Our Anne Winch Ottawa Real Estate & Staging Team always feels very honoured when you trust us to list, stage and sell your home. Staging a home can get you more traffic and offers on the table. We know how important this is in today’s real estate market and that is why we offer free home staging to every house we sell.
Often our clients ask how they can help with readying their homes before we stage. We have put together some tips on what you can do before we start the staging process.
First, critically go through each of your rooms and look through the buyer’s lens. Where are your trouble spots and what features do you want to highlight?
- Deep clean your home – paying special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Remove personal items taking care to remove children’s sport schedules and activities, family pictures and other personal items. Secure valuables.
- Remove china and dishes from large hutches.
- Replace large chandeliers from your room as this often can overtake the true size of your room especially in professional pictures for your listing.
- Remove excess clothes from your cupboards. A full cupboard gives the impression you don’t have enough space.
- Remove toys, pet items and magazines.
Here are some other ideas that will help make the staging process move more quickly.
- Pare down furniture. Less is best when it comes to home staging. If you are moving to a smaller home, now is the time to donate or sell furniture you don’t plan on taking with you when you move. Other furniture can be put in storage.
- Kitchen counters need to be cleared. Small appliances can be stored below in cupboards or packed away. Clear away kitchen cannisters, utensils and any other clutter.
- Wash your windows. You want the light to shine in and dingy windows can be a turnoff.
- Pull back drapes to let the light in. Clean hardwood floors and remove any excess rugs to show the beauty and shine of your floors.
- Repair any broken items. (Think broken doorbell, hinges or lighting)
Take a critical tour of your outside curb appeal. Check the paint on the trim, doors and shutters. Sweep your driveway and the path to your door. Give the outside of your home a good power wash to clean the siding, deck and windows. Make sure your grass is cut and gardens are weed-free.
Once you have your home in shape, this is when we roll up our sleeves and get your home staged and on the market. We try to make the home staging process seamless for all of our clients. Remember a staged home will make an impression and get your home sold more quickly! Let us help you with all your real estate needs. Contact us today!