Reluctant to stage your home ? I get it.

You are reluctant to stage your home, I get it. You love it as it is, so why shouldn’t someone else. You took time to pick out that purple/orange/lime green paint for the bathroom. You love the layout in your family room with those 2 comfy sofas you have had forever, where the dog loves to curl up. Your wall of family photos makes you happy and no, you don’t have a bed skirt, they are too much trouble. I get it.

So here lies the problem and might be the reason your home isn’t selling as quickly as you had hoped. How does that purple paint in your bathroom look in your online images. Does it make a small room look even smaller and darker. Does the floral shower curtain look too busy. Does it really show off the good points you are trying to emphasize in that room.  Does the lack of a bed skirt, lumpy, flat pillows and mismatched bedding say “Serene Master Bedroom”

You may think that your home looks perfect and is ready to sell, but remember: not everyone likes green paint in their living room or a floral bedspread in the master bedroom. Both men and woman want to envision themselves in your master bedroom. Show the buyer there’s enough space for both. You’re going to need to stage your home.

When listing a home, especially if you haven’t been involved in the world of real estate for a few years, you make the mistake of assuming that everyone walking in for a showing has the same taste as your family, and it would sell in no time. After two or three months on the market and zero interest, it may be time to switch things up a bit. Despite your reluctance to change the place you called home for 20 years, calling in an expert who does this for a living could be a game changer.

I sometimes have clients who are resistant to staging a home (a realtor may have called me in to be the bearer of bad news) but by the time I have done a staging consult they are starting to “get it”. Even newer homes need staging. One particular client was dead set against staging, but the area and price bracket their home was in, dictated the presentation required to sell. After a few days and a lot of persuading on the part of the realtor and input from my report they finally decided to go ahead.

Result, the home sold in 3 days after I staged.  A similar home, 3 doors down had been on the market for 6 months and had had a price reduction, which was far more than the cost to stage.

Change is hard but sometimes necessary and getting the right advice can make the process so much easier.

 

 

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Using moveable colour in home staging

You hear the word “neutral” all the time when talking about home staging but neutral has many different meanings. Using neutrals on large elements in a home makes sense. Flooring, surfaces, wall treatments etc. are large investments and a homebuyer wants to know these will be elements they can live with for many years. Having said that, if your home has features that date it, there are techniques home stagers can use to enhance the positive features and using “moveable colour” is one way to do that effectively.

 

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Colour moves us. It attracts us and stirs our emotions. I have seen many homes where the homeowners have put some staging techniques in to play by decluttering, depersonalizing and removing every last accessory etc. until they are left with a bland, beige box. Yes, you can go too far when preparing a home for sale, removing focal points, colour and anything that will attract a buyer to those online images.

Movable color in items a seller can take with them can update a home for very little cost. Moveable colors are bedding, towels, area rugs, artwork and accessories. By adding pops of colour to every room you instantly freshen and add interest but they have to be the right colours in the right amounts.

Stagers know how to get this right. We stage to highlight positives, create focal points and showcase a home that will attract your target buyer. If your home is occupied, very often we can use what you have, in a way you may not have thought about. If moveable colour is needed to add the finishing touches, we can make you a list of items needed and recommend where to find the best prices or we can shop for you or rent items from our staging inventory.

 

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With a vacant home a stager will choose the furniture, accessories and moveable items that will best highlight your property and appeal to your buyer.

You only get one chance to impress and cutting corners will only hurt your home sale. A small investment ensures you have your best foot forward from day 1 and saves you time and $$$$ by doing it the right way.

 

A little Prep

Prepping your home for Winter sale

It’s been a brutal winter so far in my part of the world. Snowbanks are growing higher by the day and it’s hard just to get in and out of the house, let alone starting to think about preparing for selling. But the truth is, now is an ideal time to get a jump start on the competition. While many sellers are waiting for the first well awaited days of spring to list their home, you could be well on your way to sold.

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By using the winter as a time to improve your home’s interior appeal, it’s possible to command a higher price when serious buyers are out and about (and lets face it, you have to be serious about buying a home to slop around in this weather ) Put your snow days to good use and start the dreaded chore of de cluttering. I know, you’re cringing at the thought of mountains of books, movies, unworn clothing and the 27 travel mugs in the kitchen cupboards. We’ve all been there, (myself included having moved recently) You need a plan of action, someone to cheer you on when what you really want to do is to be curled up with the remote and Netflix. A staging consult can be a great motivator to get you started.

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When I first visit for a home consult one of the things I always hear is “I know we have to de clutter” but many times sellers underestimate how much time this really takes. You can’t just sort through 10, 20 or in some cases 50 years or more of belongings in a couple of weeks. Not if you want to minimize stress and wine consumption 🙂 Plus you may be removing some things that could be used as props for staging the home, while other things you think can stay, will not help your sale. Start by doing one closet, one drawer, put everything into a laundry basket and sort while watching t.v. if that helps get you get started. Starting is the hardest part so the sooner the better.

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Winter is also an excellent time to get a hold of trades, to do any repairs or renovations that will maximize selling appeal. During a consult a stager can recommend where to spend $$$ for best bang for your buck and where to save, by not doing renovations that will not bring a solid ROI. I read a report today that indicated both male and female buyers rate master baths and walk in closets as top of their wish list when purchasing a home, so upgrades in these areas are sure to be a worthwhile investment. Come Springtime when all the other sellers are scrambling to find a painter, plumber etc. you are already ahead of the pack.

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Selling a house requires you to make a potential buyer think that the home is already their own. Nothing gets in the way of this feeling more than another person’s clutter. Often, the things that buyers interpret as clutter are a homeowner’s prized heirlooms. Rather than purging your house of personal photos and accessories all at once, it can be less jarring to pack up your personal items slowly and move them into storage. These few weeks left of winter represent a perfect opportunity to start this process.

A little Prep

Staging : It’s so much more than cleaning & de cluttering

When I visit a client for a staging consult one of the first things they say to me is “I know I have to de clutter and clean”, but that is only the start in the staging process. Staging is the last step in property prep, after rooms are de cluttered, furniture rearranged or rented, all repairs and upgrades are completed and the house has been deep cleaned, then a stager can begin. It’s the icing on the cake that will entice a buyer when surfing though thousands of online images. You only have a few seconds for your home to wow, so you have to make the most of it and use all resources available.

 

Home Staging
Purchasing or renting furnishings to appeal to your demographic is a worthwhile investment

 

Staging for your buyer demographic is crucial. The average seller has lived in their home for quite a few years and if the property hasn’t been upgraded or décor is stuck in the last decade or three it raises a red flag to a younger buyer. One thing most buyers object to is wallpaper. It’s one of those décor choices that is very personal. Yes, you may love the bold floral pattern, that’s why you choose it, but that’s the problem, you choose it. The time and money a buyer will have to invest in removing it is often enough to put them off buying a home, so remove their objections, do it before selling. Trust me on this I’ve seen it time after time.

 

Most buyers object to the work of removing wallpaper when buying a home
Most buyers object to the work of removing wallpaper when buying a home

 

Fresh paint is money in a can. Certain colours photograph better than others, I always advise to change bold colour choices. Deep colours in certain rooms don’t show off their true potential. I recently consulted with a Realtor on a home that has been lingering on the market for almost a year. The main areas of the home were clean, bright and well presented but the basement was dark with dreary wood paneling and buyers were not impressed. It was letting the rest of the home down. I advised the Realtor i consulted with to repaint the whole basement in a creamy white and it looked fabulous once it was complete. Bright, clean and much more inviting, the difference was amazing. All for a few cans of paint. The listing has since sold. 

 

Colours that dominate a room are bad choices for staging
Colours that dominate a room are bad choices for staging

 

With window treatments, less is more. If in doubt remove it, especially in the Summer months. Bright rooms entice buyers so ban the nets, heavy drapes and valances. Show off those moldings, that view, a beautiful garden, those are your selling features, not the drapes from 1985. Again stage for your buyer demographic, not your tastes. Simple, plain fabrics work best on an updated rod. When I say simple, not a sheet, flag or my personal pet peeve, knotted in the middle (excuse me while I rock in a corner) Show buyers you take pride in your home and don’t distract them with bad decor choices.

 

Where do I start !!!
Where do I start !!!

 

The same principal applies to furniture. Less is more. Often staging requires removing items rather than adding, so if you have an abundance of seating or too many dressers in the bedroom, some has to go. You are selling square footage and buyers want to see it. Furniture layout can be tricky in some homes and this is where your stager can advise the best layout for traffic flow, picture taking and to show buyers the potential use of a room. Often a few simple adjustments to layout will make a world of difference. I’ve seen sofas blocking fireplaces, doorways and windows that have fabulous views, all selling features you want to highlight not hide. The eye needs somewhere to rest. There is no eye resting in the room below, every wall plastered with something and a strange furniture layout makes the room look strange Did you even notice the fireplace in the room ? See what I mean about furniture layout hiding the best features. 

 

Remove some furniture pieces so a layout isn't confusing to buyers
Remove some furniture pieces so a layout isn’t confusing to buyers

 

So, after many other issues are addressed a stager can work their magic. It’s a multi step process and giving yourself lots of time to prepare is key. Investing in at least a Staging Consult can save you time, money and frustration. We deal with all these issues and more every day so we can help make your property stand out and attract a buyer, when the competition is turning them away with lackluster presentation.

Staging just makes sense in this economy.

 

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