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First
Impressions Count
Home
Staging for Resale
Just as with people you meet--a good first impression leaves a
lasting memory. You want a potential buyer to remember your home
over and above all the others they have seen. You are selling a
lifestyle which will secure a quick and profitable sale. There is
nothing more inviting than a clean, fresh, light and bright home.
*In Staging a home for resale, the recommended guideline for a home
staging budget is 1% of the asking price. For example, if you are
listing your home for $250,000.00 expect to spend up to $2,500.00 on
improvements to your house.
Home staging is a fairly new concept in the Canadian Real Estate
market. Staging a home involves strategically arranging and editing
furnishings and accessories to show your home at its best. Home
Stagers envision the possibilities of a space. As a home owner, it
is often difficult to be objective about what is pleasing to a
potential buyer. Often the task is daunting and the home owner has
neither the time nor the energy to devote to freshening up their
home when their focus is on moving to a new place.
The goal to staging a home is to appeal to as many potential buyers
as possible. Engaging the buyer begins with curb appeal. If the
outside of the property is not welcoming, the potential buyer
already has a preconceived vision of its interior. The tone of the
home must be set before the front door opens. The impact should be
immediate and definitive. The potential buyer should feel welcomed
and engaged and filled with anticipation about viewing the other
spaces in the home. It is important to create a seemingly effortless
flow and balance throughout the home. This is achieved primarily
through colour and furniture placement.
Neutralizing wall colours allows the potential buyer to focus on the
architectural features of each room.
Defining each space takes the guess work out of its function.
Editing a room allows the eye to focus on essential pieces.
De-cluttering and Organizing possessions using creative storage
solutions gives the illusion of available space.
Depersonalizing a home of family photos and treasures, allows the
viewer to picture themselves in your home.
Stylizing and Accessorizing is as simple as presenting artwork
correctly and introducing new textiles and creative accents
strategically in a space.
The Home Staging process usually begins with a 1-2 hour
consultation. Some Stagers leave a detailed list while others
generate lengthy reports. The Home Stagers walk through the home
with the agent and/or homeowner to discuss the updates needed to
achieve the optimum results within the given budget. The home owner
and/or agent are then encouraged to make the recommended updates.
Home Stagers offer a hands on service where they physically carry
out the recommended improvements. Stagers will work with the home
owner to address some or all of the problem areas. Depending on the
level of difficulty, the Stager will recommend trades people as
needed.
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