From what you see on TV, you might think staging is a pretty glamorous job, and yes, it has its moments. But there’s a lot more to staging than just karate-chopping throw pillows. Here’s the inside story on a day in the life of home stagers.

Step One: A typical staging project starts the moment a homeowner or Realtor calls. Every property is unique, with distinct features. And each property will have a particular buying audience that we wish to attract. Hence – home stagers usually avoid estimating fees over the phone, site unseen. Instead, I drop by the property and carefully consider its style, requirements, and target demographic, then prepare an accurate quote for the client within 24 hours.

Step Two: With the client’s approval and a date set, we move ahead with creating the design plan. Often it’s a pretty quick turnaround as people are eager to get their property on the market (or off the market if it’s already been listed for too long!). We identify the property’s needs, then head to the furniture store to pick out pieces for rental. Next it’s time to source accessories, artwork, area rugs and anything else needed to complete the look. A full toolkit is essential too.

The planning work is done. Time to pack everything up and get ready for the big day.

Step Three is Staging Day!

For this project we’re dressing a vacant condo. The homeowner has given me the keys ahead of time, so on Staging Day I meet Elysse from Simply Stylish Staging promptly at 9am, each of us with an SUV packed to the rafters. The property is on the main level (yay! no waiting for elevators), down several looooong hallways (oh. no waiting for elevators.). We unload our cars, piling everything in the lobby. The sight of beautiful accessories, furniture, and faintly sweaty girls lugging boxes makes passersby curious. We stop to chat with a few homeowners wondering if we’re the new neighbours. Just moving in for the day, but thanks for making us feel welcome!

Shortly after, the large furniture pieces arrive. The moving men careful swivel the furniture into the condo. Andrei and Raymond of The Supermovers are simply awesome! Cheerful, skilled, and service-oriented, they really live up their name. (We recommend them to anyone needing movers.) They graciously help us take a stacks of bins from the lobby into the condo before heading off to the next job. Elysse and I are grateful for their help because each trip, that hallway gets a little looooooonger. Time to invest in a bigger dolly!

Now we’re in full staging mode. Elysse sets up the beds in both bedrooms as I unpack accessories. We find it works best to put everything in the kitchen at first, but what a mess! This would NOT be a good time for the homeowner to pop by.

Starting in the bedrooms we decide on the best layout, then choose the perfect pillows, artwork and accessories to complete the look. We want to draw attention to the windows. This condo is nestled in Discovery Ridge and all the windows have a superb view of huge pine trees, your own private forest. In our opinion, an excellent selling feature!

Now it’s time to tackle the main living area. Placing the furniture and art to highlight the focal points, dressing the sofa, mantle, and tables with just the right finishing touches – this is the art of staging that we love! A well-positioned mirror reflects the gorgeous kitchen and the wonderful view.

A few simple touches in the bathrooms takes them from empty-feeling to well-dressed and spa-like.

Now comes the steaming process! All bedding and towels are steamed so they are wrinkle-free, fresh and crisp. Time to tidy up and pack up the cars.

Finally we snap a few shots for our portfolio. A quick phone call brings the homeowner running to The Reveal. She’s thrilled with the transformation! We’re thrilled that she’s thrilled. Another successful day of home staging complete!

For more information on having your property transformed, contact  Jessica@FreshMoves.ca or Elysse@SimplyStylishStaging.ca.

To contact The Supermovers, call 403.437.MOVE (6683).