I got to say that the other day and it made my day as soon as the words came out of my mouth. Why? I don’t like numbers one bit. Math is my enemy and has been for years. We’ve never had a good relationship and had a really rough patch from grade 8 straight through to grade 11 when I no longer HAD to take math. The part of the brain that is dedicated to math doesn’t exist in my head, I’m almost positive. I’ve heard this is normal actually. ‘Creative’ types are typically not mathematically inclined and the reverse is said to be true as well. Either way, I don’t like numbers and they don’t like me. So there.

I’ve been in business for just over one year and each time a month came to an end, a voice in my head would say, “You need to do your month end bookkeeping, it’s already the 3^rd of the month!”  in a really annoying, sing-song voice. I’d turn up my music or create another priority action item that trumped doing my expenses. The system I had set up was simple; believe me, it wasn’t rocket science or remotely advanced. But it was math and that was enough for me to procrastinate until my conscience would reach its limit.

Remember a few months back I wrote about delegating tasks that I didn’t enjoy and/or excel in doing? Well, after searching for a bookkeeper/accountant who was located close enough to meet monthly to hand off my envelope of receipts, I found one. Where? In the parking lot of Wal-Mart in North Vancouver, naturally. My new hero, Noel, was parked beside me and he and his family were packing up their van. I noticed his decals offering his services and I sparked up a conversation. We exchanged cards and off we went.

I met Noel a few weeks ago to go over my needs and when I left the meeting (and a big, fat folder of receipts and spreadsheets filled with numbers) I had a spring in my step. Ahhhhhhhhh. I had officially done the hand off to an expert and I no longer had to do my monthly financials! What a feeling!

Noel whipped up an amazing system for me that is so simple, I could probably do it myself but…I don’t want to…at the risk of sounding like a small child. A friend and I were talking the other day about business expenses and write offs and as mentioned, I got to say, “I’ll have to ask my accountant” and it felt great. There really is something to be said about delegating things you don’t enjoy or things you’re not good at (in this case both apply). It was a matter of practicing what I preach too. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day requirements of running and empire and then suddenly snapping out of it and realizing, “Wait a second, why am I doing this?”

I love to hear different takes on how others handle the tasks they don’t like or just flat out aren’t good at. Drop me a line and tell me a story of how you’ve cleared your plate of a task that made you cringe. Or, even better, I challenge you to delegate something that you absolutely dread and report back with how it felt to hand off of that task.

You may be asking, “How’s the bookkeeping coming along so far?” To that I respond, “I’ll have to ask my accountant.”

I’ve been a wannabe interior designer since I was little kid; I’ve always loved furniture, art and cool knick knacks, not to mention arranging them in a room. One of my favourite ways to torture my parents while growing up was to change my room around. I’d haul as much as I could into the hallway and then call for help. “Daaaaaaaad! Can you help me move my dresser please?” This started at the age of around 6 and never stopped. Yes, I had always wanted to be an interior designer and briefly pursued it when I was 21 but found out very quickly that I couldn’t draw. Honestly. I took drawing class after drawing class to prepare my portfolio and you would have thought a small child was responsible. I found another adventure and off I went.

I spent several years in the corporate world as a recruitment consultant and loved every minute of it. I felt lucky; I had found two passions in my life: helping people find their dream job AND re-arranging furniture. Whenever the Interior Design show came to Vancouver, I’d go and spend as much time as possible there. I loved walking the aisles, learning about all the new products, drooling over the amazing furniture and admiring the incredible talent of those who attended. I often wondered what would have happened if I just took one more drawing class and really pursued becoming an interior designer but would quickly force myself into the present.

Cue present day. I have my second dream job and feel so fortunate to say that. I get paid to furnish vacant properties and re-arrange occupied homes. Are you kidding me? I’ve met so many incredibly talented and fantastic people since launching my empire and one of them happens to work for Home Makeover Magazine. I’ve been reading the magazine for quite some time now and devour it cover to cover whenever it comes out. I’ve kept in touch with Sarah for months now and we’ve gotten to know each other quite well; we always have a great laugh and seem to evoke each other’s creativity every time we talk.

Imagine how thrilled I was to receive a call from Sarah a few weeks ago saying “a light bulb just went off and I have a great idea for the IDS West Show. Call me!” The proposal was this: Home Makeover Magazine has just given itself a makeover, complete with a new layout and look entirely. They will be exhibitors at the IDS show and wanted to know if I’d be willing to give their booth a ‘live makeover’ during each day of the show. My outside voice said, “Absolutely, what a great idea! I’d love to and thank you for thinking of me” while my inside voice said, “Holy ****, this is my job! They’ve chosen ME? Is this a dream?”

So, if you’re in Vancouver from October 14-17^th, 2010 and want to come and check out the Interior Design Show West, I’ll be there completing 4 ‘live’ makeovers using furniture, art and accessories from the suppliers and exhibitors in the show. Not that it’s a big deal or anything…

I’m pleased to say that RESA’s Metro Vancouver Chapter is making serious progress with our Sereena’s House project. You can read an overview of this project here. The generousity that it seems to have evoked in many has been an amazing experience and one that I believe we will carry with us for many years to come. It is very easy to take our daily extravagances for granted: a comfy place to watch TV, a stove to cook our meals on, a freezer for our surplus of food, to name a few. When I visited Sereena’s House about a month ago, my eyes were opened to how much need we have in our own backyard.

Our wish list of items that will make Sereena’s House a home for 30 women is getting smaller as we collect more and more donations. In hopes of completing the list so our Chapter can complete the set up and ‘makeover’, the items below are what we are still in need of. Want to get involved? Give me a call or drop me a line and let’s make this happen!

Sereena’s House Wish List

- Small desk for computer
- Flooring (laminate would be ideal based on current state of flooring. There are two rooms in need; one   is 18 x 47 and the other is 15×40)
- Paint for a room that measures 15×40 (gift certificate)
- Crib boards
- Lockable storage units
- Electric stove
- Spray bottles for cleaning products

We are thrilled to announce that our first sponsor has teamed up with us and has already made a huge contribution. Go Truck Go, a Vancouver based moving company owned by the fantastic Sean Edwards has already picked up and delivered a freezer for Sereena’s House free of charge. If you’re ever in need of moving services, I recommend Sean and his crew whole heartedly. Thank you, Sean, for your kindness and willingness to get involved!

Please share this story with your friends, families and colleagues to help us spread the word and make Sereena’s House a smashing success!

Once upon a time there were two lovely ladies living in the beautiful neighbourhood of Kitsilano. Let’s call them Lana and Chelsey for the sake of this tale. You see, Lana and Chelsey were ready to transition out of condo living and make the move into a house. They had their hearts set on a house in an up and coming area of the city and wanted to ensure their condo sold for top dollar. Their fantastic realtor called us and asked us to go and take a look at the property.

I arrived at their condo, tucked into a cozy street in the heart of Kits and looked up to the penthouse. My imagination was already triggered as I could already visualize their view of the city line. I was greeted by the smiling faces of Lana and Chelsey who warmly welcomed me to their home, offering me a variety of beverage choices. Not long after arriving, a beautiful grey cat was weaving around my ankles and purring; what more of a welcome could one ask for? We’ll call the cat Norm for the sake of this tale.

We began the tour of the condo and I was immediately struck by its size: 1100 square feet, which is unheard of in Kitsilano! They had already started on de-cluttering and packing items to be moved into their storage unit (read: dream clients) and Lana prefaced the conversation with, “Please don’t hold back on making suggestions; we’re willing to do what it takes to sell this place and we want to do it properly. We have a storage unit arranged and have lots of room left.”

As we chatted, I discovered that they love to have dinner parties and entertain. They had a large wooden table with benches in the front window which was clearly their entertaining zone. While I personally liked the piece, it was just too big for the room. It was also taking up far too much of the view, which was going to be a selling feature for buyers. Keeping with my goal of creating solutions that don’t turn my clients’ lives upside down, I noticed that their dining area wasn’t being utilized as a dining space so my wheels began to turn. They knew the table was likely going to be stored but wanted to hear it from me before they did so.

Norm the cat was ever present during our meeting and was one of the sweetest cats I had ever met. It was clear he was a huge part of the family but it was important that Norm had alternate plans during open houses and viewings. I asked the girls if Norm had any friends he could have play dates with and they laughed; they already had this covered; Norm was going to hang out at the neighbour’s place to be out of the way.

So the two biggest challenges had been uncovered: current dining table and area and the friendly face of Norm. Solutions: store the table and bring in a few pieces of furniture to use the space to its best advantage, not to mention bring in a dining table so Lana and Chelsey could continue to entertain.

We called in our trusty movers, Go Truck Go, and they arrived with a small load of furniture and art to be used in the condo and left with a load of oversized furniture that was going to feel right at home in their new house. The girls went to work, we got to work and a few short hours later, their condo was ready to be listed.

Lana and Chelsey were very pleased with the outcome; they appreciated that I considered their lifestyle before creating my staging plan. They could still have people over and Norm still had free reign of the condo 90% of the time. In fact, they wanted to have people over to show off their new place!

I’m so pleased to say that their condo sold in under one month for full asking price. Lana, Chelsey and Norm are now living in their new dream home and Norm has made the move from being an indoor cat to an outdoor cat. And they all lived happily ever after…

We used the existing belongings of Lana & Chelsey and chose their orange throw pillows as our inspiration for the art work. We created a seating area near the window, using small scale, low back chairs to draw attention to the view without obstructing it.

*Moral of this feel good tale? Staging your home doesn’t have to turn your life upside down; find a home stager who believes this and creates plans that meet your needs and jives with your lifestyle. Your home can show beautifully AND be lived in at the same time and that’s a fact.

Despite the doom and gloom headlines in the media, properties are still actually selling in Vancouver. Yes, it’s shifted to a buyer’s market with prices starting to drop and interest rates still at an all time low. Is it the ideal time to sell a property? Maybe not. Will properties continue to be listed and put up for sale? You betcha. When the market is clearly favouring buyers, sellers need to be diligent about how their property is showing. Buyers are in a great position right now; they’re in a position of power and are on the lookout for reasons to low ball you with an offer that reflects the way your property is showing. Below is a checklist of small but crucial things to address before listing your home so you can sell your home quickly, not to mention top dollar.

Side note: Before I begin the list, I can hear you asking, “Why spend money on a place I’m trying to sell and no longer want to live in? I don’t have the budget for improvements!” My answer is this: Minor repairs, strategic updates, thorough cleaning and staging will be far less than a price reduction or low ball offer. The average price reduction is $15,000. For FAR less than that, you can get your property ready to outshine its competitors and sell quickly and profitably.

1. Paint. Painting has the highest ROI (return on investment) of any home improvement. With an ROI of over 250%, you can’t go wrong. Painting is recommended for brightly coloured rooms, walls that have clearly experience wear and tear or if it hasn’t been done in a few years. A fresh coat of paint will automatically freshen up the feel of a room and set the stage for that coveted first impression.

2. Clean. Perhaps clean isn’t a strong enough word. Scrub to a shine. Make your home sparkle from the front door to the back yard. This is a great opportunity to call in professional cleaners and have your home polished by a team of pros. We’re talking light fixtures, baseboards, walls, windows, light switch covers, appliances (behind and under them as well), cupboards, bathrooms, bedding, curtains, carpets and floors. Nothing says ‘well cared for home’ like a home that is so clean it shines. This is a great subtle way to leave a lasting impression on buyers.

3. De-Clutter. Yes, you’ve heard me say this a million times but it’s oh so important. De-cluttering is a powerful tool. Some of its benefits: rooms feel larger, counter space is showcased, buyers have less to be distracted by, selling features of the home are the center of attention, not the ‘stuff’ in the home. The #1 benefit of de-cluttering? Rooms photograph much better when they’re not full of stuff. Beautiful photographs are KEY when selling your home, specifically when it’s a buyers market and over 90% of buyers are starting their search online.

4. Strategic Updates. Perfect examples of strategic updates are light fixtures and cabinet hardware. If you have anything on your light fixtures or cabinets that remotely resembles brass, I urge you to replace it. Outdated light fixtures and hardware are things buyers notice and make a mental note that they would have to replace. Why not proactively address the outdated fixtures and prevent any small reasons for a low offer?

5. Stage. Yes, you guessed it, I’m going to suggest staging your home. A skilled home stager will be able to create that polished, show home look that buyers flock to. By carefully preparing each room of a property, home stagers are trained to create spaces that buyers emotionally connect with. That emotional connection is what sells homes at the end of the day. Remember, the cost of staging will always be less than a price reduction.

So there you have it. Sounds simple, right? It is. Doing your due diligence before listing your home will ensure it photographs beautifully, shows even better and sells quickly and profitably. After all, that’s the name of the game, right?

1. Clutter. Ensure all surfaces of your home are covered in personal items, such as porcelain doll collections, beer steins and newspapers from the past 3-6 months. The more clutter visible the better as cluttered rooms feel smaller – potential buyers will feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable.

2. Personalize. Make it clear that potential buyers are in YOUR home, not theirs. Place family photos in each room which is sure to make buyers feel like a guest in your home, not imagining their belongings in the space.

3. Don’t Clean. This is certainly not the time to give your home a good cleaning. Dust is a great tool to make buyers sneeze and immediately want to leave. Sweeping is not recommended nor is cleaning the bathrooms. Dirt and grime show buyers that you don’t care about the condition of your home, which is precisely the impression you want to make.

4. Create unpleasant odours. Nothing says “Don’t buy me” like a bad smell. Don’t smoke? Invite a smoker over for that coveted cigarette smoke smell. Missed garbage day? Not to worry; what’s another week of garbage in the kitchen?

5. Focus on your pets. Are you a pet owner? This is the time to draw attention to them. Litter boxes, large bags of dog food and pet beds should be highly visible. To really ensure your home doesn’t sell, leave your pets at home during the open house. Buyers love barking dogs and litter boxes in laundry rooms.

6. Bedrooms. This is certainly not the time to start making your bed every morning. By creating a dishevelled feel in the bedrooms, you are preventing buyers from imagining the relaxing oasis their bedroom could be. Leave as much dirty laundry as possible on the floor to show buyers that you are lacking storage space.

7. Bathrooms. Keep your extensive hair care product collection on display along with your vitamins and skin care on the counter. Again, buyers want to see that there is ample storage space and this will illustrate that your bathroom is short on space.

8. Home Offices. This is the ideal time to keep paperwork piles visible as well as any highly personal information. Try to show buyers how stressed they could feel if they worked in your office.

9. Children’s Rooms. Ensure all toys and clothes are on display, particularly on the floor. By covering the floor with clutter, the room will feel much smaller and unpleasant to be in.

10. Curb Appeal. By all means do not cut your grass, sweep the walkways or water your flowers. Cutting corners on the exterior of your home is a great way to disappoint buyers the moment they arrive.

Clutter shows buyers you lack storage space

Counters covered in personal items is another great way to show off the lack of storage space

As mentioned in a previous post, the Metro Vancouver RESA Chapter (not yet officially launched) is working with Sereena’s House in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Sereena’s House is a safe haven for women of the Downtown Eastside and a group of the Lower Mainland’s (and Sunshine Coast) home stagers want to make it a home. Currently it is furnished with outdoor furniture, broken tables and is quite cold and uninviting. We have visited the old hotel and have finalized their wishlist of what they’d like to have in their home. Help us create a comfortable, warm and safe home for the women who live here by donating items found on the list below.

 We are taking donations for the following items below. If you can donate, please contact me directly at heather@epicempiredesigns.ca and arrangements can be made to pick up the items.

For more information on this project, click here for my past blog post about this project.

Common Room Needs:

6-8 chairs for around the TV, with ottomans or footstools of some kind if possible – easy to clean is crucial

Coffee table

Art work

Small desk for computer

Floor to be painted if possible – it’s very difficult to clean as it’s quite worn

Dining Room Needs:

3-4 dining tables that seat 4 people comfortably for playing cards, games, crafts and for eating

Coffee table (s)

Crib boards

Board games

Playing cards

Craft supplies of any kind

Lockable storage for all above items

Floor to be painted if possible – it’s very difficult to clean as it’s quite worn

*Note for above items: As mentioned, the storage unit (s) must be lockable.

Kitchen Needs:

Electric stove – dimensions 29.5″ wide and 25.5″ deep

Dishes – plates, bowls, cups, glasses, mugs, cutlery – always a great need for these items

Cupboard doors need repairing – many of them fall off when opened

Entry way Needs:

Small chair and table for phone use and harm reduction supplies 

Art work – wall space is minimal and can be 26″ wide maximum

Cleaning Room Needs:

Tall, narrow shelving for supplies – doesn’t need to be locked up so open storage, bookshelves etc would work.

Spray bottles for cleaning supplies – they are desperate for them and will take as many as they can get

This is the women's living room right now; once our wishlist is complete, we will create a comfortable & 'homey' living room for the women to enjoy

When I pulled up to one of our recent projects in Kerrisdale, my heart skipped a beat. It was love at first sight. As a home stager in Vancouver, I see homes of all shapes and sizes and I never get tired of getting a peak into the lives of each of our clients. This house was different for some reason. The yard was impeccably kept; every little detail had been addressed. The flower beds looked like a painting and the accent colour of each planter matched the beautiful yellow of the home to a tee. Curb appeal? Check.

The owner came to the front door and welcomed me into her home. She was a lovely lady, very warm and friendly and we shared a good laugh within minutes of meeting. She was apologizing for the state of her home and the chaos that surrounded us; she had decided to list her home quite suddenly and her realtor was pushing to get it listed ASAP. She was a bit frazzled and admittedly overwhelmed. It was crucial to her that the home sell quickly and for top dollar and she was willing to do whatever it took to make this happen. (Read: dream client).

As June, the homeowner, began to show me her home, I began to fall even more in love with the home. It was a stunning character home from the 1930’s  and had been decorated beautifully by the owner. It is rare to see a home decorated in my personal taste and style; it was eclectic with incredible Victorian style antiques, gorgeous fabrics and lots of colour. And stuff. Yes, stuff was everywhere. Vases, decanters, pillows, stools, chairs, decorative bowls, art, family photos and more stuff. Then it hit me. I hadn’t even noticed the beautiful hardwood floors, the original stained glass windows or the top of the line kitchen upgrade. I hadn’t seen any of it at a glance; I was too taken in by the stuff that was filling every nook and cranny.

June told me to ‘bring it on’ and go ahead and mark anything I’d like removed and stored in her storage unit with a post it note. As we toured each room, the post it notes were being stuck on items left and right. I was explaining my reasoning as we went along; I told her how much I loved her decorating style but that I found it quite distracting and that it drew attention away from the selling features of her home. As I mention to each and every one of our clients: The way you live in your home and the way you sell your home are two completely different things. Home staging is a marketing tool and my job is to showcase homes in their best light so potential buyers emotionally connect with the property. We do this by strategically highlighting the selling features of homes so potential buyers can clearly see what is special about a property.

I returned the next day to help prepare the home for the photographs for the MLS listing. June had had about 1/3 of her stuff stored and the place looked completely different. I went room to room and made the final adjustments, moving accessories from room to room, stacking the pillows just so and creating that coveted polished look for the photos. June was shocked; she couldn’t believe how much bigger her house felt, not to mention the furniture arrangement. She loved the changes and was starting to second guess her decision to move!

Long story short? De-cluttering is an imperative part of preparing a home for sale. Cluttered spaces can be just as bad, if not worse, than vacant spaces. Check out some of the photos below to see what a difference de-cluttering made. When properties photograph as well as this one, they practically market themselves online. Did you know that over 90% of potential buyers start their search online? Buyers flock to listings that photograph well; these listings generate much more interest and high traffic open houses. That is exactly what happened in this case. The house across the street has been on the market for 6 months – here’s a photo from its listing:

Cluttered Competition Across the Street

Character Home Living Room Before De-Cluttering

Character Home Living Room After De-Cluttering & Staging

Character Home Den Before De-Cluttering & Staging

Character Home Den After De-Cluttering & Staging

PS – The home received multiple offers after the open house and a bidding war is currently underway.

More than you’d initially think, that’s for sure! A while back I wrote about the beginnings of the Metro Vancouver RESA Chapter, which is well underway now. Read the post here if you missed it. We’ve had 3 meetings so far and our attendance numbers have been doubling each month; we’re off to a great start and the enthusiasm and ideas that flow during the meetings has been amazing!

As a group, we decided that a priority for our Chapter is community involvement. I immediately thought of Louise Edwards, whom I wrote about early this year. Remember Louise? Read the post here if you missed it. Louise is also known as the Godmother of the Downtown Eastside and has spent the last 25 years of her life helping the women who live and work in the area. Many of them are street workers, struggle with addiction and suffer from mental illness. There are resources in place to assist but funding is always short and often the hotels and shelters go without the bare necessities. Like stoves and freezers, for example.

I have had the pleasure of keeping in touch with Louise Edwards during the last year and have donated many an item, mostly overflow items that my clients need to get rid of. I called Louise a few weeks ago and told her that our Chapter would love to talk to her and figure out a way that we can partner with her and with her assistance, identify high need families or projects that really need some help. Our Chapter’s thinking is this: we all work with home owners who ALWAYS have furniture, clothes, etc to get rid of when they’re preparing their homes for sale. We also all know of painters, general contractors, furniture suppliers, etc and figured that if we all pooled our resources together, we could make a major difference in the women of the downtown eastside’s lives.

Louise attended our last RESA meeting last week and her work really resonated with all members of our Chapter. I looked around the room as Louise explained what she does and how she does it and she had every person’s undivided attention. She told us about a hotel that was recently purchased by the government to provide shelter and food for women in need. It houses 30 women at a time and feeds them daily as a result of donations and large quantities of food that Louise brings in every two weeks. Currently, in the common area of the hotel, they have one small dining table with a few chairs, a kitchen that has a small sink, a stove that hardly works and a deep freeze that just broke down. The staff cook meals for 30 people in these conditions and without the freezer, they are very limited in what they can prepare and what Louise can bring in.

Our Chapter will be working closely with this hotel and will be finalizing their ‘wish list’ items later this week. As it stands right now, they are in need of a stove, card tables/small dining tables, chairs, book shelves, lighting, art for the walls and storage for canned goods. I will finalize the list shortly and welcome you to contact me directly if you’d like to get involved.

Meeting Louise Edwards was a life changing event; when you learn about the stories of how people have come to live in the downtown eastside and the obstacles they face on a daily basis, it really shifts your perspective. There is power in numbers and I welcome you to join us in making a difference in the lives of women who really need it.

Once upon a time there was a townhouse in Burnaby who had trouble attracting potential buyers. It was vacant and had a fairly strange floor plan; buyers couldn’t see its potential therefore it was ignored for a long time. One whole year to be exact. The owner was becoming increasingly concerned and the realtor was frustrated. Eventually the realtor passed the listing on to one of his colleagues as he hadn’t been able to sell it.

This poor townhouse was actually quite spacious and the unique floor plan provided a ton of options as far as furniture arrangement went. It was quite dark, therefore appearing much smaller than it was. The photographs of the property on the MLS listing were bland and the property looked even smaller and darker than it was in real life. It was no surprise that interest wasn’t being generated as it just didn’t look appealing or inviting.

Then, one sunny afternoon in June, the new realtor met with the owner for the first time at the property. All of a sudden, magically almost, a knight in shining armour (read: home stager) appeared.  The realtor and knight partner on nearly all of the realtor’s listings and knew their partnership would prevail in this particular situation. A fresh approach, a fresh perspective and a ton of fresh strategies were discussed to sell this townhouse.

The realtor, knight and owner parted ways and the knight began brainstorming ideas on how to best use the space. A plan was created, the furniture, art and accessories were selected and the townhouse was dressed to impress. A new batch of photos were taken, new marketing materials were created and the MLS listing was posted.

One day passed and the phone calls began coming in. Viewings were being arranged on a regular basis as buyers were now seeing the potential of this property. The owner was very encouraged as the end of making two mortgage payments was now in sight! Within 2 weeks of staging the property and re-listing it, the townhouse sold for full asking price.

The owner was ecstatic; the knight received a phone call the very day the sale was complete and was almost moved to tears by the incredible excitement and gratitude of their client. To say he was thrilled would be an understatement. The relief in his voice was apparent as was his appreciation. The knight will always remember that phone call.

The icing on this home staging fairy tale? A few days following the sale, the initial listing agent who had passed this listing to his colleague called the knight. “I saw what you did and how it helped sell the property; we have to meet and talk about working together as I see incredible potential in working with you.” The knight will always remember that phone call, too.

*Thank you for going along with the fairy tale theme of this post. Just for the record, I do not consider myself a knight in shining armour; however, you have to admit it worked well for this tale.

SFU Townhouse Before Staging

SFU Townhouse After Staging