As a Realtor (R), I often get asked about professional staging services, particularly when a home is vacant. I get asked questions such as “How much does it cost? How much faster will my house sell? Can I get more money for my house if I stage it?” Below are some tips and things to think about if you are considering staging your home in Edmonton or Sherwood Park before you put it on the market!

Tip#1: Hire a professional Stager and request samples of their work – before and after. Professional Stagers receive extensive training on how to select and place furniture, artwork and accessories to make a room more visually appealing to buyers. A Stager can pick out the best assets of a home and use staging techniques to emphasize those features, while drawing the eye away from less desirable ones.

Tip #2: Start with a clean, well-maintained home. No house is perfect, but it is important to remember that a dirty house with numerous repairs needed that is staged is a bit like putting lipstick on a pig! You can dress up a room, but if problems are obvious, then it looks like the staging is attempting to hide something, which is NOT what you want!

Tip#3: Think of staging is an investment, not an expense. Staging IS expensive – for an average home with a few rooms chosen, expect to pay anywhere from $2000 – $2500. However, in the vast majority of cases, it will help a property sell faster and statistically will sell for 5 – 10% more money! That is a pretty good return on your investment, and also a lot cheaper than a $10,000 price reduction if the house does not sell.

Tip#4: Stage for one month and get quality photos. The bulk of the cost of staging lies in the monthly rental fee for furniture and accessories, which is why most builders purchase furnishings for their show homes instead of rent. In most cases, the house will likely sell before the one month is up. In my opinion, you will only need to stage for one month, and you have the photos and/or Virtual Tour already on the MLS. Just make sure the photos are great quality with good lighting. There is no point in spending the money on Staging when the photos are less than professional!

Tip #5: Hire a Stager who promotes your property once it is listed. Many Stagers have their own Website and use Social Media to promote the work they do. Make sure your home is promoted – a win-win for all!

Do you have further questions about staging your Edmonton or Sherwood Park home, and want to know who the good ones are? Contact me, and I will be happy to help out!

Sellers consider Christmas to be the LEAST desirable time to list and sell a property. There is so much going on, from holiday preparations, special engagements and cold weather, that it is easy to dismiss that time of year to sell. However, the season DOES have some advantages: fewer sellers to compete with, and a select group of serious Buyers, who often have to buy either within time restrictions, or are preparing for a new start to the New Year. Once you’ve decided to take the plunge and put your home on the market, here are some useful tips to consider:

1.). Too Much of a Good Thing is NOT a Good Thing!

Decorating over the holidays can add a touch of excitement and glamour to a home. Just make sure you don’t overdo it, or it becomes overly distracting. Avoid overly religious themes as well, as these can polarize potential buyers.

2.) Make it Bright!
Christmas time means dark, early nights. Make sure your home is lit up (i.e. not Griswold style, where you need your own generator!), especially the entrance of the house, where it is often difficult to see where the key fits in the door. You can purchase timers to light up the house at specific times while you are away, and if you are able to time your lighting through your alarm system, consider doing that as well. A well -lit home is warm and welcoming!

3.) Turn up the Heat!
Speaking of warmth, make sure your thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature, especially if the property is vacant. If you have a gas or electric fireplace, turn it on. Don’t use lit candles for safety reasons – use flameless products instead to create a warm ambiance. Buying is an emotional response to a house, so make sure the emotion you are creating is warm and evokes a feeling of comfort.

4.) Clear the Walks, Driveways and Steps of Ice and Snow.
I cannot emphasize this one enough. Show buyers (and their realtors!) that you care about their safety. Watch for water dripping from the eaves to the walk below, as this can get severely slippery.

5.) Add Some Festive Scent.
By this, I mean real scent, not artificial. Fresh baked cookies, hot apple cider, fresh pine boughs can evoke positive thoughts of the holiday season. Like decorating, make sure the scent is not overpowering, otherwise it too becomes distractive.

6.) Price it to Sell.
No matter what you do to prep your home over the holiday season, price is the number one determniner in attracting an offer. The best properties at the best prices sell the quickest. This is true of any time of the year, but is particularly important to remember over the holidays when there are fewer buyers.

Hope you find these tips useful in attracting that Buyer! For more ideas, please contact me – I’m happy to help!