Let’s Talk About Staging

Let’s Talk About Staging

Staging is not about doing a complete revamp, but rather using what’s already there and simply enhancing it. It’s really about putting your home’s best features front and centre.

When you entrust your home’s sale to Tobia Homes, we aim to create a picture of ideal living. We want to showcase your home’s full potential. 

That is done by using furniture and decor items that will complement your space and by using a neutral, classic colour palette and building your home’s best look around that.

When Tobia Homes is preparing a home for sale, staging is always optional, although it really shouldn’t be. When dealing with such a significant financial transaction, we want to make sure that we use all the tools available and present your home in the best way.

Potential buyers aren’t just looking for a structure to live in – they’re looking to fulfill their dreams and improve their lifestyles. Staging helps sell those dreams and creates a more emotional purchase that can generate more money for the seller.

Home staging is also beneficial because potential buyers don’t want to see work that needs to be done upon moving into the home. For every problem they see, they’ll deduct its cost from their offering price. If they see too many problems, they’ll pass altogether.

Did you know a staged home can improve the selling value by 10%-15%!

Here’s what one of our clients recently had to say on the topic:

‘What can we say, Diane and her team did a great job during a very uncertain time. We did a fast turn around to get our house on the market and her team did an excellent job staging, advertising, and showing.  We have a toddler and both work full-time, so Diane and her team really stepped up to help and get the job done. It was incredible how even though they staged the home, it still felt like our home (only 100 times better). We had over 100 viewings and sold over asking after only being on the market for a week. We also purchased our new home through Diane, during the beginning of  COVID outbreak, when competition was still high and restrictions were just coming into play, complicating our ability to see prospective homes. It was an adventure, but Diane worked with us through the whole process and we got the home that we wanted. Thanks so much Diane!’

Staging how-to

If you’re on a limited budget, it’s best to focus on big-picture improvements and on the areas that will make the biggest difference in your home’s selling price.

These include the exterior and entryway (a buyer’s first impressions matter), the living room, kitchens and bathrooms, the master bedroom and outdoor living space, such as a back patio. 

In the kitchen, potential buyers love to see new appliances that come with the home, but if you can’t do that, make the ones you have spotless. No one wants to see splattered spaghetti sauce, films of grease or piles of crumbs in their potential new home. Likewise, make sure your bathroom sparkles. Your goal should be to make everything look new.

Declutter: There are two major problems with clutter. One is that it distracts buyers from your home’s features. The other is that it makes it seem like the home doesn’t have enough storage space. Put away knick knacks. Keep in mind that buyers will be interested in your closet space, so tossing everything into the closet to hide it away may not be the best strategy. Box up what you don’t need.

Depersonalize: Buyers need to be able to envision themselves in your home, so remove all the family photos and refrigerator art. Also, make sure to put away all the toys and anything else.

Remove odours: Pets, kids, what you ate for dinner last night, a mildew-covered bathroom and many other conditions can make your home smell. You are probably immune to your home’s smell, so you’ll need to have a friend or neighbour help you out with this one.

Wallpaper/paint: It is unlikely that a potential buyer will like your wallpaper. Your best bet is to tear it down and paint the walls instead. Don’t even think about painting over the wallpaper – it will look shabby and send red flags for the buyer about all the work he or she will have to do later.

Paint should be classic, neutral colours that will appeal to most people and project the homely image you’re trying to sell.

Lighting: Take advantage of your home’s natural light. Open all curtains and blinds when showing your home. Add supplemental lighting where necessary.

Furniture: Make sure furniture is the right size for the room, and don’t clutter a room with too much furniture. Furniture that’s too big will make a room look small, while too little or too small furniture can make a space feel cold.

Exterior: Your home’s exterior will be the first impression buyers get and may even determine their interest in viewing the inside. Make sure your lawn, hedges, trees and other plants are well-maintained and neatly pruned and eliminate any weeds. To brighten windows, wash them well. If you can, power wash your home’s exterior – it can make it look almost freshly painted but with less effort and expense. Make sure the sidewalk leading up to the house is clear and clean, and purchase new doormats for the front and back doors. If you have a pool, showcase it by making sure it’s crystal clear. Creating some sort of outdoor living space in the backyard, such as a deck or patio with outdoor furniture, is another way to use the exterior of your home to its greatest advantage.

Last touches: Just before any open house or showing, add a nice touch of fresh flowers and bake a delicious-smelling apple pie!