Many realtors today emphasize on staging a home to sell a house. This has been a proven and successful marketing strategy that sells homes quicker and for higher prices. Did you know the most homes in Canada, especially in the Greater Toronto Area sell quicker and for a higher price during the month of May? This is due to the fact that sellers can prepare their homes both inside and outdoors so they show beautifully, children are close to finishing their school year, and people may have received a hefty income tax return.

What Does Staging Involve?

Staging involves many things from renovations to decluttering, to reorganizing, storing the bulk of your furniture, including home decor nick nacks, personal items and photos, and items that may be unattractive to potential buyers. It also involves a lot of cleaning, as the home should be sparkling at all times while on the market.

Why Stage A Home?

Prior to listing a home on the market, staging will allow potential buyers to view details, features, and the optimized space in the home. A home that is tastefully staged will highlight each room’s best features and also present furniture placement ideas for potential buyers. When a home is depersonalized, potential buyers can imagine living in the home, rather than living in some else’s home. Staging a home will showcase the home as if it were in a magazine when done right. Also staging a home makes for great listing photos which may appeal to many potential buyers. A good realtor will stage a home to capture a potential buyer’s positive emotions. To give them a feeling of “I want to live in this home”.

Staging A Home Provides Powerful Photos

When a realtor stages a home, it presents a great opportunity to capitalize on the best possible photos of every room in the home. This leads to another issue regarding professional photographers. When clients are placing their largest investment in the realtor’s hands, the realtor should always hire a professional photographer so the photos are taken at the right angles with the appropriate lighting.

Steps To Stage A Home

• The first step in staging a home is decluttering and removing personal and off-season items throughout the home. This includes organizing cupboards, closets, and drawers as potential buyers look in kitchen cupboards and closets throughout the home.  It is a good idea to store these items off-site.
• The second step is extensive cleaning, including appliances, windows, and light fixtures.
• The third step is neutralizing the decor and ensuring every room has appropriate lighting and updating hardware where necessary.
• The fourth step is ensuring furniture and accessories in every room are appropriate in scale and reflect the home’s character.
• The fifth step is adding the finishing touches like throw pillows, plants, and perhaps fresh flowers.

Note: Never use air fresheners as many guests viewing the home are sensitive to these smells.

Curb Appeal

Staging a home is not exclusive to just the interior of the home. Staging the front porch, exterior decks, and the property is very important as it creates a first impression and tells potential buyers the home is well cared for.

Place More Emphasis on Rooms That Have More Influence On Buyers

Typically, the most important rooms potential buyers are interested in are the kitchen, the bathrooms and the master bedroom. This is why it is important for stagers to spend more time on these rooms and less time on rooms that are not as influential to potential buyers.

How To Reduce Staging Costs

Some realtors offer full service which includes home staging, however not all realtors do. The cost associated with staging will vary depending on how much work is required to get the job done. Hiring a professional home stager can be expensive, however, there are many ways the cost can be reduced. The homeowner can reduce staging costs by managing some of the tasks on their own with the help of consultation and a checklist from the professional home stager. Depending on the homeowner’s furnishings, a furnished home will be less expensive to stage than a vacant home. A good staging company will have an inventory of furniture and accessories available to rent to the homeowner. Typically a professional stager will provide an estimated cost per room.

The Benefits of Home Staging

Staging a home comes with many benefits. The reason it is important to stage a home is the fact that home staging will bring out the best features in a home by reducing clutter, removing personal items, conducting an extensive cleaning, making some small home improvements and outfitting every room with furnishings and accessories that are to scale for that particular room. Yes, it can be a lot of work, but it will definitely pay off in the end by reducing the time the home is on the market and getting the best possible price for your home.

It only goes without saying a home that shows well, sells well. Staging a home creates the best possible first impression for potential buyers. A staged home can increase the sale price by up to 20%. A well-staged home will present the “wow” factor and appeal to the emotions of potential buyers. You want potential buyers to imagine themselves living comfortably in the home, rather than living in someone else’s home, that is why it is so important to depersonalize and stage the home. Staging a home is like creating a work of art for others to visualize and enjoy viewing to the point of wanting to buy the home.

Researching Professional Home Stagers

For both realtors and homeowners, it is wise to research professional home stagers to make sure you get the best services possible at a reasonable price. When hiring a professional home stager you need to know what their credentials are, how much experience they have, and what their customer feedback is like. Many staging companies have websites where realtors and homeowners can read customer ratings and reviews.