Did you know – that I am a Home Stager as well? Huge value for both seller and buyer clients!
Staging isn’t decorating…it’s depersonalizing a home so that prospective buyers can imagine themselves in it. This can mean removing family photos, piles of newspapers and the cat’s litter box, as well as adding neutral-coloured paint and carpet and buying new appliances.
Home staging isn’t a new idea. It started on the US West Coast in the 1970s, but the concept has spread. There are three primary factors home shoppers consider when deciding whether to bite on a property:
- the location
- the condition
- the price.
Staging helps buyers stay focused on the condition. Most homeowners probably wouldn’t show their home without at least tidying it up, but staging a home involves other, more subtle, improvements that can make a home more attractive to buyers. In a sluggish real-estate market, homeowners sometimes have to take extra steps to make a sale. For sellers trying to make a good impression, home staging has become a popular way to increase a home’s selling price and decrease selling time.
Home staging is arranging furniture and decor with the intent to showcase a home for sale. It could cost you nothing — a simple cleaning and the removal of day-to-day living items — can sometimes be all you need. But it can also involve some financial investment—like painting, improving the landscaping and adding furniture, decor and plants to give potential buyers an idea of what their new home would look like.If you list with me – I am happy to come help you get the home in tip top shape before the photos! Most homeowners are too personally connected to be objective about their own home’s contents. But remember: Your home is no longer your home — it’s a product on the market. If there is extreme color in your home, buyers will have a tough time imagining themselves living there. Purple carpets, orange counters, pink walls and tie-dyed furniture could cause a distraction. I recommend investing in neutral paint and floors and replacing unusual furniture with less eye-catching pieces.
Another good investment, is renting storage space. There might be enough room in the house for you to stash everything you need to hide, but you’ll want to free up that space so buyers can see it. A storage space can be a safer place for valuables and important documents, which you may not want to have easily accessible to potential buyers.
Clean, clean, clean.
This is the most important rule of staging a home. And cleaning doesn’t just mean vacuuming the carpet and scrubbing the bathroom (although that’s important, too). It includes cleaning under the stove burners, replacing shower curtains, cleaning the grout between tiles, steam-cleaning the carpets, dusting the crown molding and ceiling fans, washing the windows (inside and out), polishing all fixtures and wiping down all appliances (inside and out). There should be no sign of dirt anywhere, and sometimes homeowners miss spots because they forget that some places even exist — for instance, windowsills and closet interiors. Using a professional cleaning service might be a wise investment.
Sell the space, not the stuff.
You’re going to have to clear out your things so buyers don’t have to look past your family photos to see your home. To prevent potential buyers from getting distracted, you should remove all memorabilia. Clearing the kitchen counters of appliances – allows you to sell the counter space instead of the appliances. You should also arrange furniture so it’s easy for potential buyers to navigate a room. Typically, this involves removing furniture (another good reason to rent storage space), but also pay attention to the room as a whole — if there’s too much furniture or decor on one side, it can feel lopsided. And whatever you do use to decorate, group them in objects of three at varying heights to make them pleasing to the eye but not distracting or cluttering.
Let there be light.
If a room is clean (and it should be), let the buyers see it. Open curtains and shades. If weather permits, open windows let in fresh air.. Also, turn on all the lights in the house to make rooms appear brighter and bigger.
I know what looks good on photos…and I know what buyers are looking for! I can not wait to help you!
Please see comments from clients I have worked with in the past – who saw strong VALUE in having a realtor with these extra skills:
“I found yourselves to always be available to answer questions and meet with us. Karen did a wonderful job of advising us how to present the house in the best possible light.
When we sat back and looked at the way furniture was displayed, artwork was hung, and colors were coordinated, we noticed a very positive change to the way each room looked.”
“We can’t even begin to to explain what a pleasure it’s been to work with Kare Keveryga and her team for the sale of our home. Right from the initial consultation, up to possession date, she kept us fully informed with every little detail, and thoroughly explained the pros and cons of our options throughout the sale process: Her prior background in home staging really helped our place look immaculate for the listing photos (which were fantastic by the way!).”
“Karen, I want to sincerely thank you for your efforts that have finally culminated in a Sale. Your contacts, your skillful marketing, your help with staging were most appreciated. I would not hesitate to recommend you to friends interested in selling their homes. Keep well!”
“Pre-listing, she came in and told me exactly what the questions and comments would be from potential buyers, and made value-add suggestions as to what should be addressed. This was key – Karen’s advice transformed my house and perspective. It also greatly increased the market value of my home.”
“In preparation for listing, Karen advised and helped to facilitate all the things to secure getting the best price. I did not need to hire a stager which would have added thousands of dollars. I just heeded Karen’s knowledge of what to do before listing.”
“Arguably a tough market in Calgary in 2019 and this is when you need a good realtor. Karen was that! She staged our home largely using what we had and simply rearranging (it looked great), had excellent marketing material and on our request did open houses. Our home sold with plenty of time for our next move. Communications with the buyer were-handled well by Karen.
Our home showed well thanks to Karen. It was nice to see the “sold” sign thanks to her.”
“To say Karen is an excellent realtor is an understatement. She always goes ABOVE AND BEYOND what we typically expect from an agent. The combination of her impeccable staging abilities, knowledge of the market, and understanding of her clients’ unique requirements are unmatched. Karen is tenacious, super organized and always looking out for her client’s best interests. And most importantly, she’s LOT OF FUN! The ups-and-downs and stress of selling AND buying two homes has been a breeze working with Karen!”