What is Home Staging? and some details regarding the Free Staging Service Provided by Randy Selzer, Mississauga Realtor
We are very pleased to offer a FREE Staging Consultation (a $200.00 value) to our real estate customers who list their homes with us*, and certainly, in recent years 'home staging' has become quite the buzzword in the industry. But what is home staging exactly, and how can it benefit you when you are selling your home?
Lots of television shows today focus on home staging. If you have not watched any, do yourself a favor and tune in. They all tend to say the same thing: don't even consider putting your house on the market until you have taken a close look at its condition. Experienced sales people know that you only have one shot at impressing potential buyers, so take some time to prepare your home for showings. You will be rewarded with a faster sale and a higher offer. We used to call this simply "preparing your house for sale", but home stagers today have taken this concept to a new level.
Professional home stagers typically will first have an initial consultation meeting with you the home owner, where they review the property and prepare a report, suggesting things that you can do to make it show at its best. What you do with their recommendations, is up to you - costs can range from buying a can of paint, to renting an entire house full of furniture. Here are some of the areas that a stager will typically discuss with you:
Home Staging Basics
Everything from floors to windows must be spotless. Remember to clean the oven and other major appliances. Skylights should be crystal-clear, too. Kill any offensive odors. They're the first thing buyers notice, and often a permanent turnoff. Eliminate clutter. Put away small kitchen appliances and other items that are sitting on countertops and tables. Remove photographs from table-tops. Organize the closets.
Outside the House
Clean the eavestroughs. Buyers almost always comment if gutters are full of leaves and it makes them question other maintenance issues. Store or organize items that make the yard look messy. Make your front entry inviting. Decorate it, paint the door or buy a new door. It's the first look at your house, so make it a good one.
Special Tips for Vacant Homes
Vacant homes are terrific candidates for professional home staging, as an empty home is often difficult for a buyer to connect with emotionally. Properly placed furniture - which can be rented from the staging company - conveys a lived-in, inviting atmosphere. Vacant houses, especially if they have been vacant for some time, sometimes smell stale and stuffy. Airing out the house before you put it on the market, and strategically before open houses and showings, can make it show better. Also, watch the temperature. Leaving the heat or air conditioning running while a home is on the market reduces odors and makes the house more inviting. Keep the lawn and landscaping tidy, even if you have to hire someone to do it.
De-Personalize
This is one of the more controversial concepts which home stagers bring to the table - that you must remove items which strongly identify the property with you, the current owner, and by doing so, you make the house attractively neutral. The idea is that there may be some items in the house which are unique to you and your life - but which may distract the potential buyer. So a professional stager may recommend that you remove, say, a doll collection, or a collection of family photographs. Your house is now a commodity on the market. Stagers look at the house from the perspective of the home buyer, their impressions when they first see the house. What changes would make immediate improvements? What are the home's best features and how can you show them off?
Create a Mood
Home stagers are experts at creating a mood - they know that when this mood is felt by the Buyer, they will be more likely to make an offer. There are different moods that you can create in summer, and in winter. I've seen a Stager place a shawl and an antique book near a rocking chair, right beside a crackling fireplace, and in front of a bay window that looked out over a gentle snowfall...very artistic, very skillful, and it worked, the house sold that same day!
De-Clutter
Stagers know that removing excess furniture makes rooms and hallways appear more spacious. They will often suggest that you clean and organize the closets for the very same reason. Store boxes in an out of the way location or rent a temporary storage unit so you can de-clutter every part of the house. De-cluttering is a fundamental principle of staging any house.
Highlight Desirable Features
Remove rugs if they’re covering up nice hardwood floors. Remove heavy drapes that keep out natural light, especially if there's a great view out the windows.
Add Some Life
Living (not artificial) plants go hand-in-hand with nearly any home staging theme. Staging companies will rent you furniture, and they will also rent you houseplants, till the house is sold.
Freshen Up
How about a coat of fresh paint? Are walls in the house dingy? Are the colours dated? Should you clean curtains or other window ornaments? Stagers will often make suggestions such as these.
Engage the Senses
Lots of old real estate tricks here - and the funny thing is, they work! Baking bread during showings or before an open house, or placing a fresh loaf in a basket on the counter to create a warm and homey atmosphere. Classical music playing softly in the background is nice, but choose something that enhances the mood you are trying to create. Smooth jazz, easy listening, and no hard rock, please.
Curb Appeal!
In addition to keeping the lawn nicely trimmed, there are other things you can add to grab a buyer's attention before they walk in the door: Use outdoor lighting. It does wonders in the evenings when many homebuyers do drive-bys of properties. Buy an attractive doorknob set. Sweep the driveway; pressure wash the house or sidewalks if necessary. Enhance landscaping. And maintain snow removal for both the driveway and the walkway during winter months.
Real estate professionals know that creating a great overall impression is often enough to make a buyer more lenient about minor repairs that may be required. You want them to fall in love with the house as soon as they see it from the street. Staging companies know this too, and they bring their valuable expertise to the real estate sale, helping to make this happen.
Hopefully the above short summary has helped to answer the question, 'what is home staging?'. If you are in the Greater Toronto Area, and think that having your home professionally staged will help it to sell, call 416-433-3556 today, or email me for details about our free service!
*some conditions apply
