Selling or buying a home is about more than finding a place to rest your head. It is a business decision as much as a personal one, involving many calculations to determine if a deal is viable. As a seller, understanding your buyer’s motivation is essential to everything you will do throughout the transaction. From deciding what home upgrades make the most financial sense to comparing the value of other homes in the neighbourhood, your research will help you enjoy the best outcome. However, you never want to lose sight of the fact that purchasing a home is also one of the most emotional moments of your buyer’s life. And that brings us to why staging is so important. 

Creating an Impactful First Impression

Prospective buyers often decide if they love your home before even getting out of the car. With effective staging, you can wow them the moment your house comes into view. By the time they reach the front door, they should already be imagining living in your home. Succeed in making that instant first impression, and you’ve accomplished the most challenging aspects of the sale. Everything from now on is about maintaining the momentum you have gained from that first moment.

Staging is more about design and flow than renovating or upgrading your home. If you want even more ideas to maximize the value of your sale, check out the posts below:

• Minor Upgrades, Maximum Results
• What’s Your House Really Worth?
• Upgrades You Should Make to Your Home Before Selling

Inspiring the Imagination

A good real estate agent knows how to talk and present the best highlights of any listing. But words pale in comparison to what potential buyers can see, feel, touch and sense for themselves. Hence the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” 

However, nothing is more valuable than the picture someone creates in their own imagination. As a seller, staging allows you to use this principle to increase the perceived value of your home. How you decorate and the fixtures you place in each room will have a dramatic effect on a buyer’s subconscious. 

When decorating to your own tastes, you’ll fill your home with your favourite personal belongings. Pictures of loved ones may smile at you from every wall. But staging to sell is different.

For example, you may have read about the importance of “depersonalizing” your home. That means removing all those personal touches that remind potential buyers that they are in your home. Instead, it should be beautiful but impersonal. That’s what allows them to fill in the details with their own imagination.

Staging is About the Whole Effect

Strategic renovations can help increase the value of your home, but staging takes it even further. Every decor item has a purpose, and everything is designed to flow seamlessly from one room to the next. Countless tiny details all come together for one stunning effect. For example, even something as simple as moving a tall cabinet to the furthest wall away from the window can help by increasing the natural light in the room. 

The before and after photos below show how transformational proper staging can be:

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Effective staging relies on an impeccable eye for design, which is why many sellers are willing to invest thousands of dollars in hiring a professional staging company. Each dollar spent comes back multiplied when the transaction closes. The effectiveness of staging is well documented. One study by the Real Estate Staging Association suggests that 85% of staged homes sold for 5% to 23% over their list price. The jury is out, and there is very little debate that staging works to help sell a house faster and for more money.

Understanding the market is another key factor in your selling success. The articles below will help fill you in:

• Should You Wait Until the Timing is Better to Sell Your Home?
• How To Negotiate A Real Estate Contract
• Fact Vs Fiction About Working With A Real Estate Agent

Your Staging Options

Should you stage your home yourself or hire in-house professionals to do it for you? The answer depends on your resources and whether or not you have the time and ability to do it well. Proper staging requires an eye for detail, design, and colour coordination. And remember, it’s not just about making your house look beautiful. Professional stagers know what buyers want to see and create your design for maximum impact. For the most part, allowing trained experts to handle the process for you will result in a more successful sale. On the other hand, it can also get expensive, especially when hiring a designer with a stellar reputation. If you have a flair for design and decide to do it for yourself, here are some tips to help:

• Try to imagine who your prospective buyer might be and plan your design in a way that appeals to them. For example, someone looking to downsize may prefer an old-fashioned look. In contrast, a first-time buyer might want something more modern and trendy.
• Clean and declutter your home, especially in the areas that get the most attention. Many buyers focus heavily on the living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. A sparkling clean house is the first step to wowing buyers and will help you achieve results–even if you do nothing else.
• Remember that less is more. Too much furniture or furniture that is too big for the room can make your house seem cramped. 
• Focus on maximizing the natural light in your home. Replace dark curtains with sheers that allow the sun to shine through. Place lamps strategically to light up naturally dark corners.

Don’t Forget the Outside

When dressing up your home for sale, don’t forget about the outside. The first impression begins at the end of the driveway. A clean front porch, well-kept lawn, and well-placed seasonal decor will go a long way to making your home seem welcoming and desirable!

At Woolcott Real Estate, we believe so strongly in these results that we offer free staging services to every listing we represent. Helping you achieve a stress-free sale at the highest amount possible is our top priority. Reach out to us right here or call 905-332-9223 for more information or to get started today.