What is it about builders and their electricians that they cannot get light fixtures in the middle of the ceiling or over where a table is definately supposed to be set.
Everytime I do a vacant property, I seem to have this to deal with. Anyone else having this same issue? Very frustrating.
I am asked to set this space up as a living/dining room but the light fixture is placed in an awkward place. If there is a chain, you can swag it if the builders will allow you to put a hole in the ceiling but this is not always possible. Especially in new condos. The new owners can apply for permission, but as a stager you can't do this unless you have 3 weeks to wait for the permission.
This is just another good reason to have a stager work with builders to avoid awkward installations. Stagers have the forsight to see any problems which will have an affect on selling the property. Door placement, lighting placement, etc. which will affect where furniture can be placed when the property is selling. Staging the property after the build, shows potential buyers where they can place furniture easily. Takes out any guess work for the buyer.
One vacant condo I staged was quite small but the main space had to be set up as living/dining. The furniture rental company had little left for me to choose from at such short notice so I had to make do with what they had. All the furniture was large. I was able to place all of the furniture but the light fixture was a problem. It always amazes me how small a space looks and then you put furniture in that you think will not fit and it does. This is one reason it is more difficult to sell vacant properties. The spaces always appear smaller, contrary to what most people think.
I came up with an idea and it was a little awkward but it got the light over the table without putting a hole in the celing since we weren't allowed to do it. In retrospect, I don't think I would do this again since it was unconventional but I really wanted the light over the table. The agent explained to potential buyers about the condo building rules and that when they purchased the condo they would be allowed to put the hole in the ceiling wherever they wished.
We put a hook in the crown moulding which was filled easily after destaging so nothing was damaged.
Here is a picture of the unconventional method of getting a light fixture over the table. I would not recommend this to any stager out there.
After staging this property, I even filled in the cracks in the crown moulding where two pieces were joined since it looked awful. i also had to try to get big glops of mortar off the main window with the best view of the valley. This was tricky since it was on the outside and on the 7th floor. With the help of my handy man husband we got it off. All in all we got the job done. This was not my favourite.
Karen Hubert
Center Stage Design.ca
