Design Tips, Investment Properties
Shauna Lynn Simon
Expert Advice for Your Vacation Rental Property

If you own a vacation rental property (or are looking to invest in one), you know that designing a short-term rental cottage that stands out from the competition is key to attracting renters and earning repeat business. With the growing popularity of short-term rentals and Airbnb properties, it's important to create a space that not only looks beautiful but is also functional and comfortable for guests.

In this article, we'll provide you with expert tips and insights on how to design a short-term rental cottage that will have guests raving and coming back year after year. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to update an existing space, this guide will provide you with the inspiration you need to create a truly exceptional vacation home.


Start with the Basics

Before you start decorating, make sure you have all the basics in place. This includes…

Expert Advice for Your Vacation Rental Property

staging

Supporting Your Pets Through the Home-Selling Process

Supporting Your Pets Through the Home-Selling Process

When preparing your home for sale, the ultimate goal is to ensure that the home shows at its very best by highlighting the features and eliminating distractions. This allows you to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers possible, strengthening your selling position and encouraging a quick and profitable sale.

While the Beyond The Stage Homes team is comprised of devoted animal lovers, not all home buyers appreciate our furry friends, and in fact, a home with pets can often be a cause of concern for many, especially for those with allergies. Evidence of pets such as toys, food dishes, and pet beds can also put potential buyers on the lookout for damage throughout the house that may have been caused by the animals. Eliminating the presence of pets in the home will allow buyers to focus on the home’s features, instead of scrutinizing and looking for flaws. Even caged animals can turn off or simply distract potential buyers.

Inexpensive Kitchen Updates that Sell

Inexpensive Kitchen Updates that Sell

1. Light Fixtures

Review all of the lighting in your kitchen and identify when it was last updated? This includes your eating area, above your island (if applicable), and above the sink. As a general rule, if the light fixtures have not been installed within the past 10 years, they will likely need to be replaced. If the light fixtures are the original ones that the builder installed, they should likely be replaced.

Here is what not to do:

How to Declutter Before Moving

How to Declutter Before Moving

We want you to have a stress- and anxiety-free move. Here are the TOP SIX benefits for why you should declutter before moving homes:

* Getting rid of the clutter will allow you to relax and feel great!

* The Home Staging process will be faster and more effective.

* Your home will look inviting and it will attract more buyers.

* Save time, energy and $$ by not moving unnecessary items.

* Less time spent unpacking in your new home; arranging only the items you love.

* Sell and/or Auction Unwanted items to get $$ back.

The Dos and Don'ts of Hiring a Designer

The Dos and Don'ts of Hiring a Designer

DO

Provide information regarding your style

  • This may be magazine photos, Pinterest pins, or physical samples – you don’t even have to know what you like about something, but the more information that you can provide to your designer, the better

Provide Samples

  • If you have already selected any renovation materials, be sure to have samples of those items available for your designer

Provide Creative Autonomy

  • This is something that many homeowners struggle with – remember that you hired your designer for their expert, professional opinion, and there may be times where you will need to trust them to take you outside of your comfort zone.

  • Our goal is to integrate your style with our expertise to create a design plan that you will love for years to come. The more autonomy that we have, the easier it is to create this, but we want to ensure that we do so with your trust and understanding – if at any time you do not feel that you are being heard, or are not comfortable with a decision that has been made, be sure to address it as soon as possible to avoid any issues or unnecessary costs.

  • It’s all in our head - we understand that you may not always be able to see what we see! Sometimes, you may simply need to take a leap of faith and trust, but if this is something that you are not capable of, ask, and we will do our best to provide a visual representation of our vision.

Your BTSH Team: Jennifer Roth

Meet Jennifer Roth, BTSH’s Professional Home Stager! Jennifer and Shauna Lynn met through the local RESA chapter and found a connection right away. They often met outside of chapter meetings and quickly discovered they worked well together. So well, in fact, that Jennifer often helped out with BTSH vacant staging jobs. They ultimately decided that it made sense to combine their efforts, and Jennifer officially joined the BTSH team in May 2014.

Jennifer was one of the first certified Real Estate Staging Professionals (RESP). With a diploma in Interior Design from Sheridan College, she has been preparing homes for sale since 2011 and was named one of RESA’s Top 10 Rising Star Home Stagers in North America in 2013. Jennifer is also skilled in interior design and decorating, new home construction, real estate, and advertising and marketing. “I just love being able to take a room and transform it into something beautiful,” said Jennifer.

Prior to working at BTSH, Jennifer worked as a deal secretary with RE/MAX, where she processed offers on real estate transactions. She also worked at Peak Realty, where she acted as a personal assistant to a group of six realtors. “Everyone said I should be a realtor. I thought about it, and loved the industry, but wanted to use my creative side more,” said Jennifer. She credits a realtor with bringing home staging to her attention, and as a result, Jennifer started Home Selling Edge in 2011. She worked there until she merged with BTSH in 2014.


QUICK FACTS ABOUT JENNIFER
Favourite part of her job:
    Finding solutions to help sellers live in staged homes, and seeing the reactions of homeowners who see the transformation after a vacant stage.
Favourite TV show:
    House Hunters
    Love It or List It
Favourite stager:
    Karen Otto
    Red Barrinuevo
Favourite upcoming trend:
    Gold is coming back! Especially in fixtures. Furs are also becoming more popular again!

Jennifer loves contemporary designs like light fabrics, soft textures, clean lines, and metallics. She also appreciates all other design styles, and prides herself on being able to visualize different styles in all kinds of homes, whether it’s traditional, rustic, vintage, contemporary, or more!


Contact Beyond The Stage Homes today to find out how to get your property sold!

Phone: +1 (226) 240-0766
Email: info@btshomes.com
www.beyondthestagehomes.com 

Why Savvy Homeowners Choose Home Staging

Why Savvy Homeowners Choose Home Staging

While home staging is not a new concept (in fact, the industry is actually about 40 years old), it has gained popularity in recent years, thanks to additional exposure through magazines and television shows. There are a number of reasons why home staging works the way that it does, and more and more homeowners are reaping the benefits.

In this week's Vlog, we explain a number of popular reasons why home staging works, and why savvy homeowners are choosing to stage before they list.