We recently staged a vacant condo in downtown Toronto.   The property had been previously on the market for 4 months (as a vacant unit).  No offers were received on the unit over this four month period.

The owner decided to re-list the property with a new agent.  At the time of listing, there were four other vacant units in the same building also for sale.

We staged the unit in one day.  See the project photos below.

Following the staging, the unit sold in 3 days.  

Agent and owner both very pleased with the outcome.  None of the the other four vacant units in the same building have sold.  

This project demonstrates the value that StagingWorks creates by (i) showcasing the property to create more compelling and high impact photos for the MLS listing and supporting marketing material; (ii) creating an emotional connection between the property and potential buyers; and (iii) helping the home owner to sell the property faster.

Independent of market conditions, home staging is a highly effective marketing tool used to maximize the selling price of homes and condos.  

StagingWorks is the premier Toronto home staging services company.  We provide a complete range of professional services which include vacant home staging, occupied home staging and condo staging.  We have staging packages to accommodate most budgets and serve Toronto, GTA and surrounding areas.

Please visit our home staging portfolio for more samples of our staging projects.  Give us some some details on your home and when you’re planning to sell, and get a free home staging estimate.   Or, call us for a free estimate at (647) 409-2091 or anne@StagingWorks.ca.

StagingWorks has been voted Toronto’s top home stager by Toronto Life.

The article below provides some great tips on renovations that deliver the maximum return on investment.

Independent of market conditions, home staging is a highly effective marketing tool used to maximize the selling price of homes and condos.  

StagingWorks is the premier Toronto home staging services company.  We provide a complete range of professional services which include vacant home staging, occupied home staging and condo staging.  We have staging packages to accommodate most budgets and serve Toronto, GTA and surrounding areas.

Please visit our home staging portfolio for more samples of our staging projects.  Give us some some details on your home and when you’re planning to sell, and get a free home staging estimate.   Or, call us for a free estimate at (647) 409-2091 or anne@StagingWorks.ca.

StagingWorks has been voted Toronto’s top home stager by Toronto Life.

The fixes that will keep your income property occupied

As anyone with an income property knows, market fluctuations can push your property values sky-high or diminish them to below what you originally paid.

How do you avoid being subjected to this volatility? The key is to avoid vacancy. If your property is always rented and you are receiving consistent cash flow, you are insulated from virtually all market fluctuations.

Attracting the best long-term tenants means having the best product. This often involves renovations and modernization – but not all projects are created equal when it comes to generating a return on your investment.

Here are the top five renos for ROI:

1) Painting

This is by far the most profitable reno a landlord can undertake. Picking neutral tones and doing a good job is key. This simple, inexpensive way to freshen up a home is an easy do-it-yourself project, and it can dramatically improve the look and feel of a space at a low cost. Expect to see 100% ROI.

TIP: No measuring, no cutting, no power tools. Even if you’ve never painted before, a couple of quick tips from the paint store’s employees and you are on your way to complete the No. 1 most cost-effective reno.

2) Kitchen

The kitchen is subject to intense examination by potential tenants, so it’s time and money well spent – earning it my No. 2 ranking in terms of best bang for your buck.

Kitchens should be bright and spacious with a smart layout. Replacing old appliances with inexpensive and more efficient new ones also adds a lot of appeal. Add a dishwasher whenever possible; I can’t even count how many times a tenant chose one of my apartments because it had one. An intelligent kitchen renovation should produce about a 75-100% per cent ROI.

TIP: A kitchen reno can cost between $5,000 and $100,000, but over-investing can actually create a negative return on your investment. If you’re on a tight budget, simply updating the hardware in the kitchen can dramatically transform the look of the cabinetry.

3) Bathroom

Before and after a bathroom renovation by Scott McGillivray. (photo courtesy of HGTV)

 Bathrooms are equally important. It is often to costly and impractical to change the layout or number of bathrooms in your income suite, so focus on the finishes. Bathrooms with neutral tones and bold fixtures score highly. A beautiful faucet can take a bathroom to a higher standard. That gives it my No. 3 position, with about 75-100% ROI.

4) Flooring

Flooring can have a dramatic impact, and hard surfaces are the way to go. Laminate is inexpensive, easy to lay, durable and great-looking. With modern styles and improved design, it has become the flooring of choice for real estate investors.

Stepping things up a notch and using real hardwood can deliver an even greater impact. Refinishing existing hardwood with a modern look presents the best possible scenario, cost-wise, for updating floors. New flooring can generate an average of 70-90% ROI.

TIP: Real estate investors often look for hardwood hidden under wall-to-wall carpeting when scoping out properties. If you suspect hardwood under the carpet, sneak a peek by removing a floor vent and lifting the edge of the carpet and underpad. Refinishing existing hardwood can save you a fortune, and it looks incredible. Don’t be floored to see a 200% ROI in this scenario.

5) Light fixtures

These can reveal the true age of a property. Proper lighting and a few nifty fixtures in the right places – namely the kitchen and dining room – will brighten up the space and create atmosphere.

With the right touch, updating light fixtures can generate a 60-75% ROI.

Once you’ve made the decision to renovate your income suite, necessary repairs and maintenance should always supersede any cosmetic renovation. If ignored, these required renovations can often overshadow other improvements.

Please your customer while being mindful of the ROI, and you’re on your way to becoming a successful landlord.

Scott McGillivray is host of HGTV’s Income Property. New season airing Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning September 6.

The two top priorities for home sellers are ensuring that their property sells quickly and that they maximize their selling price (ie: equity) during the sale.

At StagingWorks, we believe that there are five key factors that determine how successful your home sale will be. These factors include:
* The prevailing market conditions
* Your location
* Your asking price
* The home presentation
* Your choice of realtor

Generally speaking, the market conditions when you sell and your current property’s location are factors beyond your control.

Elements more within your control are the asking price, how your home presents to potential buyers and choosing an effective realtor.

In this post, we’ll touch on the benefits home staging provides as an effective marketing tool to ensure that your home presents well to potential buyers.

The top five benefits professional home staging provides to Toronto sellers include:

1) Higher impact marketing material – which draw more showings

Staged homes present better in MLS photos, feature sheets and other marketing material. Higher impact photos create an immediate good impression and draw more showings.

2) Differentiation from competitive listings

Don’t forget that you have competition. Buyers have options. To effectively differentiate your listing, your home should ideally show better than alternative listings at the same asking price. Home staging ensure thay this occurs.

3) Sell for more

Think about it. It just makes sense. Buyers are looking for a property that they feel is “move in ready”. When buyers connect with your home, asking price typically becomes a secondary consideration.

On the other hand, if buyers feel that the home requires work, but the asking price has not been reduced accordingly, they will be expected a significant price reduction. You can take this issue off the table by ensuring your home looks its best and shows to its full potential.

4) Sell faster

Statistics show that staged homes sell on average twice as fast as homes that are not staged. A property that shows better attracts more buyers and increases the likelihood of selling more quickly.

5) Get peace of mind

Rest easy knowing that your home shows to its full potential.  Now, look forward to negotiation and closing the deal.

Independent of market conditions, home staging is a highly effective marketing tool used to maximize the selling price of homes and condos.  

StagingWorks is the premier Toronto home staging services company.  We provide a complete range of professional services which include vacant home staging, occupied home staging and condo staging.  We have staging packages to accommodate most budgets and serve Toronto, GTA and surrounding areas.

Please visit our home staging portfolio for more samples of our staging projects.  Give us some some details on your home and when you’re planning to sell, and get a free home staging estimate.   Or, call us for a free estimate at (647) 409-2091 or anne@StagingWorks.ca.

StagingWorks has been voted Toronto’s top home stager by Toronto Life.

See the following link for the 10 best secrets for selling your Toronto home:

http://www.stagingworks.ca/home-staging-toronto-blog/10-best-kept-secrets-for-selling-your-home/

Independent of market conditions, home staging is a highly effective marketing tool used to maximize the selling price of homes and condos.  

StagingWorks is the premier Toronto home staging services company.  We provide a complete range of professional services which include vacant home staging, occupied home staging and condo staging.  We have staging packages to accommodate most budgets and serve Toronto, GTA and surrounding areas.

Please visit our home staging portfolio for more samples of our staging projects.  Give us some some details on your home and when you’re planning to sell, and get a free home staging estimate.   Or, call us for a free estimate at (647) 409-2091 or anne@StagingWorks.ca.

StagingWorks has been voted Toronto’s top home stager by Toronto Life.