What to pack away, scrub and paint before you put up the ‘For Sale’ sign!
If you’re serious about showing your home in the best light in order to attract more offers at a price you’re happy with, these interior preparation “staging” tips are a must!
Studies show that the months of May-June historically presents the highest number of sales for most areas in Canada, homes sold in Spring-Early Summer, often go for highest price. Staging your home can help you sell your home faster and often for more money.
This may involve doing renos and landscaping, purging, organizing, rearranging furniture and definitely involves a lot of cleaning. If staging seems daunting, and if you can afford it, hiring a professional home stager can decrease the amount of time your home sits on the market and increase its value. Stagers have an inventory of furniture, artwork, lighting and home décor to showcase your home in it’s very best light. For do it yourselfers, some of these tips might help you determine where to invest your energy.
Why do I need to 'stage' my home?
Staging removes distractions so buyers can see the potential of a space — the windows, fireplace etc. Staging also shows off the scale of a room by demonstrating functional furniture layouts. When a space is depersonalized, potential buyers can imagine themselves living in the space instead of feeling like a guest in someone else's home. The main goal when staging is first to take listing photos that grab the attention of the potential buyer.
When the photos successfully present your home to a buyer, and they ask to take a tour, you want a clean space that depicts what's in the photos and captures positive "lets live here" emotions. It's that four second opportunity when a potential buyer walks through the front door. The goal in every property styling is to create a space that tells a story of the person who lives there.
Some good investments for preparing your property to sell include; repainting the interior walls and ceilings (sometimes exterior details such as the front door as well), updating lighting fixtures and switching halogen bulbs to LED, and storing unnecessary furniture off-site in temporary storage. The results are shorter listing periods, healthier offers and often more offers as well.
What are some areas of a home that sellers should focus on?
Pack up and move personal and off-season items from around the home. Buyers have freedom of the home when they come for a walk-through. This means they will want to see the cupboard and closet spaces, so hiding things. Thoroughly clean and organize inside and out — the refrigerator, light fixtures, windows, inside kitchen cabinets etc.
In a competitive market, if the furniture is too large or too small for the space, replace it with furniture and accessories that are more appropriate in scale and complement the home's character.
How important is smell?
This may surprise some people but smell can make or break a buyer's decision. Smoke, pet odor, cooking smells, body odor and overpowering scented products can all trigger a negative reaction. A great smelling home improves the overall feeling a potential buyer gets as they tour the property.
An experienced REALTOR® will provide you with constructive criticism to help you sell your home as quickly as possible! Call a Royal LePage Binder REALTOR® to get started.
Looking to hire a Professional Home Stager? Check out the pros on the Preferred Suppliers section on the RLB website.
Looking for an experienced REALTOR ® that specializes in real estate across Windsor and Essex County? At Royal LePage Binder Real Estate, we are focused on helping you unlock your future.
