A smarter way to prepare your home 

By Edilka Anderson

Coming off the recent successful sale of a grand waterside home in Burlington, I realized today many young professionals and empty nesters are opting for a more convenient, stylish and dare I say, environ-mentally friendly approach to buying or selling their homes. 

When we first met our client in summer of 2020, his 10,000 square foot home was vacant and had been unoccupied for several months during the pandemic. The house was up-for- sale and ready to be put on the market using a local real-estate agent.

The lakeshore home was in good shape structurally. Without staged furnishings and an interior refresh, the owner knew that, despite the fact that there was little inventory in the area, he was at risk of not getting top dollar or the quick sale that he was after. 

Instead of the traditional approach however, this client decided to take a clean, innovative approach when he hired our design team. Instead of staging with the usual rented items which are moved out post sale, he opted to buy his own furnishings that would stay with the house and the new owners.

What he had in mind was to sell the property turn key—with our design work and all the furniture. As such we had a blank slate with a few caveats of course: 1) The design style needed to be bold and interesting enough to attract attention and stand out from other homes that might come on the market. 2) It had to appeal to a wide range of potential buyers rather than the usual approach of appealing to the personal tastes and lifestyles of the owner. 3) Planning had to take into account potential recent supply chain issues and shortages that might slow us down. 4) The end result was to revive, refresh and elevate the property that would result in a quick, lucrative outcome.

We wanted to create a look and feel inspired by showcasing a fully furnished home with a feeling of a hotel with  comfort, elegance and timeless furniture. As the previous owner is in the Hospitality industry, we were inspired to showcase every space as a 5-star hotel. The new owners loved the work we had done, and of course, our client was overjoyed. Could “Design, Stage, and Sell” exactly as furnished be a new service for us? No doubt about it.
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