Home Staging for a Fast Sale

Home Staging, is the art of decorating a home to sell quickly and for top dollar.

So, let’s transform your home in order to attract as many potential buyers as possible.

 Number One Rule: "De-Clutter"

• Collect all those items that are truly garbage and toss them. Call a junk removal company if necessary
• Donate to a local charity all those items that are clean and in good repair
• Garage sale - Clear out the garage too if you want people to think your home has enough space for all their stuff. Think about this as you go through your entire home. Maximize your space.
• Pare down cupboards, vanities, closets, storage areas to show maximum space.
• Pack items not currently being used and remove them from your home.
• Rent a storage unit or call a company that delivers portable storage units.

Repair everything. Patch holes, fix cracks in the ceilings and walls. Repair or replace light fixtures. Clean and caulk bath, showers, sinks. Fix eaves troughs, screens, etc. Don’t leave any little blemish that will allow potential buyers to look at the big stuff.

In 2008, we thought we found the home for us. It had everything on our wish list. And the pictures on the MLS appeared perfect. What a disappointment when we walked through the front door. The porcelain tiles being covered up with rugs, there were big dings in the hardwood floors and the list goes on. The home needed to be painted and cleaned. There were food splashes on the kitchen cupboards and the lack of spic and span showed throughout the entire home. Even the curb appeal was bad. This 4-year old home had damaged garage doors that could have been easily repaired. And of course, it made us think about all the big stuff, like how well had the home’s heating and air conditioning systems been maintained.

I received a call the following week from the listing agent asking both my personal and professional opinion. What I shared wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard from other potential buyers. The home owners wanted top dollar but were not willing to do the necessary work. The home came off the market -16 months ago. Perhaps it was not so important for them to sell.

If you are serious about selling your home, no matter the age,
prepare it with a pride of ownership,
let other’s fall in love with it
And,
get the money you want for your home. 

Clean your home top to bottom. 

Paint all the rooms where it is needed. Hire a professional if necessary. It’s well worth your investment.

• All the big paint companies now produce a range of Historic colours.
• Just 4 or 5 wall colors in a three-bedroom house.
• For ceilings, Decorators or Oxford White.
• Keep all the doors and trim the same colour for the interior. Use a subtle white.
• Paint all bathrooms the same colour.

Keep it Simple. 

From the curb, make your front door the focal point. 

Make sure that the grass is cut, trees are trimmed, garbage cleared. Treat the outside of your home with the same TLC used on the inside. 

I do not recommend showing the home empty but if necessary, be sure that your home’s floors, walls and ceilings are at their absolute best. Everything must be gleaming with nothing for the buyer’s eyes to focus on but the full potential of your home. … 

Do not give them the opportunity to see anything that will give them bargaining power over the price of your home.

Read what a client has say: 

Thank you for helping us come to grips with the reality of selling our house. With your advice it sold in a week. We painted and got rid of a lot of stuff that had accumulated over the years and made the house a lot more attractive to sell. What a difference it makes when all that stuff you think you need is no longer here. Fixing the little things also really helped too. My wife was so pleased with you and says, "Living Organized” is the best way to living happy.

Thanking you again, Ron & Amanda Gaston – Innisfil 

A few reminder benefits to staging your home to sell:

• Homes that are staged sell four times faster than homes that are not – and most often for more money.
• Today’s buyers will pay more for homes that are move in ready.
• Home Staging works in both a buyers and sellers market.
• The cost of staging your home is significantly less than having to drop the listing price of your home.