As a leading real estate team in Toronto’s West End, we see dozens of houses even on a slow week. You’d think we’d be immune to the effects of skillful staging at this point. But no, the charms of seemingly minor details like a strategically placed throw blanket and decorative fruit get us every time.
What is staging, and why is it such a valuable technique for maximizing the value of your sale? The concept is simple.
Anything that increases buyer appeal can help you sell faster while adding to your final price. This is true in a busy market, which is important if you want to buy again in the same or a more expensive neighbourhood. If the market is slow, meticulous preparation can be the difference between obtaining more-than-satisfactory results and not selling at all.
(That’s why we didn’t title this post “Should You Stage Your Home?” It would be the shortest blog of all time, as we could sum it up in a single word. “YES!”)
Now that’s cleared up, let’s move on to the next important point. How do you stage your home in a way that buyers love without spending months in a construction zone or breaking the bank? Done right, staging can be easier, less expensive, and more effective than you imagined!
An accurate and compelling price point is the foundation of every other step in the home-selling process. Find out how much your property is worth by booking a complimentary home evaluation.
1. Start With the Simple Tasks
The idea of staging can be intimidating, but there are many simple things you can do to help your house stand out. For example, if you spend a few days, maybe a week, thoroughly cleaning and decluttering each room, your home will be well on its way.
Clear out anything unnecessary, especially in the main areas where buyers pay the most attention. The kitchen, living room, bathrooms, and bedrooms should be absolutely spotless, with as few traces of your daily life as possible. Extra points if the garage and sheds are also tidy and neat, but a box or two here is not a deal-breaker.
Critical tip: you may be tempted to take a shortcut by stuffing everything into closets instead of actually disposing of it. We cannot stress this enough: do not do this. A serious buyer will always look in the closets to see how much storage space your house offers. Cramming them to the brim looks unappealing and can ruin the effect of an otherwise stunning presentation.
Before listing your home, start with some background information, like you’ll find in the posts below:
2. Depersonalize Everything: The Blank Canvas Matters
As you are sorting through your items, be sure to remove or pack away your personal photos and mementos. Encouraging the buyer to imagine themselves in your space is half the battle!
Family photos, trophies, and children’s artwork on the fridge make the potential buyer feel like a guest in your home. Often, it’s a very subtle impression that they won’t even be able to describe, but it could cost you an offer.
There’s another reason to remove as many of your personal effects as possible. You do not want to give any indication of your motivation, especially if there is any urgency in the matter.
The buyer agent will be on the hunt for information like this to try to negotiate a price concession. If you need to move because a new baby is on the way or you’ve taken a job outside of the city, be sure to keep this development confidential. That means no proud photos of the ultrasound displayed anywhere.
3. Perform Just Enough Repairs: No More, No Less
A house with “good bones” is a valuable find for buyers in Toronto. If you’ve got it, a few minor repairs can help you highlight its quality even more. This doesn’t mean you need to invest in remodelling the entire kitchen or gutting the bathroom.
Typically, it’s best to leave any major decisions to the new owner, while you focus on minor touches that have the greatest impact. A local real estate agent can guide you as to the specifics that will earn the highest return on investment for your property.
This likely includes a fresh coat of paint throughout and perhaps some new hardware in the kitchen and bathrooms. Modern lighting fixtures can really brighten your space, and simple but creative landscaping out front makes your home appealing the second buyers see it. Get in touch for more ideas; years of experience in selling homes in Toronto have given us plenty!
4. Enhance the Flow and Aesthetic Beauty
Thorough cleaning, decluttering, and performing high-impact improvements effectively create a blank canvas to work from. The next steps are to arrange and decorate in a way that enhances the natural beauty and flow throughout your home.
That’s why the Kim Kehoe Team works with a professional interior designer with extensive experience in real estate. We leave nothing to chance when it comes to selling your house with the least amount of stress and at the highest possible price.
Did you know: Each and every one of our clients receives complimentary staging when selling a house with our team. We handle all of the work and even cover the cost on your behalf. Our stager comes with an inventory of carefully selected furnishings and decor, all proven to resonate with potential buyers.
Do you want even more strategies to get the best results from your home sale? Start with the related reading below:
- How to Sell Your House: The Complete Guide
- What Adds Value to a House When Selling
- When Is the Best Time to Sell a House?
5. Let the Magic Happen!
One final note before your listing officially goes live and buyers start to take notice. As much as possible, try not to be home during showings. Technically, this point isn’t about staging, but it’s “staging-adjacent.”
Remember that you’ll get the best results when buyers feel so at ease that they begin to imagine living in your home. We want them to mentally plan how they’ll arrange the kitchen or, better yet, start checking Google Maps to see what restaurants, grocery stores, or other important amenities are nearby.
Your presence can stop this visualization in its tracks. Remember our above comments about how personal photographs make them feel like a guest in someone else’s home? Multiply that sensation by a million if they bump into you in the hallway during a tour!
When it’s just them, their agent, and skillful staging, they feel more comfortable, almost as though your house is already theirs. They’re free to ask their questions to learn even more, and your chances of receiving a great offer increase significantly.
Staging is just one of the many tools to get excellent results when selling a house in today’s market. To learn more, get in touch with our West Toronto Realtors® today at (416) 788-1823 or [email protected].
