Recently I have been using a staging company to prepare my homes before the house hits the real estate market. I have been getting great results. The company I use is “Staging Spaces” here in the Niagara Region and the owner has agreed to write articles on a regular basis for my blog. Here is the first one.
Timothy
Home Staging Will Get You Top Dollar
So, you’re thinking of selling your home, putting it on the market in hopes of getting top dollar? But have you taken a long sober look at your home lately? Just because you’re ready to sell, doesn’t mean your home is.
Ever wondered why the homes in decorating magazines always look, well, just a little more appealing than yours? That’s easy; they’re staged.
Home staging is a long time tradition in magazines, they send out a crew to clean, spruce and organize the place and as if like magic they create a warm and eye-catching room, which appeals to a wide reaching audience. Something that can easily be done in your home.
Know your audience
Remember, you’re home is your product, one that must appeal to a wide group of potential buyers. Think about when you bought the house, what attracted you to the area, was it the close proximity to services, the area’s charm or the fact that it was off the beaten track? Is your home most suitable for a family, adults only, or would it be great for the first-time buyers?
Remember your target audience are the people who will be walking through your home; they are your potential buyers and you need to catch their eye immediately and make them feel as if they could happily live here.
Staged houses sell!
Now it’s no surprise that clean homes sell; organized homes sell; updated homes sell. People might not remember the color of the master bathroom floor, but they’ll remember the feel of your house and will hopefully be able to imagine themselves living there; raising their family, entertaining guests and serving Thanksgiving dinner, to the whole clan, in your dining room.
So ask yourself:
· Is the exterior of my house clean and tidy? Does it look well maintained?
· Is the entrance clean and inviting? People often make snap decisions, so make sure that when they open the door, they like what they see.
· Are rooms and closets clean and organised, to maximize space and minimize clutter?
· Can you update your home with some inexpensive touches, like a fresh coat of neutral coloured paint, new doorknobs or a few well placed accessories?
· Are their any minor repairs, like leaks, squeaks or loose trim you’ve been meaning to fix?
Unlike traditional decorating, home staging doesn’t require you to pick out fabric, choosing new curtains or even add a bold new paint color. What it does is pull your rooms together so your home feels spacious, an obvious selling feature for any home.
But can I still live there?
Of course. Staging isn’t about altering the way you live; it’s about living with a little less while you sell. Lets be realistic, most of us have to sell our existing home before we can move into a new home, in short you still need to live there. So you may have to, for a short while, live without some of your personal belongings, your family photos, figurine collections, or other personal objects, which could overwhelm or turn buyers off. You don’t want to discourage a potential buyer from making that emotional connection with your home. (And also you’re getting a head start on your packing!)
Buying a home is a very personal thing and people need to be able to see themselves living in your home. They need to feel comfortable and get excited about the prospect of buying your home. If the price and the presentation, or staging, is right, you’ll have yourself a sale!
Stacey Haluka
Staging Spaces
The first stage to selling your house