Adding Some Life to a Home: Montreal Home Staging Before and After Pictures

I’ve got some Montreal home staging before and after pictures for you here.  These come from a Montreal West Island home staging project we recently did.  The home sold after 6 weeks on the market, which was great considering it was in the $500,000+ range where homes generally take longer to sell. 

It was another real estate agent’s listing, but I was happy to stage it because the homeowner was the mother of my very first client as a Montreal home stager. 

The home was essentially vacant, as the homeowner spent very little time there.  It needed a bit of PERSONALITY and LIFE.

I like to give each bedroom in a home a personality of its own.  I think it helps potential buyers remember them: “Remember the one with the funky green art on the wall?”  

With the inundation of information in everyone’s life, anything we can do to help potential buyers differentiate our listing/home from everything else they see has gotta help, no? 

More to come later on the main living spaces…

In the meantime, feel free to visit my web-site for some more home staging Montreal before and after pictures.

Bed and window

Hello? Anyone home?

Master Bedroom

A little more panache.

Ensuite bathroom

Completely renovated but...

Ensuite bathroom

A few finishing touches and voila!

Bedroom with bed and window

A little bland...

Bedroom with bed and window

Still soft but pulled together.

Bedroom with bed and window

Big room with little personality.

Bedroom with bed and window

A bit of colour brings this room to life.

No Comments

Tanya Nouwens, June 17th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Home Staging

10 Ways to Know if a Real Estate Career is (Not) Right for You

Based on my experience as a Montreal real estate agent, a Montreal home stager, and a Montreal homebuyer and seller, I humbly offer you this quick and dirty take on 10 ways to know if a real estate career is (not) right for you.

Rules: If any of the following statements apply to you, score yourself a point. 

1. You’re usually the one who does all of the talking when you’re around other people.

2. You get CRAZY when you have a tight deadline.  And you CANNOT think clearly when you’re under pressure.

3. Disruptions to your schedule REALLY throw you off and upset you immensely.

4. It has never really occurred to you, at any point in your life, to ask yourself, “Am I good at reading people?” 

5. You love to gossip.

Picture of directional road signs6. You will fight on principle, even if it means losing a deal.

7. You tend to have a very hard time getting your emotions under control and need others to talk you down.

8. You never read the fine print.

9. You have had a life-long war with paperwork, and the messed up files to prove it.

10. You think real estate is easy.

Now, if you gave yourself a point for #4, give yourself 3 more. Yes, it was a bonus question.

What do the scores mean?

Score of 1 to 3: You have a few things you need to work on or get help with in order to be good at and enjoy this business.

Score of 4 to 6: Think on this career choice a bit more. And then when you’re done that, think some more. Then when you’re done that, travel to the top of a mountain, sit quietly for two weeks, and then come back to make your career choice.

Score of 7 to 10: Step away from the real estate course, ma’am! Real slow like….arms in the air….

What about you? Any others you’d add? Score differently? 

Is there one that would be a dead “If you answered yes to #, do not pass go, do not collect $200…”?

1 Comment

Tanya Nouwens, May 5th 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Real Estate

I Must Be Losing It

I’m in the middle of a great Montreal home staging job.  Yesterday was a really big day of loading and unloading artwork, lighting, bedding, pillows, accessories, etc.  You know, the stuff we use to make a home look and feel warm, inviting, comfortable and full of life.  I hope to finish the job today. 

This morning at breakfast, my husband asks, “So was the homeowner there all day while you were working?” 

“Yes.”  He knows I don’t like this because home staging always looks terrible before it looks great…like any work in progress.

“Oh. Was she bugging you?” he asks.

“Well, sort of.  I mean, she kept to herself and let me do my thing.  But…her being there meant I couldn’t talk to myself while I worked.”

And I meant it.

I must be losing it.

No Comments

Tanya Nouwens, April 28th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Home Staging