It would have been easy....If you had decided earlier in the year that you were indeed going to celebrate in style; but because the climate was so unsettled you did not make any plans. Suddenly you have several invitations that you have to honour and of course you need to look your best at each event. The question therefore arises how do you accomplish this feat when you are totally unprepared? The answer is simpler that you thought, and best of all you don't have to spend any money. To put together your party wardrobe - go shopping in your closet. With a little planning you will be able to put together several outfits to suit each occasion. Steps to building your party wardrobe, from your closet: Check your invitations - What time of day and what are the dress codes required for each... 11/29/2009

I'm happy to see (or hear) that many Realtors are getting more and more interested in Home Staging.  Many claim they just don't know enough about how it all works and how to present it to their clients.  Not wanting to leave it to the Agents to google a home stager in their area and give us a call I ask... DEAR REALTOR, What is your preferred way for us to get in touch with you? -Cold calling...after my one and only hang up - I decided to find another avenue (Thanks G.P) -Open Houses...I liked this method and have gained a client from it, but can only hit them on Sundays in my area.  Not great for reaching a large number of you. -Blogging...Also have earned a client this way, but a little too passive for me and many Agents still do not actively blog in my area. -Flyers in your mailboxes... 09/04/2009

Consultations can be a powerful tool when selling your property.  I truly believe that every home that is going to be listed should have a Professional Home Stager in to do a consultation on the property.  The difference will wow the Realtors, their Clients and the buyers.   All this was achieved in a weekend because of a savvy Pickering Realtor, a motivated home seller, a Professional Home Stager and the minimal cost of a Consultation. The Benefits of a CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign Consultation  • affordable  • prioritized recommendations • easy to achieve results • stunning transformations • comprehensive road map • CRE-A-TIVE ideas • can eliminate "reduced price" negotiations • do-it-yourself road map • detailed report Immediately following consultation • created using what you alre... 07/17/2009

I'm glad you enjoyed the photo's from Interior Design Show Part 1 So as promised here is Part 2...some of my fav's.   As you know, IDS 09 was held in Toronto   This is for Ms. Finnamore, she loves the Chair Source and I just love these GHOST CHAIRS.   Also from the Chair Source, this awesome Chrome Stool.  Fell in love and sooo comfortable.   Isn't it beautiful?  Price tag...a mere $599 (lol).  Also, I just loved the flooring they used.   For the guys...the ultimate fitted garage complete with flat screen.   Love the white books.   How about this?  Rustic meets bling...hmmmm   Jetson's ?   That's one commanding light.   This wall display spoke to me.  Too bad it wasn't hyphenated "cre-a-tive" as in cre-a-tive Staging & Redesign   Until next year! 02/13/2009

Toronto's 2009 Interior Design Show didn't disappoint.  Below are some of the highlights.   The amazing Princes' Gates entering the CNE grounds.   IKEA - Ticket Booth   How about these stainless sinks?   These shower doors were awesome...they slid open using an industrial style pulley.   Ultra funky desk.   The KRUPS stage...designer talks with CityLine's Eric McClelland.   Black & White Bedroom.   I love the "Studio Style" lamp from the room above.   I'll be posting more photos in another post...Interior Design Show PART 2 showing some cool lighting and chairs.   02/11/2009

The Interior Design Show/IDS 09 is Canada's largest contemporary design event and it is that time of year again.  WHEN:  February 5-8, 2009 WHERE:  Direct Energy Centre, 100 Princes' Boulevard on the grounds of Exhibition Place in Toronto,  Canada. This year promises to be a great event.  Trends, ideas, new products. Get Glam with Brian Gluckstein takes place on Sunday. Here are some pictures I took at last years IDS 08. Our very own Designer Guys:   Canada's own Sarah Richardson:   House & Homes Linda Reeve's Room: (In person this space was to die for)   I fell in love with this table:   New Trends:   Urban Barn:   As you can see there is a ton of inspiration, some amazing celebrity designers, talks, seminars, and even a Professional Trades Day. Hope to see you there!!!   This year's p... 01/25/2009

 December 31 will be a memorable evening for everyone with children's activities, public skating, entertainment and David Wilcox in concert. Oshawa Celebrates 2009 offers free public skating beginning at 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. There will be a wristband policy in place for the scheduled skating times, which will be handed out starting at 7:00 p.m. Children's entertainment begins at 7:00 p.m. and includes face painting, crafts, games and entertainers. The children's event concludes at 9:00 p.m. with a New Year's countdown and balloon drop. Free hot chocolate will also be provided courtesy of the Oshawa Rotary Club from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Live entertainment includes Trevor Leblanc at 7:45 p.m., the Boogie Men at 9:00 p.m. and at 10:30 p.m. David W... 12/16/2008

In Oshawa in November the Durham Region Association Of Realtors announced there were: 281 new listings. There were 758 active listings.  Year to date there have been 4678 listings in Oshawa. Previous year to date was 4508 listings.  112 sales. Year to date there have been 2120 sales.  Previous year to date  there were 2469 sales.  That is a drop of 14.1%.   12/16/2008

Redesign is a service provided by many home stagers.  It is incredible how affordable it is to hire a professional stager/redesigner to come in and completely transform a space on a budget.  Many people want "the look" but can't afford an interior decorator. Below is a recent CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign transformation.  This room was a true redesign using the homeowners things with the exception of a few key purchases. Fresh coat of paint:   $33.00 Stunning Crystal Chandelier:  $89.00 Beautiful Glistening Wreath:   $19.99 White Mat:  $6.99 Luxurious White Throw:  $21.99 Transformation:  PRICELESS  How to pull it all together:  One call to CRE-A-TIVE STAGING & REDESIGN. Before... Tired, drab, unwelcoming. The CRE-A-TIVE Difference... White on White.  Luxurious, warm and inviting! GIVE ... 11/16/2008

Proud to be part of this community and proud to present this concert.  Everyone will enjoy the sound of Christmas carols played by instrumentalist Matthew James.  Come and join us in the beautiful Oshawa Little Theatre for 'A Smooth Jazz Christmas'. Tickets can be purchased online at the Oshawa Little Theatre or by calling 289.240.0628. Tickets are selling fast so get yours today! APOM Inspections   10/01/2008

Lets Examine Their Formula Several times recently a FSBO company here on active/rain claimed that 25% of real estate is sold privately, and went on to say you could calculate how many are sold privately, by subtracting the number of solds reported by the Canadian Real Estate Association from the number of transactions registered in the land registry office.  The fact is they are pulling straws from a haystack Their formula is flawed as it does not take into account the number of homes that are sold by real estate brokers and are not sold through the The Multiple Listing Services offered by the Canadian Real Estate Association and as a former Real Estate Broker they would know that. They also claimed that builders were a portion of the FSBO sales as they do not sell through real estate b... 09/28/2008

 Here are the results of the Staging Polls. I would have liked to see more Realtors weighing in.  A huge thank you to all that participated. STAGERS:  The Success of your Staging business can be attributed to  Answer Text %    Word of mouth / Referral   30%     Website   20%     Networking   15%     Realtor Presentations   13%     Media / Press Release   9%     Other (describe)   6%     Newsletters   6%     Newspaper Advertising   2%               REALTORS:  What is your most important factor in choosing a Professional Home Stager?  Answer Text %    Recommendation / Referral   50%     Price / Cost   14%     Experience / Portfolio   14%     Client Testimonial   7%     Frequency of Marketing Efforts   7%     I would never use the service of a Home Stager   7%             07/16/2008

How comfortable would you feel if you went into a Doctors office to consult them about some very serious health concerns, and on the wall was their certification from the internet?  And to question them further you realize that they received their 'knowledge' from a book, completed a test and was sent a 'diploma'.  Without ever seeing a patient or having any hands on training they are now licensed and qualifed to be your doctor...Would you stay?  Not likely!! Hiring a Home Inspector or anyone for that fact is kind of the same.  You are hiring a Home Inspector to come in to a house and asking them to ensure this is a wise investment.  Your Home Inspector is going to look at everything from the roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing etc. and you are going to trust that they know what they... 05/15/2008

 It's a beautiful spring morning here in early May. The sun is shining and the birds are singing and the spring market is in full swing!  We are busy here, but busy is good. Busy people get things done!I would like to welcome you to my newest venture into virtual realty - my blog.  Here, you will find informative articles and information for both buyers and sellers alike. Tips, tricks and points of interest.  I welcome your real estate related questions and will answer a selection of them here from time to time.Once a month, I will publish a market "snapshot" of the local real estate market so you can see what's happening.As always, you can visit my personal website at http://www.dmandzuk.ca/ for valuable information and to view my active listings.  05/06/2008

Many times in our lives we will hire people for different reasons.  Perhaps a Real Estate Agent, Contractor, Daycare Provider.  Maybe your buying a pool or need something painted.  Whatever the need there are a multitude of people wanting your business.  People trained in their profession to do the best possible job for you.  So how do you get the best.  How do you go about hiring the best service or person for the task at hand? I think that people are generally a good judge in character when they follow their instincts.  You would never 'cold' call a builder and hand over your blueprints to them and ask them to build you a house would you?  No generally you want to meet the person/company and get a sense of what THEY will do for YOU.  You are hiring them to complete something for you a... 02/25/2008

Many people , especially when purchasing a home, are looking for ways to save money.  When it comes down to the Inspection of a home, many people feel they can 'look over' the house themselves and save the money it would cost to have a Home Inspector come in.  Here are are few points to consider if you find yourself pondering the same idea. First of all, it is a known fact that people buy houses emotionally.  They love the street the yard, the colors are pretty the kids will have their own rooms!, but they fail to see the watermark on the ceiling or worse.  A Home Inspector will come in completely removed from the emotions of the house.  He will look into the heart of the furnace and be able to tell you how well it has been maintained if at all.  He will look behind the fuse panels not ... 02/20/2008

Who doesn't need a little push every now and then.  I have just viewed an awesome clip courtesy of "Walk The Talk".  I'm not sure if this has been around the block a few hundred times, but in case even just one of you hasn't seen it I thought I would post it and share.  Pretty powerful... click here...http://www.walkthetalk.com/the212movie.php?refsource=&campaign= it really gave me a new  perspective.  Let me know what you think. 01/21/2008

Did I get your attention?  No, this is not a slam on Realtors. Just a little insight so stagers keep doing what we are doing.  Dane's post got me thinking.As for the lack of push from the majority of Realtors... 10 years ago I sold Real Estate in Durham Region, and at that time "Home Inspections" was in its infancy.  I remember how eager the Home Inspectors were.  They would come to the Tuesday morning realtor meetings trying to pitch us on the importance of their service.  They would get the usual responses  "Why would someone pay for something that anyone could do...a buyers father or brother or friend can check over the place?" or "marketing tool for us?...Why should we (the realtor) pay for an inspection for our clients?  The list of negative responses was long. (Sound familiar?)  N... 01/07/2008

Interested in knowing what the resale housing market is like specifically in this area?Have a look at my Preferred Properties MARKET TRENDS REPORT for LIFESTYLE HOMES over $500,000 in OSHAWA Ontario to find out.You can also TOUR THE NEIGHBOURHOOD's of Durham Region online. Click HEREFeel free to contact me anytime if you would like any more information about the area. I would be pleased to assist you.Gina JeffersSales RepresentativeRoyal LePage Connect Realty, Brokerageginajeffers@preferredproperties.ca 905-427-6522 10/29/2007

Interested in knowing what the resale housing market is like specifically in this neighbourhood?Have a look at my Preferred Properties MARKET TRENDS REPORT for OLDE OSHAWA to find out.You can also TOUR THE NEIGHBOURHOOD online. Click HEREFeel free to contact me anytime if you would like any more information about this neighbourhood. I would be pleased to assist you.Gina JeffersSales RepresentativeRoyal LePage Connect Realty, Brokerageginajeffers@preferredproperties.ca 905-427-6522 10/29/2007