You can lose money in two ways by undertaking an expensive renovation with the intention of selling your home for a higher price: Potential buyers may not appreciate your taste, dismissing your home outright, or you may end up selling for a price that does not cover the cost of the reno.
The good news is there are simple, effective methods to market your property without resorting to a major facelift.
"If you want to create rooms that rock for a small investment in time and money, consider homestaging," said Lisa Loeppky, an interior decorator and homestaging property stylist with Furniture Plus in Steinbach.
(Her staging designs have helped win gold, bronze and honourable mention awards for builders featured in Parade of Homes magazine.)
Lisa will stage rooms with furniture and accessories from Furniture Plus to add the pizzazz required to catch the attention of prospective homebuyers.
The only proviso is houses and condos must be occupant free because furniture, art work, lamps and other merchandise used in the staging process must be returned to the store in pristine condition.
The initial cost is $99 for a two-hour consultation within a 30-mile radius of Steinbach, or $129 for two hours within an area that includes Winnipeg. A 10-per-cent discount on all art and accessories in the store is included in the price, as is Loeppky's commuting time.
During the first meeting, Loeppky establishes clients' colour preferences, what furnishings should stay and what should go, as well as what personal memorabilia can be restored so that it will not seem out of place.
"Milk and other paints and stains are popular for refinishing older pieces including tables, chairs, sewing machine cabinets and other cherished antiques," Loeppky said.
After the initial consultation, she bills her time at $50 per hour, about one-half of the rate an interior designer charges.
"Sometimes a rearrangement of existing furnishings is all it takes to create a fresh new look. The power of placement is my working motto.
"Once you create a proper furniture placement it creates function and flow to a room, making it appear larger and more inviting," she said, adding other simple changes such as placing a bowl of fresh fruit or a bouquet of flowers in the right position can result in a sale.
One woman told her she purchased a house because she was enticed by a display of pungent, green limes Loeppky had placed on a table.
"I've also had a lot of success by adorning a room with custom floral arrangements that are vividly coloured, complementing similar tones in pillows, paintings or window coverings," she said, adding cooking aromas like baking bread, cookies, pies and cakes that appeal to the olfactory sense are a simple technique to attract buyers.
Painting is another easy way to impress purchasers because it imparts a clean, bright appearance to any part of a house, as long as the undertones complement predominant colours in a room.
"Some people don't understand undertones and how important they can be to enhancing or diminishing a design," said Loeppky. "Often mistakes are made by choosing paint from swatch paint chips. You cannot see the proper undertone in a tiny chip. Always use a large paint sample to avoid expensive mistakes."
For example, she said paint can have blue, grey, brown, pink or other undertones that can clash with colours in a room, creating an unattractive appearance the eye will immediately discern; however, undertones that complement existing colours will create a beautiful synthesis that will appeal to the eye.
Drapes, blinds and window coverings, which Loeppky has recently added to her line of products, succeed or fail depending on whether they complement or detract from undertones.
For $80 per room, Loeppky will create a scale floor plan showing where furniture and accessories should be placed to maximize accessibility and to generate an eye-catching area that will wow homeowners, visitors and potential buyers.
For $299 per room, she will produce a three-dimensional computer design including a virtual tour of the room, highlighting it from numerous interior and exterior angles and positions.
"I believe any person can afford to make a home more beautiful and more marketable without to tearing down walls and investing a lot of money in a large renovation," Loeppky said.
As an example, a condo in Steinbach that was on the market for over a year sold a couple of days after Loeppky staged the interior.
As well as her interior decorator and homestaging diplomas, Loeppky has certificates in Red River Residential Interior Decorating, 3Dream 3D design, 20-20 software design, colour for selling and dwelling, colour with no regrets, advanced staging, redesign and has taught classes in Confident Colour Consultation and Advanced Redesign; she is currently enrolled in a photography course.
On April 29, she is offering a home-decorating course "Create a Room that Rocks!" from 7 pm to 9:30 pm at Furniture Plus, 180 Main St. in Steinbach for $25 per person, dessert included.
Before entering the field of decorating and staging, Loeppky was working as a dental hygienist when her husband, Dennis Loeppky, purchased a small furniture store in Steinbach in 1988.
It was several years before Loeppky joined the business as a decorator and stager because she didn't believe she had any artistic ability. After enrolling in an art class with a friend, she returned home with a gorgeous painting which established her status as a fine artist. From that point on, she became fully engaged in Furniture Plus, using her abilities to add value to the business.
"The original building was 8,000 square feet and featured some garish pink furniture that was in dubious taste even back then," recalled Dennis.
Today, he said the Furniture Plus showroom has grown to 20,000 square feet, including an area for kitchen appliances.
A large storage building and a parking lot were built on land behind the store after Dennis bought out homeowners who were preparing to move into condos or homes for the elderly.
"We've grown our business by reinvesting in it whenever we have the extra cash to do so," he said, adding this year they can afford to finish the remaining half of the store's ceiling with tiles.
He said he and his wife are strong believers in the catchy Steinbach phrase "It's worth the trip."
"That's why we have built a business that offers products and services that you won't find in larger areas like Winnipeg. We want people to come to Steinbach to shop and to leave with the feeling that it really was worth their time and effort," he said.
To this end, Furniture Plus stocks a wide range of good value furniture and accessories that sell for mid-range prices.
The stock is classified as classic, urban and contemporary to appeal to as many tastes and age groups as possible, said Dennis.
"We sell Ashley, Decorest, England, Sealy, Kitchenaide, Whirlpool and Frigidaire appliances and specialize in large framed and unique metal art pieces," he said.
The family-friendly atmosphere of the store is underscored by their children, Desiree, 26, and Leighton, 24, who work full-time on the sales floor with two other salespeople who are knowledgeable about all the products. The business has 15 employees including the four sales staff.
If an item is in stock, customers can pick it up immediately or have it delivered their homes, usually the same day or within a few days.
Special order items from the factory take four to eight weeks to arrive in Steinbach, said Dennis.
"We are striving to be a one-stop vendor where people can purchase the items they require for a renovation and, at the same time, consult with a professional decorator who will make house calls," he said.
If you are one of those people who want to sell a house or property without investing thousands in a reno, it's worth the trip to Furniture Plus.
