Pro Tip #5 for Selling your Home this Spring: Staging it to sell
by Dave Williams

Would you be surprised to know this is an empty room…all the furniture was added digitally. Virtual Staging is a brand new trend.

Have you every visited a new home builders sales center? They tend to look like this (photo to the right), crisp, clean, neutral and uncluttered.  Why is that?

They believe that people can better imagine, and connect with living in the home when it is staged with furniture.  Some stages even call it “the soul of the home”.

Does “Staging” really sell homes? (Another question with 1000 answers)

For Staging:

According to a study by StagedHomes.com, a website dedicated to all things staging, staged homes sold for 6.9 percent more then their un-staged counterparts. Staged homes stayed on the market for half the time (11 days) that un-staged houses did (22 days).  (Exert from USNews)

Against Staging:

There’s not always a need to call in a professional for this job. “Keep that money for yourself,” says Thomas Rouse, who was a lead design producer at “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and has worked on other home television programs. As long as you have a friend with a strong eye to give you a second opinion, staging a home for sale is often something owners can handle on their own, he says. (Exert from the Wall Street Journal)

Here at HomeTeamOttawa.com we believe in staging homes to sell for three simple reasons:

1. It helps you STAND OUT amongst the competition, which with over 5500 homes on the market at the beginning of march is extremely important it Ottawa’s Real Estate Market.
2. Staging helps make the rooms look larger and potential buyers CONNECT with the home and imagine themselves living in the space, as oppose to what they would have to do before they could live in the space.
3. In our experience well staged homes do sell fast and for closer to the asking price.  Enough so that we pay for the initial home staging consultation and recommendations when listing a home, knowing that everyone will benefit with a quick sale, netting our sellers more money and closing a smooth as possible.

A little “stage” magic shows you how much warmer and inviting a small space can be made.

Watch the magic (to the left) as a small cluttered apartment is turned into a warm inviting space.  I know I have mentioned it before, but it bears repeating buyers are looking for a home that means a better lifestyle, if the staging makes your house look like it’s easy to keep clean, it becomes more appealing to buyers.

11.5 Tips to Stage your home to sell.

1. Depersonalize: Once you make the decision to sell the house you need to make it as inviting as possible to potential buyers.  That means family photos, personal keepsakes,

2. Get everything in to prime condition: All those little repairs need to be finished before your home goes on the market, take it from experience buyers can be fickle.  If its torn, ripped, chipped, cracked, burnt out or worn it needs to be replaced or repaired. Make it look good.

3.  Scale the furniture down: You love that giant sofa, but it makes the living room look tiny. Set up small groups of furniture, preferably one large piece with two or three smaller ones around it and with plenty of space around them.

4.The Kitchen: a homes biggest selling feature needs to WOW.  The counters should be clear and clean with possibly one bowl or vase feature. Stash the small appliances and if your kitchen doesn’t have a back splash, invest in some gorgeous tiles (since you’re doing such a small area, it shouldn’t cost too much) or consider glass mosaics, mirror tile, or plain tile interspersed with a few fancy ones.  Replace worn cabinet handles with modern new ones. Consider brushed steel, they look great with stainless steel appliances, or decorative ceramic.

4.5. Spotless kitchen: Hire a professional cleaning company to get at all the little nooks and crannies, down to the last detail. This rule, incidentally, should apply to the whole house.

5. Fresh linens & towels: Make sure any visible tea towels, cushions, throw blankets, bedding, bath towels, etc. are brand new or at least look brand new.

6. Fix up the bathroom: An ugly mirror can be replaced with a pretty framed mirror for under $100 from winners. Consider changing out the light fixtures for a nice chandelier or some attractive new sconces.  Go hotel-chic, replace towel bars with designer bath styles (even consider matching toilet tissue holder, wastebasket, trays, etc.), crisp white towels neatly stacked in a towel holder, small trays on the vanity holding attractive toiletries or soaps (wrapped or unused) and scented candles and suddenly the bathroom look as if it’s been renovated.

8. Keep clutter to a minimum.

9. Fix up the master bedroom: (No one does) It’s usually the last place in any home that gets any attention, so if it looks like a swanky hotel room the buyers are sold.  New pillows & covers, crisp linens and a throw at the end of the bed. Keep end tables empty, with matching lamps.

10. The exterior of your home should look as polished as the interior.

11. Great smells makes a house memorable. Baking cookies has become a cliche, buy a room spray with a fragrance you love and spray the house sparingly before each showing.

Home staging can be easy and inexpensive, especially if you focus on the small details. Then, just stand back and let your house shine and it is sure to impress potential home buyers.
Tune in next week for The 3 Prices that sell a home, guaranteed.