Home Staging – an essential merchandising tool for resale

sl-13

If you are wondering what Home Staging (or House Fluffing) is all about, here is a definition for you: MSN Encarta dictionary defines Home Staging as the act of “beautifying a home for sale: cleaning, repairing and updating the decor and furnishings of an older home to make it more attractive when shown to potential buyers.” Actually, I believe that ANY home can use some staging before being put on the market. Remember, the way we live in a home and the way we want to sell a property are two completely different things. When we sell a property, there is no room for emotions – after all, it’s probably our biggest financial investment and, so, we want the biggest possible return on it!

The concept dates from 1970s, when a California realtor and decorator noticed that the properties she took the time to «stage» sold faster and for more money than the average. Today, it’s an important marketing/merchandizing tool in the USA (and spreading to Canada from the West) for the realtors and the home owners alike and it’s especially important in a slow market, where you need every advantage over your competition. TV shows, such as Designed to Sell and Flip that House demonstrate that a bit of effort and a small investment can transform a property and make a BIG difference at sale time!

The logic is strikingly simple: when you decide to sell your used car, wouldn’t you clean, wash and fix it up before reselling it? You should do the same for your house, which is probably your biggest investment and presents an opportunity for a biggest return.

First impressions count for a lot, especially today, when most buyers pre-select the properties they are interested in on Internet. If your photos don’t show your house at its best, you are probably missing out on dozens of potential buyers. The same is true for the visitors – when they come, make them feel «at home», create that first impression which will make them fall for YOUR house.

Statistics vary from marketplace to marketplace but, on average, a staged home can sell 30%-50% faster and for 2%-10% more money than a comparable unstaged home. So, a few hundred dollars invested can bring you back thousands! And a home staging consultation costs a lot less than a first price reduction on the property.

A professional Staging consultant looks at your property with a buyer’s eye and will recommend some easy and inexpensive solutions to enhance its value – such as decluttering, depersonalizing, and reorganizing your furniture and artwork.

The end result: your house «shows» better than its competition and it sell faster and for more money!

 

Send this page to:

 

Author Bio
This article is written by Sveta Melchuk, Founder of Home Staging Montreal, a Montreal firm that has been working with sellers and realtors since 2005 to enhance the properties for sale.You can visit www.home-staging-montreal.com for more information, tips and advice on Home Staging and Interior redesign.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

What Client say about us

Roxanne Miller Oshawa

Our real estate experiences had not been very positive over the past 12 years until we met Tula Thomas. Tula’s real estate expertise, her incredible knowledge of the area we were moving to (Oshawa), and most importantly her honesty made our house purchasing and lifestyle change experience very manageable. Tula was supportive every step of… Read more “Roxanne Miller Oshawa”

Roxanne Miller Oshawa

Sally and Pat

Thank you for making the sale of our property so seamless. With your experience, we got $15,100.00 more than what we were told was the highest we could get for it. We are over the moon with the results and we can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. We have told many of our… Read more “Sally and Pat”

Sally and Pat

Frank & Cindy Geard

Dear Broker, Our experience with Tula Thomas was an exceptional one. We found her to be professional, knowledgeable and went above and beyond our expectation. We would highly recommend her to all of our family and friends, in fact we have. She helped in the purchase of my daughter and son in laws first home.… Read more “Frank & Cindy Geard”

Frank & Cindy Geard

Adam & Melissa

Tula, With deepest sincerity, we want to express how grateful we are with your professionalism, attention to details and willingness to “shout from the rooftops” in order to sell our home. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Best wishes to you and Hayley Adam, Melissa, Dayna &… Read more “Adam & Melissa”

Adam & Melissa

Lorraine Strelesky

Tula Thomas recently helped us locate and purchase a home in Oshawa. She is very experienced and helpful and went beyond our expectations , even calling on closing to ensure things were moving as planned. We highly recommend Tula and perhaps we will work together… Read more “Lorraine Strelesky”

Lorraine Strelesky

Terri – Tony

We would recommend Tula Thomas to anyone we know who is buying or selling a home. Tula helped us with the challenge of finding the perfect home for a very particular 28 year old. We couldn’t have done it without her knowledge, professionalism, patience and mostly her quick action. Tula offered us great advice on… Read more “Terri – Tony”

Terri - Tony 3156 Concession Rd. 8, Orono, Ontario L0B 1M0