The Meadows — Design, Renovation, and Staging

The Meadows is a gem of a townhouse development in the Surrey Central neighbourhood. Built in 1969, each suite is bright and spacious, and the complex offers ample amenities for families, including a pool, playground, and several wide-open grass fields.

We took on the project of renovating a Meadows townhouse after an estate sale. Despite the solid mid-century construction, the condition of the unit was poor, with hardly any upgrades made in over four decades. The older kitchen layout was cramped and badly in need of redesign. But the biggest challenge was our timeline — we had just one month to make the unit move-in ready.

Before (Estate Sale Walk-Through)

During (Design & Renovation)

Meeting this timeline required careful juggling of contractor booking and scheduling. We had to persuade some trades to work simultaneously when they would otherwise prefer exclusive access to the unit. The project was nearly a “full gut”, with new electrical, plumbing, and gas needed, not to mention significant demolition. We also had to navigate strata plan and city permitting requirements.

One original element that we loved, and had to keep, was the solid wood support beaming across the main floor ceiling. We sanded the beams to remove the unnecessary paint job and expose the natural grain, then added some stain and mouldings as garnishment. We think the result was spectacular.

After (Staging)

When the unit was later listed for sale, we went all-out on the staging, emphasizing the bright, natural light afforded by the open concept main floor we had redesigned. We carefully curated additional touches throughout the home. The resulting sale price — over $75,000 above asking — dramatically illustrates the tangible impact that staging can have on a seller’s bottom line.