Moneysense.ca April/May 2005 issue
Winning the Real Estate War: 10 tips from Home Stagers:

Want to get top value for your home? Home staging professionals specialize in knowing what motivates potential buyers. “Getting a house ready to live in and getting a house ready to sell are two totally different things.” “Decorating is about making a home comfortable for you and your family; staging a home is about merchandising properties. It involves making a house clean and clutter-free so people can connect with the home. Done right, it helps your place sell faster and for more money.”

How much more? Coldwell Banker Realty tracked 2,772 properties, ranging in price from $229,000 (U.S.) to $4.8 million, in eight major U.S. cities. It found that while the average home was on the market for nearly 31 days, the typical staged home sold in just under 14 days. And while the average home sold for a mere 1.6% over the seller’s asking price, the staged homes went for a hefty 6.3% more.

Once you make the decision to sell, you must no longer regard your house as your home, but as a product to market. Don’t leave thousands of dollars on the table by inadequate preparation! Savvy vendors enlist the objectivity and expertise of a trained staging professional to maximize their potential equity, while saving both time and unnecessary stress.

Thanks to the popularity of television shows such as The House Doctor and Sell This House, there is a growing awareness that there is a discernible difference in the way we live in a home and the way to present it as a house for sale. The all-too-common buyers lament of “This house doesn’t do anything for me!” are words no vendor wants to hear.

Clutter translates into undesirable. To redefine your home to appeal to the majority of prospective buyers, evidence of your lifestyle and decorating preferences must be de-emphasized. Remember, you are not trying to sell yourself, but the house!

Home staging creates a spacious look, one that is neutral without being bland, a house that invites buyers to daydream about living there themselves. A professional home stager showcases the selling features of your property with a designer’s flair while minimizing flaws, and presents your house an as ideal, move-in-ready living space The resulting transformation truly makes your house stand out from its market competitors!

Statistics show the benefits to staging. In a study conducted by realtor, Joy Valentine, professionally staged homes typically sold in less than half the time of the average days on market. She concluded, “Staging a house is presenting the dream, showing the way it could be. Actualizing that dream helps sellers get the most value for their properties.”

Before you list, set the stage to help prospective buyers dream of making your house their home!

Dear Leah,

Thank you so much for the amazing job you did staging our townhouse in Port Moody. Although we felt wewere priced to sell, this slow uncertain market was a cause for concern.

After the initial consultation I cleared the decks as you directed and when you and your assistant arrived I was astonished as you transformed my house into a spacious, beautiful showplace – and using only our stuff.

To our delight the very first people who viewed our house made an offer and after a short negotiation we had a deal. And you gave me lots of great ideas for placing our stuff when we get to our new home in Campbell River.

Great job and worth every penny.

- Barbara S. Port Moody April 2009

Hi Leah – I can’t remember if I had a chance to say thanx for emailing the photos. The place looked great when it was done and we sold it in a day after that. Presentation still rules!!! Thanx again for all your help.

- Jeff Gemby. Remax All Points Realty 604.936.0422 RealtyGuys.ca April 2009

Are you familiar with the saying “You can’t see the forest for the trees”? Successful home staging corrects a situation where “You can’t see the house for the things”.

THE CHALLENGE: In this family room, the furniture overpowered and crowded the space, and distracted from appreciating the dimensions of the room itself. Though quite spacious, it felt cramped and crowded. A room arranged for living, the TV unit was the focal point and the fireplace ignored. The wall color and window coverings needed updating.

 

 

THE SOLUTION: Redesigned to sell, the fireplace and view became the key features of the room to draw attention to and showcase. Staging repositioned the conversation area to face the room’s primary focal point. Extraneous pieces of furniture were removed to enlarge the sense of space, and allowed the room to be captured favorably visually, in a glance. Fresh paint and a new lampshade completed the restyling of the homeowners own furnishings.

 

 

THE LESSON: The way we live and the way to sell are two very different things. Edit furniture and possessions to increase the sense of space. Restyle positioning of furniture to focus attention on the room’s focal point. Remove any distractions that hinder a buyer from capturing a snapshot view of the room with only a glance.

Thoroughly preparing your home before listing is necessary in order to sell quickly for the most possible money. Removing the clutter is the first step to help maximize your market potential. From a prospective buyer’s viewpoint, clutter translates into undesirable. The excess stimulus can make a room appear smaller and darker, and even suggest the home has not been well maintained. Remember, highlighting your possessions is not your goal but rather the features of the house you are selling; pre-packing is essential to create a sense of spaciousness, cleanliness and order!

Stress is reduced when the task of decluttering is broken into manageable segments over a series of days or weeks. Concentrate on one room at a time and work for no more than one hour before taking a break. Don’t make more of a mess than you can clean up before the end of each session!

Begin by labeling three sturdy boxes as “Throw Away”, “Give Away” and “Pack Away”. Next, examine every item, book, knick-knack and piece of furniture, answering the following questions to determine whether to keep it, pack it up or get rid of it:

• Do I really love it?
• Would I buy it again?
• Do I really need it?
• Have I used it in the last twelve months?
• Do I anticipate using it in the next six months?

Be patient. Avoid putting your house on the market before it is completely ready. To save time and unnecessary stress, enlist the services of a home-staging specialist to help make your home move-in ready.

Hello Leah, Just want to drop you a quick line to say a huge “thank you” for a job very well done.

My house opened for sale on Aug 01, 2008. The first couple who walked through put down a bid for it the same evening. They had been searching for about three months, and they said they “fell in love at first sight” with the house!

Considering the state of the housing market, which is evident from the number of “for sale” signs up in my area as well as from the news reports about the cooling BC real estate market; I thought I was very very lucky.

You must have created some magic in my home and I thank you once again. I would not have known where to start my preparations to sell if it wasn’t for you.

- Indira M., Coquitlam August 2008

Leah is wonderful to work with, she has an eye for detail, passion and her love of design shows through in her work. She is honest, hard working and committed to get the job done perfectly!

- Leann F. Coquitlam August 2008

Leah’s home staging brought out the best features of our condo. She offered excellent advice on renovations and other upgrades prior to sale, focusing on cost-effective changes with a big impact.

Working primarily with our own items, supplemented by her accessories, she arranged everything ‘just so.’ Her careful placement of furniture and objets d’art made buyers take notice!

We plan to have her design team back when we move into our new house too.

- Briana & Will T. New Westminster June 2008