Staging Tips, Tricks and Reviews

We strategically place colour, furnishings and artwork to make your listing photos ‘pop’, and we ensure your home is just as inviting in person.   The key is to help prospective buyers immediately feel at home.

 

The Eat your Frog First theory

Have you ever heard of the “Eat your Frog First” theory? It’s just one of the tools we walk home owner clients through during a pre-listing consultation. If you knew you HAD to eat a frog in the next 24 hours, what is the best strategy? If you put off

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Tip Tuesday: The Power of Pairs

This tip is one of the best things I learned by staging in over 1280 houses. Pairs of furniture pieces give you symmetry while accessories add interest. Here’s a rule of thumb for styling your coffee table. And in the words of my good friend Todd, “Even if you have

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Dream Closet or Danger Zone? Let’s Talk Safety + Staging

Picture this: a jaw-dropping primary closet with designer handbags perfectly styled, heels lined up like art, and every inch curated to impress. Now picture a stranger at your open house picturing which bag they’ll grab. When your home is on the market, your beautiful belongings can become a magnet —

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Real estate insight for Vancouver Island homeowners + agents:

The first 18 days after a property hits the market? That’s when it gets the most attention.  Buyers are constantly refreshing their feeds for new listings—especially in competitive markets like Nanaimo and the mid-Island. Most showings and online engagement happen in those early weeks, and homes that make a strong first impression tend

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Simple Ways to Make Your Home Look High-End

You don’t need a massive budget to make your home feel more luxurious. A few strategic updates can elevate your space and give it a high-end look without breaking the bank. Here are just a few simple ways to achieve that polished, designer feel in your home. Upsize your rugs

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Use Light Neutral Paint

Can you guess which color is the hardest to get right in your home? Sherwin Williams once had a meeting for designers and stagers I was able to attend. They told us that one color is often purchased, applied and then painted over within a week because home owners find

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bedroom with green comforter and lots of pillows

WHO owns the rights to listing photos?

This is a topic that comes up over and over in staging groups, and sometimes seems to be misunderstood in realtor groups too. The answer might surprise you! Even though realtors pay a photographer to go into a property to take photos, the PHOTOGRAPHER is always the copyright owner unless

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living and kitchen area with warm sun and large windows

Warmth in your home

After about a decade in the sun, design trends are moving away from cool grey and white, and toward warmer colours. So if you bought, renovated or painted a grey based interior what do you do to keep your home feeling current? Start by adding some warmer tones in artwork

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2022 Top 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate Staging

So grateful to this industry and the people who paved the way. I hope to give back with as much generosity. ~Ellen Ellen Mann holds two certifications in Behavior Change Management to go with her Staging Certification. She understands why people buy properties the way they do, and knows how

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Nominated for 2022 Most Influential People in Real Estate Staging

Ellen has once again been nominated for the Most Influential People in Real Estate Staging Award by the Real Estate Staging Association. Launched in 2008, the RESA awards are known as the home staging industry’s most prestigious awards. The Real Estate Staging Industry’s Most Influential People™ Global is a category

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2021 Top 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE

100 Most Influential People in Real Estate Staging

2021 TOP 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate Staging
How can I possibly give back enough to this industry that showed me if someone believed in me, what I could be? I have been supported every step of the way from my amazing training provider Certified Staging Professionals and the Real Estate Staging Association. Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me.

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Artwork - Technique, Style + Key To Staging

HOME STAGING TV: USING ARTWORK TO STAGE A HOME

So grateful to have this opportunity. Thank you Tori Toth for this interview! It was so great to catch up with you. “…give people something pleasant for their eye to rest on as they’re looking around the room, and that’s why art is so critical for any staging.” ~ Ellen

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chrysalis home staging

LISTING YOUR HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS

While the months of November through January are considered to be the worst time to sell a property, there are some positives to listing during the festive season. Fewer listings occur during this time, and while showings may slow, buyers looking during this time of year tend to be more

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chrysalis home staging

5 REASONS WHY STAGING BENEFITS HOME BUYERS AS WELL AS SELLERS

People often think home staging only benefits the seller by hiding flaws in a property that’s listed.  Sometimes they even think we “dupe” sellers into spending more than they should for a house. That is certainly not what any reputable and trained stager will do.  Our job is to ensure

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chrysalis home staging

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A HOME STAGER

Bearing in mind there is no governing body for home stagers. No education or insurance requirements, anyone can call themselves a ‘home stager’. That’s why sellers should take time to ask any home stager they’re thinking of hiring a few questions. Here are a few topics you can cover in

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Vancouver Island Home Staging

HOW VIRTUAL STAGING AND INTERNET DATING ARE SIMILAR

This weekend I had an interesting question from a very nice realtor who was holding an open house. She was showing a typical un-staged house in a popular area for young families, but has had little ‘action’ on the home.    When she found out what I do for a

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