Winning strategies for homestaging
Staging your home for sale is definitely an intensive process, and different tactics work at different times of the year. Your realtor may suggest undertaking staging to make your home more appealing to potential buyers.
While it’s natural to be reticent to change elements about your home because of emotional attachments, it’s essential to understand the benefits of staging as a strategy for sale.
Take heart: staging isn’t a personal attack on your personal taste or style, but an essential element of showcasing the home’s best features so that buyers can envision themselves taking residence. Here are some important tips to remember when staging.
Know your audience
Geography and price point play a role when home staging. Is this a condo in an urban area, or an expansive country home for an established buyer?
When examining elements in staging your home for sale, you want to offer finishes and a general feel that the buyers will both expect and be excited to see.
For some home sellers, using a home staging professional or furniture rental company might be the most effective use of funds and time.
It’s what’s outside that counts
Step outside of the home and walk up to it as if you’re approaching it for the very first time. What do you see? Buyers begin to form an impression of the property long before they walk in the front door. Curb appeal counts!
Remember that effective home staging begins the moment a buyer has the opportunity to view the property. Repair cracked walkways, pull up weeds and any dying foliage.
Personal items like toys, tools, or yard equipment should be stored and out of view. Having a cluttered exterior can be an immediate mental turnoff, repelling buyers before they even view the inside of the home.
Fix it
No buyer wants to purchase someone else’s problems.
Prospective buyers may not be able to afford a turn-key property at the price point they wish, but every buyer wants one. Show them what’s possible if they choose to buy your home.
Fixing small issues within your ability and finding local contractors to repair problem areas through services like HomeAdvisor can make your home stand out.
Update those house numbers if they require it, paint or replace the front door, and pay attention to general condition.
Allowing the buyer to see the property free from the “to-do” list may not be the most obvious part of staging a house, but it’s incredibly important. Walk through the property fixing things that may have been left undone, even checking the small details like light bulbs to be sure everything is replaced and in working order.
If you think you might have developed repair blindness to these areas, have a trusted friend or relative walk with you through the home looking for problems.
Get Organized
Congesting a space with personal items and large scale decor can detract from effective home staging. Homeowners can begin this process by simply boxing up what they’re moving before showing your house, leaving only essentials to demonstrate how a room can be utilized most efficiently
Organization extends to spaces we often forget or keep hidden behind doors, such as closets and linen cabinets. As potential buyers tour your home, they need to be able to see themselves, with their things, in the space your house provides.
Remove yourself from the picture
While home sellers treasure those proudly displayed photos of loved ones or other personal expressions, elements like this can make it difficult for potential buyers to see their own family living in the home.
Effective staging allows potential buyers to feel like your home is a blank slate they could customize to be their own.
Make the Most of the Outdoors
If the property has outdoor space, be sure to showcase its best use. Whether a small balcony, a patch of grass, or a large expansive yard with a pool, highlight the ways in which potential buyers can use the space.
Help buyers envision themselves enjoying the whole property. Staging your home creates an atmosphere of leisure or entertaining that draws buyers into the lifestyle of what the property can provide.
Important to remember
There are going to be homes that don’t fit into the standard notion of home staging — for example, vintage homes, fixer-uppers, and those clearly requiring some attention.
Show potential buyers possibilities that make them rethink undertaking a renovation. In high-end markets, architectural renderings or a walk-through with a designer or architect can interest potential buyers.
In mid-range to lower-end markets, buyers might appreciate the benefits of increased space at a better price or the ability to truly have the kitchen of their dreams with only a contractor and a bit of elbow grease.
Staging a home involves the honest examination and creative reimagination of a property so that it feels perfectly suited to your most likely potential buyer looking for their next residence.
From the exterior of the home to the small details inside, the tips listed above help you create an atmosphere that promotes a buyer envisioning themselves in the space and enjoying the full potential of what the property can offer.
Whether you’re a first-time seller new to staging, or a seasoned investment pro looking to increase the selling potential on an investment property, let the Merenda Real Estate team take you through the process and successfully address your real estate needs.
With our 20+ years of industry knowledge and a client-forward approach, we’ll get you the results you want and the experience you deserve. Contact us today, or or call 416-240-SOLD.