In a competitive real estate market, staging your home well can be the difference between selling your home quickly and having it sit on the market. A well-staged home will not only highlight the property’s best features, but will also create a blank canvas for potential buyers to envision themselves in.
In today’s market, modern is in. That means simplified decor, neutral colours, and a focus on rooms that flow into one another. When selling your home, a full renovation likely isn’t in your plans, so the best strategy is to focus on what your home already offers and stage accordingly.
De-Personalizing & Decluttering
Your home is your sanctuary; it’s a place where you and your family have shared countless fond memories, possibly many decades’ worth! While it is wonderful that your home holds sentimental value for you and your family, de-personalizing the space is very important when it comes time to sell. Buyers are looking for a space where they can envision their family for years to come, so removing personal items is crucial.Decluttering is also a very important part of preparing your home for sale. Removing extra junk and clutter will not only make your life easier when moving, it will also create more space in the home. This is a great time to remove your personal items and anything else you feel isn’t contributing positively to the space of the home.
Stage for Lifestyle
Ideally, you want the space to be both clean and fresh while also maintaining the appearance of being a living space. This can be achieved by adding elements that invite warmth into the room. For example, make your living room a little bit cozier by throwing a nice blanket over the couch, or give the kitchen a more inviting feeling by adding a coffee area.The hope is that buyers will be able to see the best of your home while still being able to picture themselves living there.
*Tip: Staging for lifestyle means avoiding “fake” staging elements! Try not to use fake fruits or flowers and instead opt for keeping things real.
Improve Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is vitally important, in fact, 41% of Canadians say lack of curb appeal is a deal breaker when looking for a home. First impressions truly matter when selling your home, so focus on making the best one possible.- Maintain your lawn and walkway–this means cutting the grass in the warmer months and shovelling the snow and creating a clear path in the winter.
- Plant seasonal flowers and place potted plants–flowers add a nice pop of colour to your yard, and many seasonal flowers require little work to flourish.
- Refresh doors and windows–a fresh coat of paint on your front door and windows can really clean up the look of your home.
- Consider powerwashing–rent a powerwasher from your local hardware store and spray your driveway/walls/windows (just check pressure recommendations before doing so!).
- Add lighting–a few lights along walkways or in the garden can add a nice touch of ambiance if your buyers view the home in the afternoon or evening. Solar lights are a great choice as you can just set them and forget them!
Keep It Simple
Modern home trends have a single focus: simplicity. This is achieved through less-busy furniture elements, neutral colours, and open sightlines. You may not be planning to have your home professionally staged, so here are some things you can do by yourself that will modernize the space:
- A coat of fresh paint–repainting in fresh, neutral colours will help create the perfect staging canvas for your home. Even if you’re painting over an already neutral wall, a new coat of paint can freshen up the space.
- Choose colours carefully–pops of colours can really enhance a room, but too many conflicting colours can quickly become busy. Opt for a few pops of colour that work with the space, or choose one or two large elements in the room (like a couch or piece of art) to be the colourful centrepiece.
- Stage minimally–there shouldn’t be too many things making the room busy, try to let the main elements of the room shine. If possible, move your decluttered items and extra furniture to a storage unit or your new home.
Focus on the Details
Little details can make a big difference! Thankfully, some of the easiest details to update are both affordable and effective.- Replace old hardware–replacing old hardware with updated versions that compliment the rest of the home is a small change that can go a long way.
- Modernize lighting–lighting has an absolutely huge impact on a room. The warmth or coolness of a light can set the room’s tone, and the lighting fixture itself can act as a design element.
- Remove bulky items–things like wardrobes and dressers take up a lot of valuable floor space, so if you’re able to remove them and replace them with a seating area, small table, floor lamp, or other smaller furniture item, then it can help the room appear bigger.
- Incorporate mirrors–mirrors can make a room look much bigger than it is, so try incorporating a standing mirror or large wall mirror in spaces where it could help open up the room.
