How to stage to sell

Setting up a property for market success

Spring has sprung, and just as the temperatures have started to heat up, so has the real estate market.

This season is hot for the industry, as more and more homes come to the market and the competition is budding.

In my last Castanet column, I’d like to share with you how you can set your home apart from the rest with a simple re-staging.

Embrace the Project

Staging itself can be a hard pill to swallow for some homeowners, as the cost can be high in an often financially-trying time.

However, the rewards associated with a successful stage are great, and almost always worth all of the time, effort, and money that are put into it.

Whether you decide to go at it alone or hire a professional stager, the sooner and more earnestly you take on the process will benefit you in the long run

A Clean Slate

Before beginning the process of staging a home for the market, take the time to remove excess clutter. Buyers need to be able to imagine themselves in the home, and the easiest way to ensure that they will be able to do so is by removing both personal items and random knick-knacks.

An easy rule of thumb is, if you haven’t used it in a year then toss it out; your new home won’t need to either. This also applies to furniture, take this time to sell or re-home anything that you don’t imagine bringing with you.

The benefits of this part of the process are two-fold, as you’ll thank yourself greatly for this when the time comes to move!

What Matters Most

It can seem impossible to stage your entire property from top to bottom, and for good reason. Be reasonable in deciding which parts of your home to attend most fruitfully in the staging process.

First impressions are key. Put attention to the main living areas and entryway, as this is the first space your prospective buyers will notice. Next, the master bedroom and so on.

A bit more attention in specific spaces will go further than half-hearted attempts throughout.

Keep it Neutral

In the selling process, the aim is to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. While your home can’t be a chameleon, a light and bright scheme throughout will allow for prospective buyers to utilize their imagination and visualize themselves in your home.

If possible, give rooms with more creative colours a quick two coats of white paint, and keep furniture and décor as mainstream as possible.

Further, once you have decided which furniture to keep, consider some subtle rearranging to make each space feel more open and inviting.

The Curb Appeal

At the risk of repeating myself, first impressions truly are key in the selling process. The first thing your buyers will see is the exterior of your home, and a bit of landscaping work can go a long way. Thankfully, the spring and summer make this part of the process a literal breeze.

I hope these few pointers have helped you in the process of staging your home for sale. For a full analysis of the best items to focus on for resale for your home in the coming year to increase the value upon sale by up to five per cent, give your local real estate professional a call or give us a shout — Salt Fowler Team at
250-549-7258 or [email protected]

After five years, this will be my last article for Castanet. I hope you have enjoyed my articles and I wish everyone the very best of success in their real estate journeys! 

Cheers!

Lisa

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.