Click here to learn about:
Secrets of Professional Home Stagers
Staging a home is an investment. If you are trying to sell your home, staging it can increase what you net at the end of the transaction. Most likely it will sell for a higher amount in a smaller amount of time.
Why Stage a house?
- 95% of Buyers are visual. They want to be able to see themselves living there. Move in condition sells homes!
- Most buyers see what is, not what could be. For example, small things like an ugly carpet, non-appealing wall paper, or weeds in the garden could make their decision about your home.
Curb Appeal:
The first thing to look at when staging your home is it's curb appeal. This is super important because it is a buyer's first impression of your home. Although landscaping may seem like work, it can get up to a 30% return on investment. When lawns are manicured and gardens are flourishing, the property screams HOME. Other things that help your house's curb appeal is making sure the front door is freshly painted, that there are no weeds, and that there are no bikes and toys in sight.
Freshen the Foyer:
The number one trick to staging your home is simply de-cluttering it. Make sure to have all the shoes and coats put away. Also, try to make it bright and inviting - perhaps have a table with a fresh bouquet of flowers and a nice mirror or painting.
One Quarter to One Half Rule:
I love this concept! Truth is that too many people have too much stuff. Most of this isn't stuff we need but rather it is stuff we never use. Clutter does not sell homes. Get rid of almost everything...including all of the extra knick knacks like your coin collections or the 100 candles you keep on your dresser. Contemporary sells, clean sells.
Clean till you drop:
Not everyone has a knack for cleaning, some people just simply don't know how to properly clean and others don't have the time for it. If this is the case, hire somebody. The house should have a deep cleaning prior to going on the market and then a light cleaning every week just to keep everything fresh and in place.
Rearrange Furniture and Use Rooms for their Intended Purposes:
A perfect example of why this is important. Yesterday, I was showing semi detached homes in Brampton. We went to several places. One of them we went to was the newest, the most up to date, and the best priced for value yet it was not set up to sell. The thing stopping my client was that she couldn't see where and how to put her sectional. I tried to explain that the seller had their sectional in what was suppose to be the dining area and had a play area in what was suppose to be the living room. However, my client couldn't visualize what I was saying and therefore decided not to purchase the home. Simple things like putting the couch where it needs to be could have sold the home. Use rooms for their functions! When selling your home, the purpose isn't to live in the home you are selling but to create a selling environment so that you can get into your next house and create your own space there.
Fix What is Broken:
When there are small things that are broken such as the light switch not working, it makes people question what else could be wrong and wonder about the maintenance of the house. So fix these things first! It costs only a little bit of money, but makes a huge difference!
Erase your Personality:
Get rid of family pictures, keep sakes, and everything else that makes your home "your home." Check out model homes. They are very impersonalized and are staged to sell. They sell hundreds of the same homes because when people go look at them, they can see themselves living there, not other people.
Last but not least, get opinions. Call your friends, family, and ask your realtor. They might be able to point out things that you missed. Also, take before and after pictures so that you can see the difference you made and be proud of your work!
