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.