Home Decorating for the Holidays

Decorating Your Home for the Holidays

The holiday season is a great time to give your home a festive look both inside and
out. There are many decorations and decorating tips from the large display of
Christmas villages to the small knick-knacks that complete your holiday look.

Hanging a wreath over a door or in windows can be done inexpensively to create instant holiday cheer. Garlands complete the look.

Christmas decorations can also be collectables. Whether it is a nutcracker collection or Christmas bulbs and ornaments or a particular type of decoration,
giving your holiday decor a theme based on your interests and what you collect is
also a way to tie a look together.

If you have your home for sale, you can still decorate as you like but keep walkways
clear and limit some decorations that may increase clutter. If your home still has not sold when the holidays have ended, be certain to put all decorations away before the showings begin again in January. Replace any furniture that needed to be moved
to accommodate your holiday decor.

Candles are a tradition at Christmas too, but keep in mind the potential fire hazard that unattended candles can pose. Do not place any candles near presents, draperies or other flammable items. Extinguish candles on the dinner table once the meal has ended.

Enjoy your holidays this year. Divine Home Staging and Decor wishes everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2011!

Home Staging Oakville

Home Staging Oakville Ontario

With a softer real estate market, home sellers need to consider all options before listing a home. When a home sits on the market for a long time because the listing agent and homeowner are experimenting with the home decor and layout, the listing can become stale. This means buyers are asking themselves, "why is this home on the market for so long?".

At worst a stale home will sell for a reduced price because buyers factor in for contingencies they may not be aware of, but that may have been spotted by other potential buyers who passed on the home, evident by the longer time on the market.

Calling a home staging professional in Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga Ontario can help get the home selling process off to the right start by showing the home in its best possible light. A good home stager can immediately provide actionable suggestions on improving the desirability of a home, help select colours for rooms that need repainting, help with furniture positioning, decluttering and other necessary preparations when listing your home.

When you are ready to list, your home will appeal to the widest variety of local home buyers. This helps you sell your home faster, and for top dollar. The wise investment when selling is to hire a professional home stager to help you get your home ready for market.

Real estate agents also use home stagers they can rely on to set the stage for a quicker sale. For home staging Oakville , Mississauga and Burlington, contact Divinehome.ca.

Home Staging Mississauga Burlington Oakville Ontario

Home Staging Mississauga

Home staging can help sell a home sooner and also for a higher price. The idea behind home staging is to remove personal items and allow a potential home buyer to feel as if they are already living in the home. Uncluttered spaces look bigger. A touch of paint can help a tired room. Get a professional home stager's opinion and sell your home faster.

Home staging in Mississauga, Burlington and Oakville Ontario is also available for real estate agents who want to prepare homes for their clients to sell faster. Less time on the market means less inconvenience and ultimately less expense when selling a home. Divine Home Staging and Decor is your Mississauga Home Stager!

Interior Decorating Oakville - Microfiber Sheets Tips

Microfiber Sheets

Lately there has been alot of discussion about Microfiber Sheets which are soft and light weight.

Microfiber sheets, "the fabric of the future", contain synthetic fibres (mostly polyester and polyamide) that are very very small and are combined to form yarns which are knitted or woven into a variety of products.

Advantages of microfiber sheets aside from the luxurious, soft feeling is include being wrinkle resistant, machine washable, lighter, non-allergenic, breathable, impermeable, stain-resistant and durable. Easy care and a comfortable feeling have created this sheet style which can even be lower in cost than standard cotton sheets.

Since fibers are extremely small, allergens such as dust mites, pollen grains etc.. cannot get trapped within.

Some disadvantages of microfiber sheets could be static cling during drying

A large point of contention and confusion is related to sheet thread count and how manufacturers of sheets may be skeewing their information. Evidently some maintain that there can really only be 350 or so quality fibers per square inch and to suggest a greater density may put the quality of the fabric into question. Discussions revolve around the idea that not all microfiber is the same. Inferior materials may feel dull or "plastic-like" and do not wash well in a washing machine.

Make sure any sheets you get are machine washable. Some sheets are actually made for industrial and hotel use and wash in most any temperature without bleaching. A great tip we found is to not mix washing sheets with towels and other lint producing laundry, perhaps washing the sheets by themselves.

Bed sheets that cover the mattress are available in flat or fitted. Flat sheets are rectangular and fitted sheets have the four corners that tuck in under the mattress and sometimes with elastic.

The fitted bottom sheet is used to prevent it from sliding off of the mattress. The "top sheet" is used as the first cover. So you will need to buy a sheet set with both fitted and top sheet in microfiber. Other materials available for sheets include cotton, poly-cotton blend, silk, rayon and satin.

You can even get double-sided microfiber sheets and matching pillow cases, so if you are looking for a simple, elegant and comfortable "wow factor" solution to your bedding, then consider microfiber sheets.

Interior home decorating Ontario Canada.

Home Staging for Sale

Selling a home will be easier if you optimize the home's appeal by decluttering and staging the home to sell. Home staging for sale means to follow a checklist of home improving items as suggested by a professional home interior decorator and stager so that the home will appeal to the broadest audience when placing it on the market.

Some insider tips on preparing a home for sale include:

• Removing excess furniture from rooms


• Decluttering (always important)


• Removing clutter from bookcases and stacking some books vertically with decorative elements placed on top of the stack of books. Removing and parsing through the book collection to allow for space on the shelves.


• Keeping closets half empty will also improve the closet appeal when potential home buyers sneak a peak at the closets.


• Organizing the insides of drawers can help keep a continuous appearance of neatness and in turn, helps the new homeowner imagine themselves living in the new residence.

Staging a home for sale involves experience, a keen eye for detail and knowledge of current real estate trends and home decorating looks.

Staging to Sell – The key to a quick sale at a great price

Although it is currently a seller’s market in Oakville, Mississauga, Toronto and the greater GTA, you are still competing with other homes on the market.

You want your home to sell quickly and at a great price. The key is having your home professionally staged before you list. Most real estate agents will recommend staging to sell your home.

Pricing Your Home

While it’s ultimately your decision, your agent will help you set an asking price for your home. It is important to know that several factors affect the value of your property:

• Supply and demand
  


• Mortgage rates
  


• Economic conditions
  


• Time of year
  


• Property tax rates and local services
  


• Neighborhood characteristics

Real Estate agents review recent sales of comparable properties in your area and analyze square footage, features, finishes, and other details to help them arrive at a recommended asking price. While you might have a price in mind, remember that the local market ultimately dictates the value of your home.

Overpricing is more likely to scare prospective buyers away than to result in more money in your pocket. Appropriately priced homes sell quickly, reducing stress and helping you settle in at the new location sooner.

Showing Your Home

Many buyers have a hard time imagining what a vacant home will look like when it’s furnished. With today’s busy lifestyles, few buyers have the time or inclination to take on a “fixer-upper”. Your home should shine, inside and out. Your stager will offer suggestions on sprucing up your home. Don’t take this personally; view it as objective marketing advice.

A professional home stager can transform your home into a neutral space that potential buyers will love. Home stagers know how to best create the sense of flow, space and utility in a home. They help with furniture placement or even furniture rentals. Staging professionals can provide you with a list of improvements and changes you will need to get top dollar for your home, and can have most of the work done for you – if you prefer not to do it yourself. From interior to exterior, de-cluttering to repairs, stagers will help you make the necessary changes before your home hits the market.

Great Value
Even though it costs money to stage a home, most homeowners find it a very worthwhile investment. The returns on getting a higher price and a quicker sale are well worth the money and effort that goes into staging. Some real estate agents will even cover the cost of a home stager for their listing clients, since they know the home will be an easier sell at a higher price.

Many homeowners are so happy with the way their house looks when they list that they wish they had staged it much sooner. They often bring a stager back to work in their newly purchased home to get maximum enjoyment right from the beginning. If you are planning to list your home in the Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga or Greater Toronto Area, call Divine Homes at (905) 466-2503 for a professional home staging. Visit www.DivineHome.ca to read testimonials about homeowners who are sold on ‘ staging to sell ’.

Professional Home Staging: The Right Improvements

Professional Home Staging Oakville Ontario Canada Tips.

To sell your home, you will be required to make it available for showings. Home buyers may start house hunting with a logical list of criteria, but the home they actually buy is often chosen largely on emotion. Once a buyer falls in love, forget logic! Professional home staging is a necessity before you list and show your home.

The ultimate objective with showings is for a potential buyer to fall in love with your home. To achieve this, the showing has to be a magical experience for the buyer, one that will allow them to mentally move in. Staging will make your home appealing to a large number of potential buyers. You want the home shoppers to be enchanted – not discourage by future costs for repairs, maintenance, cleaning, etc.

Making the right improvements can make all the difference in whether your house sits or sells. The following should be addressed prior to listing your home for sale, in order to ensure buyers don’t become disenchanted with it.

1. Kitchen & Bathrooms. Buyers are very particular about these rooms. They know the heartaches and costs associated with renovating them; so you’ll get great ROI if these rooms are updated prior to listing. Things to watch for: re-surfacing cabinets, replacing dated hardware, toilet seats and faucets, re-grouting and/or caulking stained areas in tubs, sinks and showers.
   
2. Curb Appeal/Exterior. The front of your house is the first thing the buyer will see. You only have 1 chance to make a great first impression. It is sometimes difficult to get buyers to even get out of the car and see the inside of a home based on what they seen from the driveway. They’ve made their decision before even entering the house. What are they thinking? “...if that’s what the front looks like, it can’t get much better on the inside.” So, make sure the front of your home is appealing. That means, everything put away (i.e. bicycles, garbage/recycle bins, etc), fresh paint (tasteful, neutral colour) on door/trim/garage & a bright & beautiful flower arrangement in an urn/pot on the front stoop.
   
3. Flooring is another high cost element buyers notice right away. If your flooring is dated, damaged or soiled (especially carpet), you can be sure buyers will be budgeting for replacement and use this as leverage during negotiations. At the very least, have your carpets steam cleaned. However, if it is past the point of no return, consider updating the flooring before selling. The return on investment here is usually 100%. You’ll make up for the cost of replacement in a quicker sale, at a higher price!
   
4. Landscaping. Backyard living has become a very hot trend in the last couple of years and is expected to continue. Displaying your backyard as a welcoming oasis will do much to appeal to today’s buyers. This can be easily achieved by ensuring your shrubs are well tailored, lawns are mowed, colourful flowers are planted and the patio staged with some bright table settings. Consider purchasing a small water fountain to enhance the experience with the sound of running water.

While people say they can see ‘potential’ in a home, the reality is, 90% can’t! That’s why 63% of buyers are willing to pay more for a home that is move-in ready. So make sure all those “to-dos” that have been on your list for a while are tackled before listing! A professional home stager can help you neutralize and optimize your home, while staying within your budget. Staged homes show better than competing homes for sale, which usually results in a quicker sale for a better price. If you are in the Toronto area, call Divine Home Staging and Decor for a consultation.

Home Staging Oakville Canada: Prepare a Home for Sale

President Calvin Lindberg of the Canadian Real Estate Association recently explained, “The essential selling ingredients in today’s market are realistic pricing, marketing, and preparation.
The key to boosting demand for a particular house is to generate excitement and a perception that the property may not be available for long.”

Divine Home, a home staging Oakville specialist, serving Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Mississauga, Canada offers these great tips:
Preparation = Home Staging!

The way you live in your home and the way you market a house for sale are two very different things. You may think “my home is nice to live in”, but you’ve grown to accept its more “charming” features over time. A buyer will not have the same tolerance as you... and that’s why as a seller, you need to ensure your home is prepped for selling.

Successful builders use Model Homes and Model Suites to sell their projects because they know that presenting a show home environment creates the wow! factor that is enticing to buyers and compels them to “fall in love”. That’s the recipe for writing up offers and that’s why fluffing, primping, staging... works.

There are 5 main activities that form part of a sound staging plan:

1. Clean, clean, clean! A buyer’s tolerance for dirt or the perception of dirt will be very low. While selling, your home needs to be spotless, especially bathrooms and kitchens. If keeping this level of cleanliness is not achievable during the selling period, consider hiring a cleaning service.

2. De-cluttering – What you want is to reduce the number of items that a buyer needs to look at so they can focus on the more important features of your home, like flooring, layout, number of rooms, etc. An additional benefit of de-cluttering is that the rooms look larger... more space is always appealing to buyers. This means removing pieces of furniture that clutter a room, removing excessive knick knacks or pictures on a wall, and making sure your closets aren’t busting at the seams.

3. Neutralizing – 90% of people have difficulty seeing the forest through the trees, so it’s important that décor and wall colours are mostly neutral. This will reduce the mental efforts buyers will have to go through to try and figure out if their furniture will look good.

4. De-personalizing – This refers to family pictures, diplomas, religious or cultural artefacts, etc. It is not that a potential buyer will necessarily be offended by any of these; however, in order to allow buyers to mentally move in, they mustn’t be reminded they are in someone else’s house. So tuck all of these items away.

5. Décor and staging – Bringing in some trendy accents, throw pillows and artwork goes a long way to creating the wow factor that is so important to maximize the showing experience.
Fact: Statistics show that staged homes sell 50% faster than homes that aren’t! Hiring a professional home stager yields a great return on investment. A staging professional can give your home maximum ‘wow’ for minimum cost. If you are in the Oakville/Mississauga/Burlington area, call Divine Home to make your home stand out from the competition.

Divine Home Staging, Interior Decorating and Decor.

Decorating-Staging Blog Welcome

Home Decorating and Home Staging

http://www.divinehome.ca

Welcome to the home decorating and home staging blog of Divine Home Staging and Decor, Oakville Ontario Canada.

Home staging is designed to help clients and real estate agents prepare and sell your home faster while maximizing its appeal to potential buyers. By appealing to the widest audience, I can help you place your home's best foot forward and it is very possible it will sell faster and for more money.

In this blog, I will provide helpful tips and information for both homeowners and real estate agents based on years of decorating, staging and decor experience in Oakville, Burlington Ontario and the surrounding Greater Toronto area.