If you have a garden that is giving you some angst and needs some TLC to bring back some life, let’s talk!  I’d love to come and see your garden!  Homeready@homereadyhomestaging.ca, 613-894-4155

• If you’re friendly with your neighbours, maybe they will temporarily store your packed boxes in their garage or basement.  Make sure they are labeled well.
• Perhaps family and/or friends will store some of your boxes and extra things if nearby.
• If non of the above options are available, then you might consider renting a storage unite.  These are usually reasonable and some storage facilities even offer the use of their truck for the transportation.  You still need some strong bodies though.
• And lastly, if you already have possession of your new place then why not start to move some of your packed away things over sooner than later.  It will make moving day easier too!

A house that buyers perceive to have adequate storage actually makes the house look bigger, more organized and even brighter.  The fine features of the house are readily visible and buyers are not distracted by boxes piled up here and there.

Simple ideas will = great results!

Beddington’s Broadcast
bed/bath/home
Edition # 5

If you missed out on previous editions “Click Here”. Dust mites – Yuck!Yes, they live in your bedding. You can’t see them but they live in your pillows, in your sheets, and in your mattress by the tens (or hundreds) of thousands. The good news is that you can do something about them! But first, let’s cover what they are and why it’s important to control them. What are Dust Mites? Dust mites are tiny, invisible insects that live in fibers on carpeting, plush furniture, curtains, mattresses, pillows and bedding. Unlike spiders or ticks, dust mites are not visible to the naked eye and do not bite or transmit disease. Here comes the gross part. We shed about two pounds of dead skin per year; much of it while sleeping, and the dust mites eat these flakes of skin. If we can’t see them and they don’t bite, why should we care? A single dust mite produces about 20 waste droppings each day, each containing a protein to which many people are allergic. Yuck! The proteins in that combination of feces and shed skin are what cause allergic reactions in humans. Depending on the person and exposure, reactions can range from itchy eyes to asthma attacks. Even people who are not currently sensitive to dust mite waste can develop an allergy in the presence of high levels of dust mites and their waste. How can you tell if you (or someone in your family) has an allergy to them? A person with an allergy or sensitivity to dust mite exposure may experience all or just some of the following symptoms: - Hay fever - Runny nose - Sneezing - Asthma, difficulty in breathing - Infantile eczema - Itchy, red or watery eyes - Nasal congestion - Itchy nose, roof of mouth or throat - Postnasal drip - Cough - Facial pressure and pain - Frequent awakening - Swollen, blue-colored skin under your eyes - In a child, frequent upward rubbing of the nose A doctor can use skin tests and blood tests to confirm a suspected dust mite allergy. What can you do to control dust mite exposure? The best thing you can do is wash your bed linen at least once per week. Use an adequate amount of soap, don’t overload the washing machine, and use a longer wash cycle. Encase your mattress, box spring, and pillows in dust mite proof covers. Remove excess humidity in your home. Place a dehumidifier in the bedroom to keep the moisture below 50%. (if you have carpeting) – Vigorously vacuum at least once per week using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. If you follow these simple but effective steps you should greatly reduce the number of these tiny creatures in your home and minimize any possible adverse reactions as a result of sharing space with these unwanted microscopic roommates.

This Beddington’s Broadcast Courtesy of HomeReady Home Staging, www.homereadyhomestaging.ca homeready@homereadhomestaging.ca 613-894-4155

‘Tis

Why don’t you contact HomeReady Home Staging now to start planning your move next year?  You’ll be glad you did!

Contact HomeReady Home Staging at 613-894-4155,  homeready@homereadyhomestaging.ca for a free quote on the best service for you.

HomeReady Home Staging serves the greater Ottawa area, including Orleans, Cumberland, Navan, Embrun, and Russell.

We realize that most potential buyers decide whether or not they are comfortable in a home within the first few seconds of entering, therefore it is crucial to make a wonderful and lasting first impression.

Home staging improves the condition of a home, helping secure equity, and decreasing the amount of time it takes to sell the home. A staged home makes for high impact photos and virtual tours, attracting more buyers and subsequently more offers.

How does your home compete with the thousands of homes on the market in the Ottawa area? Let a Certified Canadian Staging Professional™ showcase your home for a successful sale!

Not selling, but looking for some design changes?

We also provide Interior Redesign and Colour Consultation Services for homeowners who are looking for some changes in their home to create that “Love Where You Live” – lived in feeling.

I have been working lately with a delightful elderly woman who is hoping to sell her home of 49 years.  Well you can imagine all the collections of things this lady has accumulated during this time.  It seemed that the biggest part of the job was to rid the house of all the stuff so that prospective buyers might be able to see what the house had to offer.  However, I soon realized that it really wasn’t all the things surrounding the owner but the memories that this house held for her.  She had raised five children in this house, had been very active in the community and had now been a widow for 21 years.  The plan originally was for her to move from the house shortly after her husband passed away but she couldn’t leave and so the years came and went and now here she is, tying to put on a brave face as she sees her possessions being packed away and loaded up.  She has many stories and I sit and listen as she tells me about this painting or how she used to sit at the counter in the kitchen and parpare a meal with her husband.  There is no rushing her.  At times the tears flow but she regains her composure and smiles.  The roses over there she says were the last ones from her husband before he got sick.  I’ve kept them all these years but I don’t think I’ll be taking them.  I promise to put together a memory book for her. 
I wonder what this lovely lady will do when she moves.  I’ve helped her select what she will take with her to the senior’s home she’s moving into and maybe I will go and have tea with her then.  But she won’t have her constant companion, her beloved pet dog.  She has to go elsewhere.  This tears at my heartstrings too. 
My work as a Home Stager, as you can see, is not just paying attention to the physical surround but it is often the people who have lived in the home that has now become simply a house to be sold that makes this work so satisfying.



What’s in your garage is a question that I always ask my clients when I am conducting a Home Staging consultation.  Invariably, I get an embarrassed or sheepish look back and an explanation that it isn’t really organized or worse, it looks like bomb has gone off in it. Then they reluctantly open the door and wozzers – they will never or ever have been able to get a car in there.  Toys, bikes, lawn furniture, tools, lawn mowers, and junk can quickly fill up a garage leaving no space for  a single vehicle.  However, a garage (for cars) is often on a home buyers wish list, so it behoves the homeowner to get their garage in order to suggest space, organization and adequate storage.

As the homeowner was preparing for an Open House that I was assisting with, the roommate decided it was a nice day to go out for a jog.  Fine and dandy, but her room was a mess and the bathroom had just been cleaned.  Well with only one half hour to spare the roommate came in wanting to shower etc.  Needless to say, there was a bit of tension.  To her credit, the roommate beat all odds and showered, dressed, cleaned up her room and the bathroom (again) and was out of the house in less than the half hour. 

The point here is that when you are selling your house that is staged, you live differently.  Yes, you must expect inconveniences temporarily, but all the effort pays off in the end when the presentation wows potential buyers and the house sells quickly.  Then you can go back to living in the house as you were or at least until you move. 
Oh, by the way, the house sold that day to buyers attending the Open House!