WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DECORATING AND STAGING?

is important to ensure your home stands out above others in a crowded real estate market – so what is the difference between decorating and staging? Simply put, decorating is furnishing a home for you personally to live in and enjoy for your personal taste. Staging is decorating a home for the current market. Staging is about taking your personalized spaces and making them welcoming, calming and memorable, from a buyers perspective. There’s no doubt that you would furnish your home quite differently from how you would stage a home and this is often where Sellers put up some resistance, not wanting to lose their personalized touches and the things that they’ve become comfortable with. The first step in any home staging process is always to de-cluter. This can sometimes take a bit of time and work because it requires letting go of possessions that you discover you no longer require or have room for. Enter each room with a fresh pair of eyes and envision the room empty. Now critically ask yourself what should belong in the room if you were staging it to make the room look its best. Then remove everything but these select pieces with an eye to being as minimal as possible. Make sure to clean out all storage areas and closets leaving only seasonal clothes on the rack. Since you will be moving, start packing away items in boxes and store them in a corner of the garage or fill a container or Pod and then have it stored until you move into your next home. Next step is to de-personalize the home by removing all personal photos and items. The rationale is to encourage the buyer to feel more comfortable envisioning themselves in the home. Often this stage uncovers some maintenance and paint that may be required to spruce up the house once the excess items are removed. Be sure to consult with a professional Stager, decorator or your real estate agent to ensure you make the best color choice for resale. Often a seller may work to this point themselves and this is where they will bring in a professional to see how much further they should go in staging the home. This could involve swapping out furniture if the existing pieces do not work for the room, or installing particular pieces. The Stager will often rent these pieces or furniture for an initial design fee, plus a monthly rental cost. It is clear that we decorate our homes for comfortable day-to-day living and that this is not always the homes best face when selling. So remember that although your home may be well decorated, it most often requires staging to show the home in it’s best light and to extract the best price from the market. Leave yourself enough time in the pre-selling period to ensure that your home is decluttered, de-personalized and staged properly. At Sano Stante Real Estate we include primary staging and coordinate advanced staging services for all our valued clients. Call us for the best real estate service.   

FALL HOME MAINTENANCE TIPS AN OWNER SHOULD PERFORM

Each season home maintenance should be performed to prevent structural damage, save energy and keep your home’s systems running properly. To protect your home investment, try to follow an annual routine and you will discover that the work is easy and not very time consuming. By following a healthy maintenance schedule you will receive years of trouble free service from your home and avoid costly and unnecessary repairs.  To winterize your home, these are the most important items to attend to in the Fall. Outdoors: Deadhead plants, weed and rake leaves Mulch over perennials and protect young or sensitive trees Prune overgrown shrubs and trees Store outdoor furniture Shut off outdoor hose connections; Drain and store hoses Clean eavestroughs, downspouts and clear leaves from all vents Check chimneys for any obstructions such as nests Ensure that all ground slopes away from the home – check settling Cover outside air-conditioner units and shut off power Check all doors and windows and repair any weatherstripping Visually inspect all exterior flashing’s and caulked joints for any openings and re-caulk as necessary Indoors: Consider removing interior screens from windows to provide frost free air flow around windows Check that all bath fans operate properly and to clean any hood fan filters Check and test your sump pump and ensure discharge lines are clear Check all fire and CO2 alarms and replace batteries Test all ground-fault breakers Clean furnace, heat recovery unit filters and replace if required Check all pilot lights for furnaces and fireplaces and check operation Bleed air from radiators (hot water heating systems) Have your furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company every two years and clean ducts as required Following a regular schedule of maintenance will save you energy, avoid costly repairs and provide you peace of mind over the winter months. If you have any questions about maintenance and ways to protect your home investment, don’t hesitate to contact us. At Sano Stante Real Estate we have a team of real estate experts that can help you get the most from your real estate investment.

HOW CAN I CREATE A ZEN YOGA ROOM AT HOME?

  Create a Yoga studio in your home Yoga Studio Creating a sanctuary within your home for yoga or meditation is a great idea that allows you to slip away for a needed respite during a hectic day. Those of you who have practiced your yoga routine in a hotel room will attest that the space you set aside does not have to be large, but it will need to have the elements of simplicity, quiet, balance and oneness with nature.  The ideal space would have a serene view of a garden or natural elements. If you cannot use an entire room, a Japanese-style folding partition can easily define the area.For meditation, a beautiful zafu cushion from is the perfect item to showcase in your space.  The 100 percent cotton cover is filled with buckwheat and, as a seat, the zafu cushion helps bring length and alignment to the spine.You can also find comfortable meditation chairs, which are low slung chairs styled to support a lotus position and a combination of the two would be ideal. SoundIf you cannot escape the sounds of a busy household, soothing music or a meditative tape can aid in relaxation. Place a small mp3 player, CD player or iPod dock in the space and keep your favorite CDs nearby to keep the environment as serene and peaceful as possible. A trickling fountain or water feature will work nicely as well. FlooringWhether your own personal “Zen den” has wood flooring, carpeting or tile, a yoga mat is an essential component to the space. Look for one made from eco-friendly TPE, which is an excellent choice for those passionate about the planet and their practice. These are available in a multitude of colors so keep your room in mind when choosing this to complement your sanctuary. For those worried about germs in the home, chose a yoga mat featuring a unique closed-cell structure that blocks moisture, germs and odors from absorbing into the mat. NatureBring an element of nature into the space, whether it be a tiny Bonsai tree or a favorite potted plant to enliven the space. If at all possible, the designated area should have a window or a door to allow the eyes to travel and view an element of nature, even if it is simply the sky. LightingTo set the mood and your intention in the time you set to practice, the correct lighting is essential. If you cannot alter the lighting of a shared space or add dimming switches to your lights, try lighting a candle. The gentle flickering and chosen scent make candles the perfect light anytime you need to reflect or reconnect with your moods and emotions. AccessoriesKeeping you dry during your moments of practice within your own private sanctuary, a mat towel is absorbing, comforting and slip-resistant, allowing you to become one with your mat without losing your rhythm. After use, it can be placed in the washing machine for a quick wash, all in the comfort of your own home. Whether you designate an entire room for your new home yoga sanctuary or simply section off a small space in a shared living area, this should be a place you long to come to each day for peace and reflection. Dedicating this space will also make it easier for you to maintain the habit of your routine and the benefits of regular yoga and meditation are invaluable. Make it yours! Sano Stante Real Estate represents luxury and unique homes in Calgary’s inner city and provides expert real estate service. If you have a question about Calgary real estate please call us. We’ll be glad to help.

HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY HOME APPRAISAL?

Selling your home is only half of the process – after the sale is conditional your home needs to pass the appraisal test. Given the importance of this step many clients ask ” How can I improve my Home Appraisal”?It’s a common myth that “bank appraisals” are always conservatively low, but is that really true? Understanding the appraisal process can shed some light on home values and show you how you can enable your appraiser to substantiate the highest value possible.First it’s important to understand the rules of engagement. Appraisals are based on recent sales usually limited to the past 6 months sales of comparable properties. In a rapidly rising market this explains why it is often difficult for appraisers to find evidence that proves the current values. Of course the opposite is also true and in a declining market often appraised values can tend to be overstated. Here are a few ways ways you can help to improve your home appraisal: Ensure the Appraiser is knowledgeable about your area. Especially in inner city communities where there are a myriad of factors that affect value and where values are extremely diverse. Do your own homework. Appraisers rely on MLS data so if you are aware of private sales or the unique circumstances behind any MLS sales be sure to provide this information to the appraiser. You’ll be doing some of the appraisers work, but the payback could be well worth it. Boast about the Calgary Neighborhood Information  If there are unique amenities or attractions that locals covet, now is not the time to keep them a secret. Be sure to inform your appraiser. Document your improvements. If you’ve spent money on improvements be sure to document and show these to the appraiser. Especially important to point out are those improvements that are not readily apparent such as electrical and plumbing upgrades, insulation and other improvements hidden behind the walls. Don’t be hesitant to show receipts to prove the work you’ve done. Understand which improvements add the most value. Kitchens and bathrooms provide the greatest return on your investment. Paint and flooring are next in providing the best bang for your buck, followed by curb appeal and landscaping. Clean up. Ensure that the home is meticulously clean and the entryway shows well. Removing excessive furniture can make a home feel larger. Manicure the walkway to the home. Remove clutter and excess of photos and nik-naks. Remove all the magnets off your fridge and pack loose items in boxes that can be stored in the garage. Understand your home size. MLS and Appraisal rules state that measured size must be area that is above grade. If adding size to your home understand how this will be measured and accounted for in the future. If you add space below grade, it will not count as added living area. Give the Appraiser some space. As in showing any home to a potential client, don’t follow them around breathing over their shoulder. Provide the appraiser some space to let them make their own assessment and take their time to absorb and appreciate the beauty and value of your home. Remember that appraisers prove value based on sales values in the past, but may not be attuned to market trends going forward. Understanding the current market and trends could enable you to extract many thousands of dollars of value from your home. This is where an expert real estate agent can help a tremendous amount. To ensure that you receive the highest value for your real estate investment before you sell contact Sano Stante Real Estate.