I get almost all of my business through my website, from home sellers directly or the agents who are looking for a Home Stager.

The office manager was great - but the crowd was tough! There were seven of them this morning and most of them didn't look interested at all in the beginning. I have been in sales for many years and am used to making client presentations. I almost felt like a high school teacher in front of the totally bored class...LOL. I prepared a short (4 pages) Powerpoint presentation covering the following topics: How to recommend a Home stager to a client, The Staging process, Benefits to the realtors and Why they should choose Home Staging Montreal as a partner.

I was enthusiastic, smiling and moving fast - slowly some of the agents started to come alive and even asked a few questions..I had two allies in the room - a realtor whom I met through ActiveRain and we'll be working together on a client of his and the office manager. She even complimented me in front of the group, as she saw a property I staged and really liked my work.

At the end of the presentation, I asked for the agents' cards and left them a stack of mine. And that was it!

I left with mixed feelings - did I succeed? I followed up tonight with personal Thank you emails inviting them to contact me to discuss their individual listings...We shall see. But I figure it was not in vain - maybe they will need me one of these days and NOTHING beats the personal contact and maybe they'll recommend me to other agents. I wanted to share the experience as I'm wondering whether other Stagers have had similar reception! LOL

Home Staging is worth over $80,000 to a client!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:54:36 -0500

I have recently helped a client prepare his house for sale. Before the renovations and staging, the realtors told him that he would be lucky to get $350,000 for it. Not only did he implement all of my recommendations, he actually did more - he built a room in the basement and then we furnished it to make it a playroom/TV room.

I used mostly his furniture, added some inexpensive furnishings from Ikea for the playroom in the basement, changed and added light fixtures, had the house repainted, decluttered and cleaned, changed handles and towel holders, and accesorized with new towels and bed cover.

It made a BIG difference, as the house sold in less than 3 weeks and for over $80,000 more than the initial estimate! Here is what the client had to say:

"While recognizing the need to stage the house to appeal to the widest possible range of buyers, Sveta was able to understand my tastes and set up a plan that addressed both needs. I am very happy with the result of our work - the house sold in under 3 weeks and for > $80,000 above what brokers had estimated six months earlier." Testimonial from J. Hass - July 2007

That shows how much of a difference Home staging can make!

PS. Too bad we don't work on % from a sale!

Call to follow up (or not) and what to say?

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:06:48 -0500

I know I 'll get a lot of help on this one, as, I am sure, it happens to every Home Stager....Someone contacts you for information. You take several minutes of your time to answer all their questions and explain how Home Staging works and how he/she will benefit from it. The prospect is excited and tells you he/she will be calling back for sure. Then....nothing.

What should you do? Do you call him/her back after a few days? If so, what do you say? Or you don't do anything and hope he/she will call back?

I know we don't get to sell to every person who phones. Recently, Debra Gould had a comment on that topic - and the reasons why...Actually, I would like to know what % of prospects DO you sell to? For me, I would say the average is over 50%, which I know (from being in sales for so long) is very good. What about you?

Still, I am wondering - what's appropriate in terms of a follow up with a prospect and what do you do?

Have a wonderful STAGING day!

What can I guarantee my clients as a Home Stager?

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:11:55 -0500

I have been thinking about this for a while. Everbody loves to have a guarantee on product or service they purchase, as it makes them feel safe. So, as a Home Stager, are there any guarantees I can offer my clients?

Maybe it's easier to start by determining the things which I can NOT guarantee...I can not guarantee that the house will sell faster and for more money (and how much more!) after Staging, as there are several factors which are out of my control, including the sale price, the location, the condition of the structure itself, the marketing efforts put into the sale by the owner or the realtor, etc.

I can guarantee the quality of my services, though. I can demonstrate that I am a professional in my field and that I have the client's best interests at heart. I can guarantee that I will listen to their needs and will respect their timeframe and their budget. I can guarantee that I will always be honest in my recommendations and that I will find an appropriate solution for them (even if, sometimes, it's not ideal).

I think if I do that, the clients will see my value as a Home Stager and will understand the benefits of Home Staging. What do you think?

Home Staging - outside counts too!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:10:33 -0500

I just completed home staging project of an empty property. The owner purchased this property, a duplex, in order to renovate it and flip it. The renovation work took 4 months, finally the 2 units are ready to be put on the market. The condos are beautiful and brand new wood decks were built in the back.....

But there was a problem - look at the backyard before it was cleaned up! Anyone coming out onto the deck would be looking at a "jungle" and thinking how much money and time they will have to invest to landscape this backyard.

Solution: One of my contacts is an avid gardener, so I hired him to clean this yard up. It took a weekend, about $500 worth of earth and grass and a lot of hard work, but look at the difference!

In a staging project everything counts, so let's not forget to insure that the outside of the property corresponds to the beauty on the inside. Stage it forward!

My V-Flyer is ready!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sun, 27 May 2007 19:32:33 -0500

HOME STAGING MONTREAL

Are you looking to sell your house quickly and for most money?

Home Staging Montreal is a professional home staging (house fluffing) and interior redesign firm, serving Montreal area. Home Staging will insure that your visitors first impressions are the best impressions by using simple and efficient techniques to enhance the appearance of your property. From a simple one hour consultation to a full project management, we will help you to increase the VALUE of your property. Stage your house - sell your house!

Or, if you simply want a " new look" to your living space without spending too much, we'll help you to enhance it and you'll be amazed at the results.

Vous desirez vendre votre maison rapidement et pour plus d'argent possible?

Home Staging Montreal est une firme de Valorisation immobiliere professionelle desservant la region de Montreal. Par des techniques simples mais efficaces, Le Home Staging assurera que les premieres impressions de vos visiteurs sont les meilleures. D'une consultation de base d'une heure jusqu'a la gestion des projets complets, nous vous aiderons a augmenter la VALEUR de votre propriete. Decorez votre maison pour mieux la vendre.

Ou, si vous voulez un "nouveau look" pour votre chez soi sans trop depenser, nous vous aiderons a maximiser et embellir votre espace et vous serez ravis des resultats!

Information

Contact Information

Sveta Melchuk

514-482-9776

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Pricing

Additional Pricing Information: Our prices are based on the services required. Starts at $80.00 CAN. Home staging is much less expensive than a price reduction of your property!

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Home Staging Montreal Site

Features

Maximum: full project managment

Minimum: one hour walk through

Service: Home Staging

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Equal Housing Opportunity

VFLYER ID: 1072066

AR responsible for a new friendship and a Home Staging buddy!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 09:18:07 -0600

Good morning to all,

I am just bursting to share with you some great news - how AR has led me to a new Home Staging buddy and a beginning of friendship. I was sort of feeling lonely by myself, with tons of ideas and things to get done, but also some frustrations...I am noticing several new Home Stagers appearing in the Montreal region, but it seems that each one is on her own (so far, I have come across ladies only), doing her own thing. Everyone seems to have the same problems - not enough clients and jobs...(YET)

So, I have been thinking that two (or three or even more) brains, eyes, and hands are better than one and there is strength in numbers (and experience). I have seen a few websites and a few profiles in my area and came across Mary Seferian (Diva Decor Design) on AR. Turns out she is also a graduate of Debra Gould's Staging Diva program - another thing we had in common. And I liked her smile, profile and energy on AR. I contacted her a few weeks ago and offered to meet for a coffee to chat and share ideas.

We finally met yesterday and it turned into a 3 hour lunch marathon session. Boy, did we have things to share - personal and professional! It was amazing how we clicked and how similar our opinions and strategies are. We decided to look for a way to mutually help each other, support each other, learn and work together - maybe share some expenses, inventory, etc...The details are to be worked out in the next few days/weeks but we both know that this will be a WIN-WIN strategy and will help us to grow bigger and better!

So, if any of you have done this before and have advice, suggestions and ideas on what type of association works best, please let me know.

In the meantime, I want to thank Mary for being so open, energetic and fun and I look forward to developing a new friendship and a Home Staging buddy!

Am I allowed to brag (just a bit)?

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 13:50:05 -0600

I am very excited as I succeeded in stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new.

I noticed that a real estate website (http://www.bytheowner.com/) did not have an English language columnist to write about Home Staging. I wanted to do it but I was scared - (What if I am not good enough, what if I will not know what to write about, etc) but my friends pushed me....So, I contacted the owner of the site and offered him to write monthly articles for them. To my great surprise, he quickly agreed (after talking to me for a bit and checking my website) and I became their ''official'' Home Staging expert and columnist!

I had 2 days to come up with the first article to meet their deadline. I decided to keep it simple and start from the beginning - writing about what Home Staging is and why people should consider it. If you want to check it out - http://blog.bytheowner.com/2007/01/31/home-staging-%e2%80%93-the-must-have-marketing-tool-for-your-property/

And the key point of this story is: it's normal to be scared and doubt yourself but you have to do it anyway, it might be easier and turn out better than you thought!

Call to all realtors - help for the stagers!

Sveta Melchuk (www.home-staging-montreal.com) (Home Staging Montreal (HSM)) — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:12:01 -0600

Good morning, everyone

Jim Frazier and I have exchanged a couple of emails recently regarding the search for some recent and reliable home staging statistics as he undertook compiling whatever he can find.

I was also thinking and hoping that if we had a few REALTOR testimonials as to the benefits of home staging to them and their clients, it would be great for us, the home stagers, particularly in the new markets where the concept is not quite accepted yet. So, if you believe in the importance of staging and agree to have your name in print (websites or other marketing matetrials), please write us some testimonials on this blog!

Your help is greatly appreciated by all stagers here! Thank you