rooms in bloom: Selling Your Kitchener-Waterloo Home over the Winter
- 12/03/11 12:44 PM
Selling your home is always stressful and inconvenient however selling during the winter presents its own unique set of challenges. Not only is the market typically slower during colder, winter months but the holidays can make it difficult to juggle the need to decorate with the importance to properly showcase your home. As there are less buyers looking for a home its vital to make sure your property shows beautifully so buyers will willingly – and eagerly – face winter’s cold wrath to preview your home.
Keep your driveway and walkways shoveled and accessible. The last thing a seller wants is … (14 comments)
rooms in bloom: Professional Marketing Tools for Your Business
- 10/21/11 09:52 AM
So, for the first time in I don't know how long - many months at least - I have had a chance to go through our projects and start working on some new marketing materials and tools. This is something I thoroughly enjoy however I simply haven't had the time for it; between business being crazy busy and my sister getting married (two ceremonies) I have been neglecting this side of our business. You may have noticed the lack of blog articles - or maybe not lol - but I'm baaaack!
So here are some fun things I made up … (17 comments)
rooms in bloom: Model Home Mentality: The Effects of HGTV
- 10/18/11 10:20 AM
Home staging, which has changed the landscape of how homes are sold today, has made really dramatic strides in only the past few years. These changes come in response to a new generation of home buyers whose high expectations are dictating what sells homes – and what doesn’t. We call this change in mindset Model Home Mentality and it encapsulates the effects of HGTV and snazzy model homes on impressionable home buyers who must have all those fancy upgrades as well as a home which has ‘the look’ before they buy it.
Gone are the days when a home owner … (13 comments)
rooms in bloom: Deer Ridge Model Home Staged to Sell
- 09/09/11 10:00 AM
At the beginning of August, we were contacted by a local builder about the possibility of staging one of their model homes which had been up for sale for a year. We met with them and toured the home, taking in all the gorgeous architectural features in the home and the extensive upgrades. Originally, they asked us to simply quote them on staging the dining area as they had gotten alot of comments that without furniture, their buyers just couldn't 'see' how their table and chairs set would fit. We agreed that this area was in need of staging however we … (12 comments)
rooms in bloom: Getting Top Dollar for Your Property with Home Staging
- 07/09/11 06:35 AM
Regardless of whether you call it home staging or home fluffing; the goal is the same – to get your home sold quickly and for top dollar. There is an abundance of articles and information which will tell you how to go about staging your home. These articles however, while they tell you the basics of what to do to get your home ready for sale, they don’t say how to do it. Told to de-clutter and neutralize, sellers often scratch their heads and wonder what should get packed away, how much is too much and what are neutral colors to decorate with which … (10 comments)
rooms in bloom: Top 10 Things NOT to do When Listing Your Home for Sale
- 06/05/11 06:27 AM
In an age when home staging is such a prevalent real estate tool, it is amazing how many real estate listings are out there which are clearly not in any way ready for potential buyers to walk through. We work with a lot of realtors and know just how tight their marketing budgets are when it comes to their listings. It only makes sense to maximize these dollars by showcasing pictures of modern, bright, uncluttered spaces which will attract buyers in droves. This seems logical to me and I know of many realtors who will refuse to list a property unless … (27 comments)
rooms in bloom: What Do Your Online Photos Say About Your Kitchener Home?
- 03/23/11 05:19 AM
It’s amazing how connected people are today with the internet, iPhones, blackberries (I call mine my crackberry), iPads and more. They want information to be accessible everywhere, instantly. Virtually everything in our lives is touched by this hi-tech vibe and its revolutionizing the way people buy and sell real estate these days.
Did you know that over 95% of buyers shop online first before even going to see a property? Whether they are browsing through MLS listings at home or viewing them on their iPhone while they are out and about, people are doing their initial search first without even … (32 comments)
Winners to Be Announced in Las Vegas at the industry’s yearly convention January 24th, 2011 Kitchener-Waterloo, ON – November 15, 2010 Kitchener-Waterloo home stager Heather Cook of Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design Inc. is named as a finalist in the Real Estate Staging Association™ (RESA®) Home Staging Industry Award™ in the Professional Home Stager of the Year Award for all of Canada. Home Stagers from all over North America submitted their before and after photos for consideration for the industry’s … (5 comments)
rooms in bloom: Putting a Face to a Name: Introducing the ladies of Rooms in Bloom, Kitchener-Waterloo's Home Staging Company!
- 09/18/10 03:13 AM
When I first started blogging here on AR, I'll be honest, I loved seeing everyone's picture next to their blog articles so I could get a sense of who was speaking. I wanted to do the same but I also felt that as this picture was going to represent me and my company, it had to be professional. My partner and I had our pictures taken about a year and a half ago by a professional and we weren't thrilled with the results. The photo of us is on our website but its never been something we've wanted to incorporate into … (17 comments)
rooms in bloom: 5 Days to Stage a Luxury Home in Cambridge, Ontario!
- 08/20/10 03:31 AM
My partner Alana and I were hired by the home owner of a truly stunning home to do a complete make-over and staging of his impressive home. The property had been on the market since early January 2010 and was listed in 'as is' condition. The house didn't sell. As we often tell our clients, the higher the listing price, the higher buyer expectations are. In this case, the home had spectacular curb appeal but the online pictures weren't doing the property justice and when buyers visited, they were overwhelmed by the personal decor choices which they would have to … (42 comments)
rooms in bloom: Kitchener-Waterloo Vacant Homes: Why They are a Tough Sell
- 07/08/10 04:44 AM
Vacant homes are some of the toughest properties to sell. A national survey done by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) in 2009 found that vacant homes which were staged spent 78% less time on the market. Below are the reasons why Kitchener-Waterloo vacant homes are so hard to sell: 1) Buyers are inherently visual - only 10% of buyers can actually see past what is right in front of them. If they can't see it, they won't buy it.
Living Room "Before"
Living Room "After" 2) Rooms always appear smaller than what they actually are without furnishings … (14 comments)
rooms in bloom: Kitchener-Waterloo Home Staging Party Gets Results!
- 05/11/10 02:58 AM
A few weeks ago, I did a consultation for an older couple who wanted to list their home fast but were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work it would take to get their home into prime selling condition. I spent over two hours making suggestions and recommendations but it came down to defining room functions and editing out a lot of the furniture and pictures in every room. When I spoke to the realtor, she was hopeful that they would implement my recommendations because she was concerned that because of the area the house was in and the condition of … (16 comments)
rooms in bloom: Staging a Beautiful Luxury Home in Cambridge, ON
- 04/27/10 07:26 AM
On Friday April 9th I did a consultation for the home owners of a large luxury home in an elite part of Cambridge, ON. We were called in by the realtor who realized that there was a lot of work to do in this large home before it could sell at the price the sellers wanted to list at. This particular realtor's office is one we partner with often and they are extremely pro-staging which makes a tangible difference in what clients are willing to do to get their homes ready for sale. This particular home was vacant and while it … (13 comments)
rooms in bloom: Stunning Century Old Stratford Home Staged to Perfection
- 04/22/10 08:45 AM
Rooms in Bloom was called in to see a beautiful century old home in Stratford in March of this year. We were immediately impressed by the home and could see that with a little work and our staging efforts that this house would polish up like a beautiful gem. We completed the staging this week on this home and can't get over the transformation - tell us what you think!
Our client is thrilled and the realtor who referred us cannot get over the … (18 comments)
rooms in bloom: Home Staging Increases the Value of a Gorgeous Home in Stanley Park, Kitchener!
- 04/02/10 04:14 PM
Recently, my partner and I were contacted by a design savvy home owner who knew they would have to do some improvements and staging to get their home in the Stanley Park area of Kitchener, ready for sale. After an in depth consultation, we made a number of recommendations for their Kitchen, living areas and basement which they not only agreed to, they were excited about implementing. Rooms in Bloom was hired to come in after they were finished upgrading things such as the kitchen countertops, painting a few of the principal rooms and changing out some of the light fixtures. … (7 comments)
rooms in bloom: The Essence of our Kitchener Home Staging Services!
- 03/22/10 08:43 AM
Over the past few weekends, I have been travelling down to my hometown of Burlington to help my mom recover from major surgery. Amidst all the things I’m doing to help her, I have found time to go to a number of open houses – hey, its a passion of mine – and see what’s available. I’ve seen some great properties and been tempted by a few, but that isn’t the point of my blog post today. Today I want to talk about the essence of home staging. The reason I want to do this is because I think people … (16 comments)
rooms in bloom: Adventures in Staging
- 01/21/10 03:03 PM
In our line of work and because we deal so much with people, we collect stories which we feature in our "Adventures in Staging" portion of our monthly newsletter. Our adventures detail our experiences and usually provide an underlying message for clients and REA's reading them. This actual event occurred last year and while at the time was quite disconcerting, now makes us chuckle because it contains so many elements of what we hope not to have happen during a consultation. So first of all, both my partner and I are asked by one of our REA partners to go and … (9 comments)
rooms in bloom: UrbanEra Model Homes Staged by Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design
- 01/09/10 01:04 PM
Last year, my partner and I were hired by a local developer to stage their model homes. We worked tirelessly with the builder to create two stunning & entirely different designs and feel we succeeded. We chose to decorate the home with simple, yet stunning furniture and accessories which allowed each home's layout and architectural details to shine through. In the traditional home, we used a rich gold toned paint and accented it with a stunning palette of luxurious colours and materials.
In the contemporary home we used crisp modern furniture accented by stunning … (22 comments)
rooms in bloom: Beautiful Cambridge Home Staged to Perfection!
- 01/05/10 11:43 AM
Last year, we were called in by a savvy home owner to do a consult on her home before she put it up for sale. The home itself was impressive from the start and we knew with some simple changes, fresh paint and staging that house couldn't fail to wow buyers! Today we staged the home and we are thrilled with the results!
Living Room - Before & After Shots - In the bottom shot I do apologize for the fact that my camera did not capture the beautiful seafoam hue of the chairs and the corresponding hues pulled … (10 comments)
rooms in bloom: The Joys of having a Partner
- 10/26/09 02:50 PM
My partner Alana and I started our business nineteen months ago with a great combination of design background/experience, an inventory of home decor accessories .. and a passion for making spaces beautiful. We were lucky and landed some great contracts right away and with lots of smart marketing, hard work and combined efforts we have made Rooms in Bloom a well known name in the real estate community. Along the way we have had numerous people make well meant comments on the fact that we are partners in what is usually a solo career. Profits are split down the middle and … (12 comments)
Blog written by Heather Cook, award winning home staging designer for Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design Inc. Great information on home staging & re-design for realtors, sellers and buyers!
Selling your home is always stressful and inconvenient however selling during the winter presents its own unique set of challenges. Not only is the market typically slower during colder, winter months but the holidays can make it difficult to juggle the need to decorate with the importance to properly showcase your home. As there are less buyers looking for a home its vital to make sure your property shows beautifully so buyers will willingly – and eagerly – face winter’s cold wrath to preview your home.
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