This Airdrie home had been listed with another Realtor with no luck snagging a buyer. I knew instantly when I walked in that I could stage this home to draw people in. The big pieces were there but it needed some spice and softness. Also, when a home has been on the market for some time already you need to shake things up with a fresh start and that means a new look and new photos! You don’t want buyers and Realtors to see the same old photos and pass it by thinking they have already crossed that one off the list. At that point the only tool in the box is a price reduction to make it happen. We brought in a rug, some art and pillows to pop in some colour. I remember showing it to a couple of buyers who said, “I think we were in this one before but it looks so different – better!” You know when they settle in on the couch to talk about what they like about the home there’s a good chance you’ve got a sale.

This condo turned around nicely with some staging. Most of the furniture belonged to the seller, we just brought in a few pieces to tie it all together. The seller’s parents had purchased the condo for him to live in while going to school in Calgary, a trend we are seeing more of these days. Now that school was finished it was time to roll that condo investment into something else. When you do the math it costs over $50,000 to pay for 4 years of rent, more if you’re in Vancouver or Toronto. So it can make a lot of sense to purchase a condo close to school. No getting kicked out by the landlord when you own the place! Getting a roommate to help pay the mortgage makes it even more attainable. Condo prices in Calgary are down 14% from 2014 so it’s a great time to pick one up as an investment or to live in. There are LOTS of things to be on the lookout for when buying a condo so pick through those condo documents with a fine toothed comb and get some good advice from your Realtor.  #calgaryrealtor #stagingcalgary #calgarycondos