Three Tips for Staging Your Home During Resale

Home staging is a term for preparing a home or residence for resale on the real estate market. The idea behind staging is to help make a home more appealing to as many potential buyers as possible, thus helping increase its value, demand, and speed of sale.

It is, of course, not always necessary to stage a home, and many homes can still sell with ease without it, primarily when you work with the best real estate agent in Toronto to help you list your property. That said, many agents agree that staging a home for resale can indeed drive-up demand, increase value, and speed up offers made on a home. Unlike many costly renovations, staging is cheap, with the average cost landing around the $400 range.

The following are a few good tips for staging your property for resale.

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Deep Clean and Declutter

One of the most inexpensive things you can do to increase the value of your home is to give it a deep and thorough cleaning before listing. Doing a deep clean can help show prospective buyers that you’ve taken care of your home and reduce the risk of potential unwanted reveals during inspections, such as mould or pests. Things like scuff marks, carpet stains, mounds of clutter, and signs of excessive dust and dirt can all make a house appear noticeably lived in and tip buyers off that they will need to put in work if they purchase your home.

Remove Yourself From the Home

Everybody has their own tastes when it comes to interior design. When you stage a home, however, the goal is to appeal to as many people as possible. The idea is to showcase less of “look what I’ve done with the space” and let the buyer consider “what could I do with the space?”.

Swapping out overtly eccentric or niche décor that may be considered “acquired taste” for more modern and neutral pieces is recommended,

Additionally, it is a good idea to remove personal memorabilia, such as family photos or souvenirs from vacation destinations. Children’s toys should be properly put into storage rather than scattered around, and any clothing and laundry should be put in their appropriate storage locations. You want the buyer to feel less like a guest in your home and more that it could be “their” home.

Keep Things Smelling Nice

One of the biggest staging tips you can do to help sell your home is one that you can’t see at all! Smells and aromas play a huge factor in the sale of a home. Noticeable bad smells can be a sign that a house may have hidden issues such as pests, mould, leakage, or the like. Buyers with pet allergies may be turned off from pet smells, as it will indicate to them a deep cleaning will need to take place if they want to move in.

Lighting candles, using scented cleaning products along with your counters and sinks, running dehumidifiers in the basement, and washing carpets can all help to freshen your home. If possible, open all the windows in your home prior to house viewings to allow for fresh air into the space.