You’ve probably heard of “staging”. It involves setting up each room of your home in a way that maximizes its appeal to buyers. You’ve probably also heard that this strategy can help sell your home faster – and for a higher price.

That’s true. However, if you’re like many homeowners, you’re worried about the time, energy and cost involved in staging your home properly. After all, don’t professional stagers bring in special furniture and de´cor? Will you have to do the same thing?

Not necessarily. Staging doesn’t have to be a big imposition. In fact, there are many staging techniques that most homeowners can easily do on their own. Among the simplest are: cleaning, decluttering, fixing, and painting.

Rearranging furniture can also improve the look of a room, while putting some furniture into storage can make the room look more spacious.

A helpful technique is to think of each room in your home as a product for sale. Then, explore ways to make it the kind of room buyers would want to buy. When it comes to effective staging, that’s a good mindset to get you started.

When the time comes to sell your house, you’ll want to determine roughly how much you can expect to net after the sale. To figure that out, you’ll not only need to know how much your house will likely sell for, but also the selling costs you are likely to incur in the process.

The costs of selling vary depending on a number of factors. Here’s a general rundown of what to consider:

• Repairs. You will want your house to look its best to buyers. That may require you to get any needed repairs done before listing. You don’t want a buyer to see a dent in the wall or a dripping faucet.

• Renovations. It might make sense to get a few improvements done to make the house more attractive. For example, replacing old and worn kitchen countertops.

• Legal fees. Selling a house requires a lot of legal paperwork. You’ll need a good real estate lawyer to take care of that for you.

• Commissions. This is usually calculated as a percentage of the sale price.

• Moving costs. Once you sell, you’ll obviously need to move! So, factoring in this expense is a smart idea.

Although this may seem like a long list, selling costs are actually fairly easy to estimate. Once you have that number, it’s a simple calculation to determine how much money you’ll have available to put towards your next dream home. That’s information worth knowing!

Why do people decide to move? Unless it’s a requirement, such as a job relocation, the research tells us that many homeowners decide to sell for one or more of the following reasons:

• Your home is no longer a good fit. You may have outgrown your house and need something bigger, maybe with an additional bedroom. Or, the opposite may be true. You may want to downsize into something smaller – and cash in some of the home equity you’ve built up.

• You’ve got your eye on a different neighbourhood. Have you ever driven through an area and thought, “I’d love to live here”? You might think that it’s out-of-reach for you at this time. But is it? You never know until you work the numbers. You might, in fact, qualify for a home in that neighbourhood today!

• You want to be closer to something. Many homeowners would love to live closer to work, family, favourite hobbies, downtown, the country, etc. Moving to a house that’s near to one of these “somethings” can have a positive impact on your lifestyle.

• It’s time for a change. Sometimes a homeowner just wants a change: new surroundings, a fresh start. Who says you need a “practical” reason to sell? If you’re looking to get into a new home just because you feel like it, that’s your choice. In fact, that may be the best reason of all to sell. You may simply want to move.

Do any of these reasons resonate for you? If so, now is the time to start preparing. Even if you don’t anticipate moving for several months, start the process today.

The top retail store chains invest heavily in creating just the right lighting to make their products look great. Why? They know that lighting makes a measureable difference in sales.

The same is true when you sell your home. Lighting can make a big difference in the impression your home has on buyers.

There are two types of light sources, manufactured and natural. You need to consider both when staging your home for sale.

Think about the mood you want to create in each room. For example, you might want the kitchen to seem bright and alive. If yours isn’t quite like that, check whether you are using the highest wattage light bulbs suitable for your fixtures. Also, look for ways to bring in more sunshine. Switching curtains for blinds might do the trick.

In the living room, you might want a cozier feel. That can be accomplished by using lamps that cast a softer and gentler light than more imposing overhead lighting.

Pay particular attention to dimly lit rooms in your home, including nooks and crannies. Even adding small track lighting to a pantry cupboard can make the space seem brighter and more inviting. Check that lighting is adequate in the garage and walk-in closets too.

Finally, make sure all lights in your home work during viewings. Have spare bulbs available in case of a burn-out. You don’t want a buyer to try to turn on a light and discover it’s not working!

“Staging” is about setting up and decorating each room of your home so that it looks as attractive as possible to potential buyers. Studies show that a property is more likely to sell quickly and for a better price if it is effectively staged.

Even if you haven’t heard of staging before, you probably already know the basics, such as eliminating clutter and making sure everything is clean and “guest ready”. However, there are also some home staging “secrets” staging professionals use that you may not know.

Here are a few examples:

Increase horizontal surface space. Make sure desks, countertops, coffee tables, end tables, etc. are as free of items as possible. Give the impression that there’s lots of room available on horizontal surfaces.

Flowers. Fresh flowers or flowering plants placed in a couple of rooms, such as the kitchen and living room, can have a dramatic impact on how inviting that room looks. Just don’t overdo it.

Don’t be daring when you paint. You may love the idea of a bright yellow and green combination in the family room, but not everyone will share your daring sense of style. If you paint, stick to neutral colours.

Less is more. Be brutally honest about the amount of furniture you have in each room – including wall hangings. Is there a desk, side table or other piece you can put away in storage? Think about ways to make each room more spacious. Space is king!

Ultimately, the best staging advice is to use your common sense. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer as you walk through your home. Ask yourself, “What changes will make this room even more attractive?” Want more staging tips? Call today.

If you’re thinking of selling, you probably have a myriad of questions.

- What’s my home worth?
- Should I use an agent or go at it alone?
- How do I make my home attractive to buyers?

And, of course, the big one: How do I get the most for my home?

Because selling your home is a journey, and the more informed you are about what to do and expect, the more successful your home sale will be.

Ideally, you want that journey to end with your property selling quickly and for the best price possible.

I can help get you there.

If you have any questions, just ask. I’d love to be part of your journey!

It’s interesting to note how so many things have their “season.” Hockey in the winter. Vacations in the summer. Gardening in the spring. Even retirement reportedly occurs more often in the fall than any other time of year.

To some extent, even real estate seems to have a season. The spring is traditionally an active time for home sales. But, does that mean you should wait until spring to list your home?

Here’s the reality...

Properties sell all year round. There are buyers actively looking for homes at all times of the year. In fact, there are bound to be buyers interested in your home if you were to list it this month. While it’s true that the market may fluctuate throughout the year, with some months featuring higher or lower prices than others, those variations are nearly impossible to predict. So, it doesn’t make much sense to wait for the “perfect” month to sell, because that perfect month is just as likely to be this month!

Here’s something else to think about...

If you try to sell your home during a month when prices are up a little, you may need to buy another home in that same market. So, you’re really not gaining. The same holds true if you sell during a month when prices have softened.

So, if you’re considering selling your home, don’t be concerned about picking the right month or season to list. Focus your efforts, instead, on selling your home for the best price and finding and moving into your next dream home. You can make that happen in any season!