What is the difference between Montreal home staging and interior decorating?

As a Montreal home stager and Montreal real estate broker, where home staging is still a relatively new concept, I'm often asked, "What's the difference between home staging and interior decorating?"

There are many, not the least of which is the fact that interior decorating caters to the tastes and preferences of one home owner/family, while Montreal home staging caters to the tastes of a whole pool of potential buyers for a home.

But it goes beyond that too. Here's a picture of a room that we were presented with at one of our Montreal home staging projects. 

Before shot of the home office 

Now it doesn't take a genius to figure out that a good clean-up of the room would work wonders.  And as an interior decorator, I could quickly come up with some window coverings, a nice desk lamp and other touches to make the room look like a pretty nice office.

But as a professional Montreal home stager, my job is to think about the target market for this home.  According to the Montreal real estate agent (this wasn't my listing), the most likely buyer for this home, in this neighbourhood and in this price range, would be a young family. 

Aha!  Young family = about two children.  The office was taking up one of the three bedrooms in the home.  Clearly, to attract as many potential buyers as possible, this room had to be converted to a bedroom to clearly show that there were three bedrooms in the home. You never want to make a potential buyer "work" to picture a home working for them or to picture themselves living there.  

So, this is what we did.

After shot of how a home office turns into a bedroom 

 

The home sold within a week of the staging, with offers coming in at the first open house.

And THAT is the difference between interior decorating and Montreal home staging.

Happy staging everyone.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stage all of my listings and hire a professional photographer...at no charge to my sellers.  It's part of my service package as a Montreal West Island real estate broker.  

Professional home staging and professional photography: two critical factors to making sure your home looks its best, both in person and on the Internet, and neither of them cost you a penny when you list with me.

Put your best house forward.

Tanya Nouwens

Montreal Real Estate Broker, RE/MAX Royal (Jordan) Inc., www.remax-quebec.om

Owner & President, Ready, Set...Sold!, a Montreal Home Staging Company  www.readysetsold.ca 

T. 514-919-8468    tanya@readysetsold.ca

RE/MAX Royal (Jordan) logoLogo for Ready, Set...Sold! Inc.

 

This blog is written with my opinions. My opinions are presented with accuracy but not guarantees. Copyright Tanya Nouwens - 2012. If you want to reprint parts of this, just email me for my permission at tanya@readysetsold.ca.

 

 
This post has been included in Quebec Real Estate News Montreal Area, QC Real Estate News Montreal West Island, QC Real Estate News
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21 Comments on The Difference Between Montreal Home Staging and Interior Decorating

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

AUG
18
2008
2 Featured Posts

HI Tanya, Great work and congrats on a quick sale.. It's always imperative that we as, stagers - stage with the potential buyers in mind.. God bless,
9:54am • #2
1 Featured Post

Very good job and very good post!! I am going to use it on our web blog, if you don't mind? We get asked this all the time, too!

~Leslie
3:30pm • #3
182,399 Points 30 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Thanks to all of you for your kind words; they mean a lot.  Feel free to use this on your web blog, Leslie.  Now I must go sort my Pier I sale purchases.  I believe I have a serious case of "I-feel-the-need-to-up-my-inventory-itis." I clearly need to get a grip, and to practise my new mantra, "Thou shalt not get sucked in by another Pier 1 clearance sale."  :)

Have a great day everyone.

Tanya
4:17pm • #4
141,052 Points 2 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Tanya - that's awesome! The room looks great. This is a point that can never be discussed to much. Congrats on the quick sale!
5:00pm • #5

Great after picture!--another reason to use the demographics when we stage!  Sometimes, I think the before's pictures are "staged" themselves, but this week we were in a home that is a lot like your before--so, it is real!! some people do live like that, and those are the rooms that give the best after pictures -- they are killers to work on and to get the homeowners motivated to get the stuff out, but boy, they are the best when they are done!!!!
5:08pm • #6
269,928 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

WOW!  Great transformation and congrats on the quick sale!!  Good for you!!  Thanks for sharing and great post!!
5:48pm • #7
120,304 Points 3 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Tanya ~ Terrific Staging job. Thats exactly what sells quicker. Wish everyone would get it! Great staging
6:56pm • #8
AUG
19
2008
1 Featured Post

Tanya--great job! Celebrate the sale (even if your way of celebrating is to invest in more inventory!) I come from the advertising business, and we always focus on the target market as a part of doing business. You are so right to do this!
8:18pm • #9
2 Featured Posts

Excellent work!  This is a great example of the right way to stage!
10:01pm • #10
115,480 Points 18 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Tanya! I have missed your smiling face! Great example AND explanation. Stagers have the harder of the two jobs, because we have to please EVERYONE, not just the homeowner!
10:11pm • #11
256,826 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog

And that is Home Staging - great example of the difference between the 2.
10:47pm • #12
AUG
20
2008
122,048 Points

Tanya - Fantastic looking room and great use of such a small space.  Well done!
5:14am • #13

What a supportive bunch all of you are!

And yes, I did celebrate our success...I've moved from Pier 1 clearance sales to craigslist.org mid-century modern furniture and artwork finds!  OMG what fun!  Not sure I'll ever use them in my stagings (unless I get a really hip condo again sometime soon) but in the meantime that new Danish teak side table I got looks FAB in my living room...which I am determined to furnish and accessorize using craigslist finds....oooohh, I see another blog coming on about the development of my living room from craigslist fab finds...I'll get back to you all on that...stay tuned.

Elaine: I've missed you too!  Your blogs keep me in stitches and...quite frankly...in "Depends." You're the best!

Happy day, all.

Tanya
Tanya Nouwens Gurberg -- Ready, Set...Sold!, Professional Home S
7:42pm • #14
AUG
21
2008
151,440 Points 2 Featured Posts

That room looked so small!!!  I'm amazed that you could make it a bedroom
10:14am • #15

WOW..... You are good.  RBB
1:40pm • #16
425,063 Points 22 Featured Posts Outside Blog

There was a room under there? lol - great job on the staging.
9:19pm • #17
AUG
23
2008

I appreciate my stager's advice and hard work SO much!  She always says, "Decorating is putting personality INTO a room, and staging is taking the personality OUT (so that it will appeal to more buyers).  I have a lot on my plate when listing a home for sale, so knowing that my stager is on board, is a big help!

Linda Schulte, Keller Williams North Atlanta
10:27pm • #18
AUG
24
2008
2 Featured Posts

What an awesome transformation, Tanya. 

I agree, that room did look tiny, even looking beyond all the 'stuff'.  I don't know that anyone could have pictured a bed AND dresser fitting in that room like that.  You proved it!  Now that's what I'm talkin' about!!!!
9:00am • #19
MAY
01
2009

Tanya, this is a great post. This room meets with the ultimate goal of staging this house - appealing to the buyer - & looks good.
7:52pm • #20
MAY
14
2009
186,516 Points 19 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Love your inclusion of pictures... I can't quite picture the tan melamine cabintes with the teak trim.
11:50am • #21

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Tanya Nouwens ~ Montreal Real Estate Broker & Stager

Montreal West Island, QC

More about me…

RE/MAX Royal (Jordan)/Ready, Set...Sold! www.readysetsold.ca

Address: 101 Amherst, Beaconsfield QC H9W 5Y7, Kirkland, Beaconsfield, Baie d'Urfe, Montreal, Quebec, H9J 4A5

Office Phone: (514) 694-6900

Cell Phone: (514) 919-8468

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