Q: Is there a best time to get my home staged?

A: The best time is when you finally decide you're going to do it. We like to Stage before you come on the market...but DEFINITELY before you reduce your price! If you have been on the market for at least a month, you are probably overpriced or need Home Staging. And remember, Staged homes sell faster and for more money.

Q:How do I choose a professional Home Stager?

A: Experience and professionalism trumps "certification", education or designation in the home staging world!  
There are no regulations in this field or preferred certification as you may be misleaded by.  It comes down to experiece and professionalsm, that's what going to sell your home!

Q: Do we have to take everything out of our house?

A: No. Staging is working with your existing furniture however, de-cluttering is part of the staging process. Some of your furniture or accessories may be best suited in another room, removed to storage or we may re-arrange the furniture all to make your home appeal to the most number of buyers and to maximize your space.

Q: How much should I invest in Home Staging?

A: A good rule of thumb is to invest .5% to 1% of your list price to move your property quickly. For a $500,000 property this means $2,500 to $5,000. The condition of your home and any upgrades required will influence the staging investment costs. Research reveals that home owners are willing to consider investing up to $5,000 to prepare their homes for sale.
 
Home Staging provides a very effective marketing tool to protect your home against costly price reductions - typically occurring in increments of $10,000 decreases - if it sits on the market for a long time.

Q:  Can we help you do the Home Staging?

A: To some degree yes. There are parts of the Staging project that you can complete prior to showcasing like de-cluttering and editing any furniture we mentioned during the consultation. Some clients prefer to pack their own "clutter." Clutter eats away at equity so we definitely want it out of there. It's determining what is considered "clutter" and what isn't. Most sellers can't decide what needs to stay and what needs to go. That's the key and that's what we're really good at!  We can tailor a home staging package that meets your budget and specific needs.
The greatest part of our job is to see your expression when you see the transformation!

Q: I haven't seen any prices anywhere...is this going to be expensive?

A: I know it's going to be much less than your first price reduction. I prefer to discuss pricing after I've seen your property and then a Home Staging package can be tailored to your homes specific needs and your budget or you can complete all my recommendations on your own. Is it expensive? Not at all, many of my jobs are under $600 for home staging and showcasing services.

Q: Why can't I just clean and de-clutter my own home or stage it myself?

A: It's incredibly difficult to view your own home with the eyes of a highly critical buyer. A professional Home Stager can objectively assess how best to use what you already have and determine if anything else needs to be added.

You're emotionally involved in your home and the contents so it's hard to be completely objective. It's hard to see your collection of beloved family photos the way a stranger will when they're trying to imagine themselves living in your home.

You've been living there so long there are many things you don't even see anymore. Have you stopped noticing that really outdated wallpaper or the builders light fixtures and taps, the stains in the carpet or the odours of pets?

A professional Home Stager understands the principles of designing a home to sell and you may not have the time or patience to deal with all the details the way a professional Home Stager will. Just the idea of moving can be overwhelming. It's natural to want to pretend everything is OK the way it is because you have no idea how to deal with it otherwise.

Home staging goes beyond cleaning and decluttering.  It's about repackaging your home for sale by decorating, rearranging furniture, and adding the right art and accessories so potential buyers will fall in love with your home and imagine themselves living there.

Q: Why does Home Staging boost the selling price of my home?

A: People shop with logic but buy on emotion. People start house hunting with a logical list of their criteria, but the home they actually buy is chosen largely by their emotions.

People imagine they can look past unattractive decor, cluttered rooms or empty rooms and see 'potential', but usually they can't – statistics say only 10% can!
Once a buyer makes that emotional connection with your home and says, "I love it," they are willing to look past some of the criteria they had on their list before they walked in the door. That's why it’s critical to pay attention to even the smallest details when staging a home to sell. "

If your home looks fantastic and the buyer can immediately imagine living there, they are more likely to make an offer. If enough buyers are bidding on your home, the selling price goes up way past your asking price.

Home staging creates the "model home" environment for buyers so they don't have to use their own imagination and they can immediately fall in love and say "wow this is home!"

Q: Why Should I Spend Money on a House I'm Selling?

A: Can you really afford NOT to invest in selling quickly and for top dollar?

Would you try and sell your car without having it detailed, probably not so why would you try and sell your single largest investment without first making it look as appealing as possible?

While there are no guarantees, we know staged homes do sell more quickly and for higher prices.

The investment cost of home staging is a lot less than a home’s first price reduction.  The longer the seller waits to do something about Staging their home, the more it’s potentially going to cost them in price reductions, mortgage payments, heating and utilities, etc.  They can keep reducing the price until someone sees the value in it the way it is or they can hire a professional home stager to make buyers HAVE TO HAVE IT!

Professional Home Staging is not a cost it’s an investment.

Q: Should I contact a Professional Home Stager before I call real estate agents?

A: YES!
Staged Homes are usually appraised at full market value because they are "Buyer ready" and show to it's full potential.

Hiring an experienced home stager is what will get you the most for your money!

Alternatively, you can contact one of my "preferred Realtors" to receive a complimentary home staging consultation with me.

Q: What's wrong with Selling a Vacant House or Condo?

A:When selling a home, like anything else, IMAGE IS EVERYTHING! A vacant home is not warm and potential buyers have a hard time imagining their furniture in the allocated space and it does nothing to showcase the home’s strong points. The power of a potential buyer's positive emotional reaction to a well staged home is priceless!

Additionally, a vacant home may give an interested buyer more negotiating power by sending the message that you have already moved on and must sell. A staged house creates a “wow” factor causing the buyer to assume there may be multiple bids on your property.