Selling a house while achieving optimum results requires a thoughtful and nuanced approach. The planning begins well before your listing goes live on the MLS®.
Details like smart pricing and expert promotion are essential pieces of the puzzle. However, the process begins with your house itself.
What will it take to ensure it creates maximum appeal to the highest number of potential buyers? In this post, we’ll do a deep dive into effective home staging and how it enhances your sale in today’s market.
Do you want even more detailed tips that lead to an exceptional home selling experience in any market? Your first step is to download our Seller’s Guide!
Understanding the Big Picture
There is a reason that organizations like the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) report positive results all across North America. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) (the USA counterpart to CREA) has noted an increase of 1% to 5% in the final selling price over non-staged homes.
Done correctly, staging doesn’t just help a buyer see your house in terms of all the comforts and beauty it provides. It inspires them to imagine the potential of everything it could be. That vision is why some homes sell quickly, and often for more money than other similar properties that do not undergo this step.
The benefits of an efficient sale do not stop with a higher selling price. Having the transaction securely behind you paves the way for a seamless transition to whatever you are planning next.
Are you listing a home in Burlington, Oakville, Milton, or the surrounding areas? Learn more about how Team Logue helps homeowners sell, and even see some before-and-after staging photos!
Creating the Canvas
Beautiful, magazine-worthy presentation is the end goal of staging your home. The idea is that a buyer walks in and immediately envisions living there and creating years of memories with their own family.
Achieving that effect begins with extensive cleaning and decluttering so you and your real estate agent have a blank canvas build upon. The fewer reminders of your presence in the home, the easier it will be for the buyer to see themselves in that space.
Creating Potential Through Decluttering
For staging to work, your home must be clean and spotless. As soon as you can, go through each room, step by step, and eliminate everything that does not need to be in the home.
- Dispose of all unused or obsolete chargers and remotes, as well as any old, worn-out shoes and clothing, toys, and other knick-knacks.
- Donate any items that are still in good condition or give them away to any family members or friends.
- Pay particular attention to closets, cupboards, and any other spaces where you might store items and forget about them.
- Remove personal items like family photos, mementos, artwork, trophies, and souvenirs. Pack them away in a box out of sight or move them into storage.
- Repeat. Once you think you are finished with decluttering, go back and perform another thorough clean sweep. (It’s surprisingly easy to just move belongings from one room to the next and think you’ve disposed of them.)
A secondary decluttering can take the pressure off regarding any items you’re unsure whether to keep or discard. Remember that we do not want potential buyers to feel like guests in your home, so be very thorough and selective about anything you keep on display.
Ideally, the buyer will feel as though this is their home, that they already live here, and all that’s standing in their way is the paperwork. This is how you inspire the best offers!
Polishing for the Next Level
Once your house is free of all unnecessary clutter, it’s time for a top-to-bottom cleaning. This means dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and scrubbing along every crevice of the shower and tub and in the bathrooms. You might decide to hire a professional cleaner for this step to ensure no detail is missed.
If you prefer to handle the job yourself, be sure to attend to all of those areas you might otherwise miss, like the inside of closets, behind and under the furniture, and along the baseboards. Once everything seems empty, almost clinical, you’re ready for a professional stager to start creating the magic.
Looking for even more tips to impress a potential buyer? You’ll find plenty in the posts below:
Making Strategic, Cost-Effective Upgrades
Contrary to popular belief, successfully selling a house doesn’t always require extensive, disruptive, or expensive renovations. Minor touches like paint, new hardware, strategically chosen fixtures and a few repairs and updates can have a substantial impact on a potential buyer.
It’s about highlighting the possibilities rather than making all of the choices on your buyer’s behalf. The goal is to perform just as many updates as it takes to capture their imagination. Understanding this balance between showcasing the potential versus over-preparing will help you sell for the most money and the least amount of stress.
Our signature staging is complimentary to all Team Logue clients. Whether you’re selling a $500,000 condo or a $4 million waterfront property, you can count on the highest level of service and professionalism. You can also get front-of-the-line service and preferred rates from our reputable renovation partners.
These are just a few benefits of working with Team Logue to sell your home.
The Result: An Aesthetic Designed to Sell Homes
Many of the improvements and upgrades in preparing your home for sale are logical and tangible. Cleaning and decluttering are obvious steps, and painting just makes sense, especially if you’ve lived in the house for a long time.
Staging, however, can be more abstract. You’re not designing for your own happiness or satisfaction. You are also not just going along with the most recent trends.
An interior designer with real estate expertise will focus on what is most likely to appeal to a buyer. By carefully maximizing natural light and the aesthetic flow of your layout, we create maximum appeal to a wider audience. At this point, your home stands out above all others in your neighbourhood, and fantastic offers are soon on their way.
Do you want personalized guidance throughout every step of your selling journey, from preparing your home to negotiating the best price and terms? Get in touch with our Burlington real estate agents today by filling out the form on this page, calling us at 905.331.6790, or emailing us at sarah@sarahlogue.ca.
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