The Difference Between Montreal Home Staging and Interior Decorating

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 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 pull the room together into 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 from an office 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.

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Tanya Nouwens, June 3rd 2010 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Home Staging, Real Estate

1986 Called: They Want Their Shoulder Pads Back

There’s a home in my Montreal West Island neighbourhood that’s been for sale for a long time, and I think I know why.  It’s the same problem that kept another home in the area from selling for more than a year.  And the problem relates to the unfortunate decision that some homeowners make to not update their home as time goes by. 

Or maybe it’s not even a conscious decision to not update their home.  It’s probably more of a mindset that they like their home the way it is, so it never really occurs to them to change any of the finishes or renovate the kitchen or bathrooms.

This alone is not unusual.  We’ve all seen lots of homes that haven’t been updated.  As a Montreal West Island real estate agent, I see this all the time.

The problem comes when the home is REALLY BIG.

Then, the task of updating also becomes REALLY BIG — an enormous, all-consuming task that can turn many potential buyers off.

In a smaller home, a buyer can usually fathom having to update a bathroom at some point.  But in a home with three complete baths that haven’t seen anything more recent than 1986?  That poses a HUGE psychological block.

If you’re the owner of one of these larger homes, do yourself a favour and commit to gradually updating over time, from time to time.  Then, when it comes time to sell, even if the whole house has not been updated, the job of doing that won’t seem so daunting to a prospective buyer.

And if you’re one of those people who hasn’t kept up with the times in your home’s flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, windows, etc., then please price your property accordingly. 

And when you feel like saying to your Montreal real estate agent, “But our home is so much BIGGER than the other homes on the street,” please understand why that may not carry as much weight as you would like it to. 

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Tanya Nouwens, May 25th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Real Estate

Location is No Place to Compromise.

I used to live on the water. It was a beautiful property in Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Quebec, with a deck on the edge of Lac St. Louis. The house was gorgeous too – hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, multi-level deck, fireplace in the master bedroom.  It was my dream home…or so I thought.

But within a year of buying the place, I couldn’t wait to move.

When we originally bought the home, my husband and I were both working full-time. The long commute helped us unwind. Its remoteness was an escape from the city.

Then we had a baby, and I stayed home to raise him. I quickly realized that virtually everyone in our neighbourhood was retired, which meant no kids for our son to play with, no moms for me to hang out with.  We were lonely. 

The location was all wrong.

You can change most anything about a home.  But short of monumental efforts, it’s really hard to change where it is. 

Woman trying to choose which way to goSo when you’re looking for a place to call home, never compromise on location.  These 4 steps might help:

1. Think about what brings you peace…and angst.

Does traffic make you crazy? Or is a longer commute relaxing? Do you like having people and action around you? Or does it make you want to run away? 

2. Project your life out about 5 – 6 years.

Are you planning a family? Do dreams of your children playing street hockey dance in your head?

Or are your kids getting ready to fly and you now crave peace and quiet?

3. Test drive the location.

Pretend you already live there and test drive the commute to and from work.  Park yourself in the area to see traffic during rush hour.

Visit the neighbourhood during the weekend to get a feel for the area. Are neighbours outside talking to each other? If so, do you like that or do you prefer anonymity?

Are there kids playing outside and are they about the same age as yours?

4. Work with a real estate agent who knows the area.

She can tell you such things as whether a particular street is known for traffic and what schools you would be zoned for.  Or who the main builder in the area is and what types of homes he built.  Or the best access to the highway and shortcuts to get there.  Or where you can get great pizza on Friday nights and flowers on the way home from work.

A real estate agent who knows the area you’re looking in can help you choose your ideal location. 

And a good one will never rush you into making that decision.

*This article is based on an article I wrote for the January 2010 Montreal edition of Luxury Report Magazine.

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Tanya Nouwens, May 11th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Real Estate

Quick Fix for a Stuffed Dining Room

We run into a lot of properties in Montreal’s West Island real estate market that have more furniture than they can handle. This was one of them.  Among other rooms we tackled in our Montreal home staging of this property, the dining room was over-stuffed and didn’t show off all of the available space.

Here’s a home staging tip: Remove the top half of a buffet/hutch, i.e., the hutch portion.  This presents a more contemporary look, cleaner lines, less clutter and, most importantly, more space!

Before

After

We also removed the dated wallpaper throughout the home and applied a fresh coat of paint.  Under the salesmanship of a great real estate agent (no I’m not bragging – this wasn’t my listing!), the house sold within a couple of weeks. 

Yup, space is real estate…and a more contemporary look makes for better showings.

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Tanya Nouwens, May 6th 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Home Staging, Real Estate

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…”?

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

Montreal Home Staging: The Proof is in the Pudding

The proof is in the pudding: home staging is way more than smoke and mirrors.  In this case, it helped an agent in my office sell a vacant Montreal condo that she had had on the market for a year. A year! 

Our vision: to make the condo appeal to a young and hip clientele.  Being located within walking distance of two of Montreal’s major universities, this was prime Montreal real estate for students and/or students’ parents looking to make an investment while at university. 

Once staged by Ready, Set…Sold! Inc., a Montreal home staging company that I started three years ago (before I got my real estate license), it sold with multiple offers within two weeks.  No price change, no difference in marketing…with one big exception: great photos for the MLS listing.

Before: Nice but…

Picture of Living Area Before Staging

After: Young and hip, just like the most likely buyer for this condo.

After Shot of Living Space

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Tanya Nouwens, May 3rd 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Home Staging

Go On, Take the Risk

New Year’s Eve 1990. I’m newly single. My best friend and I plan to travel from Ottawa (where we live) to Montreal for some guy’s annual New Year’s Eve bash.  But there’s a snowstorm outside.  And she has a terrible cold.  But we go anyway.  And I meet my future husband there – he’s the “some guy” having the party.

December 2007.Out of the blue, I call JJ Jacobs, one of the biggest Montreal real estate brokers, and ask her if she would be willing to meet with me to brainstorm about my Montreal staging business, Ready, Set…Sold!.  She sounds busy…and a bit irritated.  Yikes.  But she agrees to meet with me.  Fast forward to today, and I’m now a Montreal real estate agent in her brokerage.

January 2008. I get a contact from my web-site from someone who would like me to stage her home in Montreal north…not the safest part of town. And so totally out of my territory.  But I want the work.  So I drive out there and meet the sweetest woman and her family.  I stage her home, which sells within a week with multiple offers.  Then her sister hires me to decorate her house, her agent hires me to stage his home, and this week I’ll be staging her mom’s home.

Climber on Rock

February 2010. “Tanya, are you interested in selling some land for someone I’ve known for a long time?”  Sure. I know nothing about selling land but I’ll find out.  Two months later, we have a conditional offer (subject to rezoning of the land).

April 2010.Been showing soooooooo many homes to my buyers.  So many homes that don’t work for so many reasons.  Here’s one more.  Looks from the outside like all the others they’ve seen and dismissed. None of us really wants to see it because we can’t handle the disappointment again.  But we go anyway.  And they buy it within 24 hours.

You just never know where things will lead.  Sometimes, we have to take what feels like a real risk…or puts us out of our comfort zone…and then watch how the magic happens as we get led somewhere we never thought we’d be.

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Tanya Nouwens, April 24th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Real Estate

A Recipe for Success for Selling a St. Laurent Condo Quickly and for 98% of the Asking Price

My listing for a St. Laurent 3-bedroom condo just sold for 98% of the asking price and in 30 days. The market average for this type of property was 93 days.  No price reduction.  No languishing on the market. 

Picture of Key on a Piece of Paper Saying "Success"

The Key to Success is Often More of a Recipe

The recipe for success here had many ingredients:

Sellers who trusted me and my expertise in knowing what buyers for this type of property are looking for.

A painter/handyman I’ve worked with for a long time who knew how to identify and address outstanding maintenance issues.

A Montreal real estate agent (me) with a background in Montreal home staging, with the knowledge, resources and inventory of lighting, art and accessories to make this home shine.

Sellers who were patient enough to wait until their property was ready before it went on the market.

A detailed comparative market analysis to ensure the property was priced right, right from the get-go.

Effective, well-written on-line and print marketing with good pictures.

Numerous showings, the vast majority of which I attended even though I was the listing agent.

Strong negotiation when it came down to the nitty-gritty.

It worked. 

And now I’m off to find my clients a new home.  The movers are booked!

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Tanya Nouwens, April 13th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Real Estate

I love my clients. I really do.

Gratitude, appreciation, being in the moment, finding balance — all things I strive for in my life.  And so I need to get this off my chest: I can’t believe how lucky I am to have the Montreal real estate clients I do!  

Crossword puzzle of words related to customer serviceThey’re funny, and bright, and stressed sometimes.  

They’re trying to do the right thing. 

They appreciate my time, as I appreciate theirs. 

They’re looking for guidance, and for someone to listen to them.  They don’t want to be “sold” to. 

They appreciate my hard work and my commitment to doing the right thing for them. 

And they understand when I’m sometimes not sure what that “right thing” is, but they know I’ll work until I figure it out.

Maybe I’m gushing because I used to work in corrections…and the clientele there was, well, not quite the same : )

Maybe I’m gushing because it’s been a good, albeit exhausting, week.

Maybe I’m gushing because I know, despite everything we hear to the contrary, that the world is mostly full of good people just trying to find their way.

I’m one lucky girl.

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Tanya Nouwens, March 24th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Real Estate

“Tanya, Martha Stewart’s An A**hole.”

Indulge me in a personal story (once again), will you?

Back in 1998, I went from a high-flying career as a criminologist to being a stay-at-home mom in the span of about a week.  And I stayed at home for the next five years.  During that time, I went through quite a few identity crises. 

What does a stay-at-home mom do?

What are my responsibilities?

What sorts of things should I be doing that I didn’t do previously – besides the most important one of raising my baby?

And so I looked to the experts for answers to these questions.  Well, two experts mainly: Martha Stewart and my mother-in-law.  (My own mother worked while raising four of us.  How she did this is beyond me.)

White flag put up in surrenderMartha Stewart irons her sheets – versus washing them and throwing them on her bed immediately because she cannot, for the life of her, figure out hold to fold a blasted fitted sheet. 

She also bleaches her laundry naturally on the clothes line — versus throwing out the items that seem beyond repair. 

And she bakes macaroni and cheese from scratch– versus boiling macaroni (whole wheat at least), throwing shredded cheese from a bag on it and calling it “Mommy’s macaroni surprise” (their favourite meal to this day). 

One day while ironing the sheets and sweating like a cold beer on a hot day, my mother-in-law called and asked what I was doing.  “Ironing my sheets,” I said.  “Why?” she said.  “Because Martha Stewart said so,” I told her.  Then came the magical words: 

“Tanya, Martha Stewart’s an a**hole.”

Woman with arms outstretched at beach

And I was released.

Released from doing things just because an “expert” in the field said that it was a good idea, that it was the way things should be done. 

Released from blindly following someone who I thought was doing it “right,” when in reality their “right” was never right for me.

And so it is in business and Montreal real estate as well. 

We need to find our own way.

To find our own identity in business.

To not blindly follow the people who appear to be leaders just because they appear to be leaders.

To not jump onto every new strategy, tactic, tip, idea, social media website just because they are there, because others do it and because we’ve been told we should.

 Let’s stop.

Let’s think about what we’re doing.

Let’s find the authenticity in everything we do.

Let’s learn from the “experts” but find our own way.

At least that’s what I’m trying to do.  How about you?

Nota bene: Of course Martha Stewart is not an a**hole, but I could never begin to keep up with the things that she suggests are “good things”…unless I only slept 3-4 hours a day and had a staff of 13 at my disposal.  ‘Til that happens…

 

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Tanya Nouwens, March 23rd 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in work life balance
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