When it comes to selling your home you want potential buyers to fall in love. As much as we encourage Buyers to use their heads to make decisions (Does the location work? Is it big enough? Will it be functional for your family?) we all know that a HUGE part of what motivates people to write an offer is how they feel and what their hearts are telling them. When Buyers walk in and have that “this is it!” moment you’d better believe that a big part of it is because of the staging. A well laid out room with cozy touches makes it so much easier for Buyers to imagine themselves living there. Sellers, don’t underestimate the power of staging! I could go on and on but for now let’s focus on three main tips:
1) Curb Appeal
All of the cliches about first impressions are true. How your home looks from the outside is the first impression a Buyer gets when they pull up so make it a good one! It’s the dead of winter and all of a sudden the lower mainland has decided to look more like the prairies than the west coast so I get that your yard and outdoor space isn’t exactly picture perfect but you can still give it a spruce. If there’s snow on the ground make sure your driveway, sidewalk, and walk ways are all shovelled and clear. If you have a front yard/garden make sure all of the dead vegetation has been cut back and cleared away. Add a bit of colour to your entry way with a winter planter (there are actually LOTS of options and our friends at Cedar Rim Nursery are fountains of information on this topic…tell them we sent you!).
2) De-Clutter
Ok friends…I know the excitement of all of our New Year’s resolutions is kind of waring off and despite our best efforts we haven’t become Marie Kondo the second but honestly, this is a big one if you’re staging your house for sale. Get rid of all of the crap. I know it’s hard…I have two small children who undo all of my efforts as fast as they possibly can but you’ve just got to do it. Clear off counter tops, edit your closets, and convince yourself you don’t need four couches in your living room. Trust me. You don’t.
3). Return rooms to their original use
Look, I’m as big a fan of the “who needs a dining room when it can be an office” look as much as the next girl but Buyers are going to naturally respond better to staging that reflects the true use of the space. So, a dining room should be a dining room, a secondary sitting room should be a sitting room (not a play room, not a craft room, etc.). Again, I know it’s so much easier said than done but it really makes a difference.
If you’re feeling daunted by getting your house ready for new Buyers to fall in love with please don’t hesitate to reach out! I do staging consultations for our Sellers and I’m more than happy to come and help!