If you are thinking about selling your home, you should seriously consider staging the property in order to ensure the property looks it’s absolute best online and in person. A well marketed property can add tens of thousands of dollars to the value and type of Buyer who is interested in viewing the unit.
Staging properties ensures the property is bright, comfortable, curated for the right audience, and shows the space at its best. Staging also help properties look bigger (a vacant property is deceiving to the eye).
I think staging is so important that I will help every client stage their property on some level. I have a storage locker filled with items to fine tune your space (fake plants, towels, pillows, bedding, art, etc), and am happy to contribute to the cost of staging if the unit is vacant and needs a full stage.
Staging a Property you’re Living In
If you’re currently living in the property then there may still be some staging to do. Obviously, I’ll be asking you to clean and organize the property as much as possible, but I can bring in a few final items to help the space show its best.
I am a big believer that seeing greenery is soothing for the soul so I often bring in big and small fake plants to add life and colour to a space. I will have fluffy bedroom pillows and simple bedding to make the bedroom look lush and inviting. Fresh, matching towels can do wonders for a bathroom. And art for various spots in the home can add colour, life and interest.
If your home is mostly furnished, but we feel that a lounge chair can finish off the living room, or a desk fo an empty nook, then we can rent the pieces of furniture needed from a staging company.
If you have a lot of belongings, we will often move them for the professional photos so the photos can be as perfect as possible. For example, if you have a lot of small kitchen appliances sitting on counters, extra pieces of small storage furniture blocking the space or exercise equipment taking up room, we can remove them for the purpose of taking the picture, but you’ll be able to leave the items in your space as you use them on a regular basis!
Staging a Vacant Property
If your property is vacant I would highly suggest having the home staged, with the exception being a unit in decrepit shape that requires a full renovation to be livable. Though there is a cost to staging, hiring professional stagers ensures that it’s done properly and typically nets you more money and a faster sale thanks to increased interest from potential Buyers. Furniture will also encourage people to stay in your property longer, to sit on the couch and take in the view, and to consider different ways of furnishing the space.
Staging vacant properties is particularly important in the winter when the sun goes down so early leaving units dark and cold. Staging will add a variety of extra lighting to the space as well as a level of coziness that everyone is looking for in the winter.
Types of Home Staging
Professional Stagers
If you decide to stage the property, we will hire a professional staging company. One of their representatives will come into the space to view anf take measurements and then they’ll go back to their warehouse to choose furniture. We’ll schedule a day to have everything delivered and they’ll spend a few hours setting everything up. When the property is sold, the stagers will come back to pack everything up and move it out. Staging quotes typically include the furniture rentals for one month, mover fees for the move in and move out and their staging services. The cost to fully stage a 1 bedroom condo (living room, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, odds and ends) is about $2500 and goes up from there. Every month beyond the first month is charged strictly for the furniture rentals.
Virtual Staging
A newer type of staging is virtual staging, where the professional photos are sent to a graphic designer who alters the photos to make the property look furnished. This type of staging is generally charged on a per photo basis.
Personally, I would prefer to bring in real furniture as that gives you the benefit of a good online and in person presentation, but there are some cases where virtually staging photos may be better or preferred by the Seller, particularly if some rooms in an occupied house are empty or if a tenant lives sparsely.
If you decide to list your property with me we’ll do a walk through together to talk about what you should do to make your property look at good as possible, and what I can do to help. Here is more information about my marketing plan. Any questions? Get in touch at 778-387-7371 or kristi@realestatevancity.ca.