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Wednesday, April 25, 2007 · Page 26 Do you need a home stager? BY JENNIFER DAVIES, CSPTM When potential buyers come to your home, they have already decided that your home meets certain criteria, like location and price. The final deciding factor is that first impression they get when they walk into your home. This is a `make or break' moment that deserves professional consideration. During a home staging consultation, a Canadian Staging ProfessionalTM will view your home with the critical eye all potential buyers have. It's difficult for homeowners to objectively view their own home this way because they have been living there comfortably for years. A CSPTM will see it the way it looks to the buyers and recommend changes to make your home more marketable. Television shows like The House Doctor and Open Homes demonstrate the staging process and demonstrate how staging your home can give you a quick return on investment. But does it happen that way in real life too? Statistics and surveys consistently confirm that it does. On HGTV's Designed to Sell, 98 percent of the homes staged for the show, sold over the asking price. In a 2004 survey by Joy Valentine of Coldwell Banker, staged homes sold in half of the time of unstaged homes, and on an average of 6.4 percent over the list price. The Martiz Research group found that "63 percent of buyers will pay more money for a house that is move in ready." So if your house isn't staged to sell, the potential buyer, while viewing your home, is mentally deducting money from your asking price for every item that needs repairs or updates. A buyer thinks in $5000$10,000 dollar amounts for things that can cost a couple hundred dollars to change or fix. On the other hand, the impeccability of the staged property sends a clear message that the seller is serious about the asking price while the visual esthetics makes it appealing to a broad spectrum of buyers generating great interest in your property. Don't give a buyer a reason to deduct money from one of your life's biggest investments. If you're afraid that home staging will cost you too much money, you need to think of it as an investment. A certified Canadian Staging ProfessionalTM will work with whatever budget you have in mind. Most homeowners wisely choose a budget that would be far less than their first price reduction as a preventative to such a future scenario. But even on a small budget, the creativity and expertise of your stager will go a long way in making a big difference. Stores have been using visual merchandizing techniques for hundreds of years and now home sellers are catching on. They're realizing that when their home goes on the market, it's a product that also requires professional merchandising expertise. So even a well decorated home may not be staged to sell. Home staging is changing the way real estate is being sold... for the better. Please forward your home staging questions to Jennifer@canadianstager. com Sat. Apr. 28 the Bible Club Banquet at Meadow Brook Fellowship, Leamington. Rev. Jim Bagley will be the guest speaker and the Essex Male Chorus will provide special music. The Spring Business Meeting will be held immediately following the worship service this Sun. Apr. 29. Erin Jones of London spent the weekend with her parents, Steve and Kim. The family celebrated Erin's birthday. Souled Out Christian Books will be holding another 72 Hour Sale this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 10% of purchases by members and adherents of Brooker Baptist Church will be tithed back to the church and will help stock our library with new reading material and DVDs. Make sure you identify yourself as part of the Brooker Baptist family if you make a purchase. As a church family we raised $1000.00 towards the Fill The Barn Project for farmers in third world countries where Canadian Baptists have a ministry. A great achievement for a small church. Congratulations! Tues. May 1 at 2 p.m. Mother and Daughter Banquet on Thurs. May 3 at 6:30 p.m. Communion Sunday May 6 with service at 9 a.m. Board Meeting for the Charge to meet at Gesto on Sun. May 6 at 7 p.m. Bethel-Maidstone is taking a day trip to the Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia on 9 to see June "Nunsensations, the nunsense Las Vegas review". There is a stop at Parks Blueberries for coffee and browsing the gift shop, shopping in Petrolia before the show and dinner at the Countryview Golf Club. For more info or to reserve a seat(s) contact 519-7376614 or 519-839-5475. Pepper party last Tuesday and the lucky winners were Barb Jacobs, Bud Elwood, Joan Dresser, Charles Chevalier, Keith Dresser, Bob Ford and Helen Slavick. Come join in the fun on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. The lucky folks at the euchre game on Saturday were Evelyn Griffin, Helen Malott, Stan Jackson, Grant Beacom, Herald Ferguson and Cecilia Edwards. Door prizes went to Eileen Salter and Lynn Will. Everyone is welcome to join in on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for a game of euchre with friends and neighbours. The ladies provide a lovely lunch following the games. Elford W.I. Weather over the weekend was gorgeous and if you were out mowing or cleaning up the yard you would have got some sunburn. Happy anniversary to Kevin and Nora Srigley as they celebrate #27 on Thursday. Best of wishes folks and many more happy healthy years together. Happy birthday wishes to my buddy Jacob Gartner who will celebrate #14 on Friday; on Wednesday next week to my granddaughter Brianne as she celebrates another year; on Thursday next week to Carman Miller as he celebrates another year in Wardsville. Get well wishes are sent to Bill Miller who has had heart surgery in London recently and to Laura Miller Brown who was transferred to a Windsor Hospital for more tests. Our prayers are with you both for better health real soon. The Pleasant Valley Community Club held a Elford W.I. will meet on May 3 for lunch at the Grand Central in Essex. Meeting to follow will be held at the Viscount Estates Community Hall in Essex. Motto - Happiness is where you find it. Roll Call - Name your favourite flower. Program - Bring ideas for future programs and exchange of garden plant. Lunch - Grand Central at 11:30 p.m. All ladies welcome. The District Annual will be held on Thurs. May 10 at Cottam United Church CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF KINGSVILLE 2021 Division Road North Kingsville, Ontario N9Y 2Y9 Phone: (519) 733-2305 FAX: (519) 733-8108 The Town of Kingsville is seeking to hire summer students for the following positions: 1. Office Support/Clerical (1 position) ­ successful candidate will perform various clerical duties within the Clerk's and Treasury departments for a maximum period of 8 weeks. Duties will include electronic records filing, typing, copying, faxing and other general duties as assigned. 2. Outdoor General Labourer (2 positions) ­ successful candidate will perform moderately physical outdoor maintenance work within the Environmental Services department for a maximum period of 16 weeks. Duties will include hydrant painting, grounds maintenance and other general labourer duties as assigned. Proof of a valid G2 License is required. All successful candidates will be registered in a post secondary educational institution and be 18 years of age or older. The Town thanks all those who apply however only successful applicants will be contacted. To apply for any of the above positions, please submit your resume indicating which position you are applying for to: Human Resources Department Corporation of the Town of Kingsville 2021 Division Rd N Kingsville, ON N9Y 2Y9 Deadline for Submission: May 4, 2007 Tai Chi Fri. Apr. 27 at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome to join in fellowship and light exercise in the hall. Congregational Meeting on Sun. Apr. 29 at 7 p.m. Please plan to attend this important meeting. Our Charges turn to take the service at Iler Lodge on ESSEX & DISTRICT CHURCHES Bethel Christian Church 119 Talbot St. E., Cottam · 839-4632 Sunday: 10:30 am Bethel-Maidstone United Church Talbot Rd., Maidstone · 723-2284 Sunday: 10:30 am "Come and Worship With Us!" Essex Gospel Tabernacle 335 Talbot St. S., Essex · 776-4667 Sunday: 10:30 am & 6:30 pm St. John's R. C. Church 1688 County Rd. 46, Woodslee 723-4458 · Sat.: 5:00 pm; Sun.: 11:00 am St. Mary's R. C. Church Cty. Rd. 34, Maidstone · 737-6869 Sat.: 7:00 pm; Sun.: 9:00 am Brooker Baptist Church 269 Belle River Rd., R.R. #1, Cottam 839-4953 Sunday: 10:00 am Essex United Church 53 Talbot St. S., Essex · 776-5121 Sunday: 10:30 am St. Paul's Anglican Church 92 St. Paul St., Essex · 776-7711 Sunday: 8:00 am & 11:00 am Church of The Living Word 1697 South Middle Rd., Woodslee 723-2535 · Sunday: 10:30 am Gesto United Church Gesto Rd., Cty. Rd. 12 · 990-8870 or Office: 723-2284 · Sunday: 9:00 am St. Stephen's Anglican Church 5280 Howard Ave., Oldcastle Sunday: 8:15 am & 11:00 am Church of The Redeemer 15545 County Road 8 (formerly Colchester North) Sunday: 9:30 am Grace Baptist Church of Essex 120 Talbot Street North · 776-6222 Sunday: 11:00 am The Salvation Army Essex Citadel 26 Talbot St. S., Essex · 776-4628 Sunday: 11:00 am & 6:30 pm Cottam Baptist Church 161 Talbot St., Cottam · 839-4789 Sunday: 11:00 am & 6:30 pm Holy Name of Jesus R. C. Church 146 Talbot St. S., Essex · 776-8483 Saturday: 5:00 pm Sunday: 8:30 & 11:00 am Trinity Anglican Church 247 Talbot St. W., Cottam 776-7711 · Sunday: 9:30 am Cottam United Church 137 Talbot St. W., Cty. Rd. 34, Cottam · 839-4266 Sunday: 10:15 am We're - re-inventing the news! Rock of Help Christian Centre 43 Fox Street, Essex · 776-4158 Sunday: 10:00 am & 6:00 pm Unitarian Universalist Church of Olinda 2953 Olinda Sideroad, Ruthven 326-4352 Sunday: 10:30 am Essex Baptist Church 71 Maidstone Ave. E., Essex 776-8563 - Sunday School 9:45 Sunday: 11:00 am & 6:00 pm Visit us at http://essexfreepress.reinvented.net 11th. Conc. & Baseline, Maidstone Ministries 735-4717 · Sunday:10-11am. & 6pm; 2548 Cty. Rd. 27, Woodslee Tuesday: 6p.m. 975-1082 · Sunday: 8:00 am & 11:00 am St. Clair Baptist Church Antioch Christian Essex Christian Reformed Church 276 Talbot St. S., Essex · 776-5071 Sunday: 10:00 am & 6:00 pm St. Clement Church 9567 County Road 11, McGregor 726-5127 · Sat.:5:00 pm & Sun.:10:00 am Woodslee United Church 2616 Belle River Rd., Woodslee 975-2252