Staging To Sell

When looking at houses for sale, you see everything! From the professionally staged to the hoarder type who insist they don't need to do anything to attract a buyer. To tell you the truth, it's the people in between that are the most appealing to a buyer. The house should be clean, uncluttered, but feel homey and lived in at the same time. 

By nature I'm already OCD (and get made fun of for my perfect organization all the time). However, for the selling process it came in handy for staging. And it must have worked (along with other factors too, like location and price), because we sold our condo in one day! In fact some of the people who came through our place thought it was professionally staged, there was no way people lived like this! Oh well, I guess I'm unique individual, with liking my pillows arranged just so. Here are a few tips on staging we gathered up from our experience selling. 

Jeff & Laura's
Top 10 Tips For Staging

# 1
Clean, Clean, Clean
Can't stress this enough, it is by far the most important aspect, and the first thing people notice.

# 2 
Clean Out Closets/Cabinets/Fridge
People are going to look everywhere when they come in! You don't have to be super organized in these areas, but make sure they are clean. 

# 3
Fix Minor Problems
You might be able to live with them, but they will be a turn off for your buyer.

# 4
De-Clutter Everywhere
Keep things to a minimum. However, you still need to keep some stuff out to give it the lived in look, so don't put everything away. Pick a few favourite objects that you think make your place look great and keep them on display.

# 5
Open Up Space
If you are really crowded in remove some furniture so it's easy for people to move around, and see the room.

# 6
Arrange Furniture and Accents
Make your place look inviting! Think of how you would make your place up for important guests.

# 7
Get Rid of Very Personal Pictures/Objects
 Sure, keep your own art and photographs on the walls, but any super personal photos or objects, put them away for now. For example, we kept out some travel photos, but put away our wedding photo.

# 8
Night Time Lighting On
Leave your lights on for nighttime showings; don't make them fumble around trying to find the switches. Make it a warm, inviting atmosphere by playing with your lighting. How do you like your lighting in the evening?

# 9
Get Rid of Smells
Don't cook smelly meals right before showings, and leave the windows and doors open before people arrive. However, make sure to shut them again before the showing, so it doesn't look like you are trying to cover something up.

# 10
 Plant Life
Have a couple of plants around, it adds to the overall atmosphere. Another thing you can do is have fresh flowers out in the kitchen and bathroom. Or you can go with a theme based on the time of year you are selling. As it is autumn for us, we actually had a few mini gourds out on our kitchen island. 

Be creative, and show your place off! Putting some time into your place shows you are proud of it, and buyers will see that your place is taken care of and worthy of purchase.