Staging

When you have de-cluttered, cleaned, de-personalised and modernised; staging is relatively easy! Your Real Estate Agent might have some suggestions, or they might even have the phone number of a good stylist.

Staging requires you to think critically about the best use of your space. When buyers walk into a room their first thought is what they would use the room for, so carefully position your furniture so each room has a defined purpose. It can be handy here to think about the buyers you want to attract.

Example: property strengths and weaknesses

If you live in a great school zone and are likely to attract young families, try posing the spare room as a nursery or playroom. If your property would suit a professional couple, emphasize quiet work spaces and multiple relaxation and living zones.

Finishing touches can include:

  • $ Fresh flowers in an attractive vase at the entry to your property
  • $ Fresh fruit in the kitchen (green apples are said to be a good luck charm)
  • $ Updated towels and linens

If you are considering spending money on renting new furniture during the selling period, check with your Real Estate Agent to be sure that this will provide a good return on investment for the final sale price of your home.

On open house days, it’s important to consider how the house will appeal to all the senses of potential buyers. This means staging should promote a positive look, feel, touch and sound during the tour.

Make sure you show off every special feature your house has that might not be immediately obvious: Do you have a nice water feature? Make sure it is running during the home open. Do you have outdoor speakers? Play some ambient music in the back yard to set a mood.

Consider the lighting in every room; natural light from windows is ideal, but if necessary use other options to set the mood.

Here’s and idea – pull out your camera and take a photo of each room. This will help you take in the surroundings with fresh eyes and adjust the presentation accordingly.

What about the temperature? If you’re expecting a lot of interest, go easy on the heating. Warm bodies tend to overheat a crowded room, which is the last thing you want.

If you’re selling in spring, try to keep windows and doors opens to let fresh air in. Fresh air is an underrated smell, and will but buyers at ease, whether they consciously notice or not.

Many sellers go overboard with flowers, candles and music. Keep in mind, buyers will see many houses throughout the day, which can be exhausting (especially with the kids in tow), so it can pay to send out a relaxed vibe.

The goal is to make the house seem warm, comfortable and bright. You want the place to feel natural, as if to say, “when you’re here — you’re home”.

Do you have something to hide? Try to fix issues instead of covering them up. Buyers are very good at noticing a strangely positioned picture on the wall, or a rug that’s in an odd spot. Please – at least fix any leaking water issues – burning incense doesn’t fool anyone!

Important: When thinking about selling you home, this is the best time to speak to a mortgage broker about your home loan options. It is highly likely that you will get a better loan by using a mortgage broker to assess thousands of loan options for you, than just talking to your existing lender.