I quite often get asked who benefits the most from Halifax home staging services. Are my services more beneficial for sellers of a certain selling price? Is there a particular style or age of home or seller that needs me the most? My answer is always the same, that anyone and everyone can benefit from the services of a professional Home Stager if they want to sell their home for top dollar and as quickly as possible. Recently I helped three very different sellers get their home ready for market. Each seller needed unique services and guidance from me. Yet for each, the goal was the same; a successful sale.
Property number one was a downtown condo with high end pricing, limited contents, absent seller, target market determined to be middle aged to senior singles or couples. Property number two was a single family home, just outside the city, mid range pricing, fully furnished, target market determined to be young families, with a seller who was eager to help. Property number three was a single family older home at entry level pricing competing with new construction, within city boundaries, target market young families and singles working downtown, with a skeptical, older seller who had restrictions on budget, ability and time.
Each started with a consultation to determine what changes were recommended and who would make these happen. The level of detail and explanation needed varied a great deal between these three consultations due to the property differences as well as the varying knowledge the sellers had of the benefits and process of staging. In two cases there was a list of painting and repairs to do. In one case there were also upgrades warranted in order to meet the expectations of their likely buyers, and the materials were chosen by me to ensure the appropriate look would be achieved. In one case the trade people were provided by me. In all three cases a rearrangement was recommended for optimal lifestyle selling.
Following the consultation, each of these three properties requested further services from me. One seller followed through with all the recommendations themselves then had me back to showcase the primary rooms. Two of these sellers had me dress the properties including the rental of staging props, one renting furniture and accessories while the other rented just a few key accessories to be used with their existing contents which I rearranged. The length of time from consultation to listing for the three properties varied from five days to three weeks.
In all of these cases, the REALTOR recommended my services. After six years in the business, this is quite often the case, along with repeat client business, friend to friend referrals, and direct inquiries from the selling public via my website and facebook.
Anyone and everyone can benefit from professional Home Staging services, no matter who the seller is, what the selling price is, and how the market is. Were these three transformations successful? Stay tuned. All three properties have just hit the market.
Melanie Orr is the owner and operator of Interiors Working For You which provides decorating and home staging services in the Halifax, Nova Scotia area. Melanie is a graduate of the Sheffield School of Interior Design and is a member of the Nova Scotia Interior Decorators Association (NSIDA). She has a background in real estate and two designations in home staging, the Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) and the Canadian Staging Professional (CSP). She is a founding member of Home Stagers Atlantic Accredited Professionals (HSA) and a member of Real Estate Staging Association (RESA). Please visit www.interiorsworking.com for more information or call Melanie at 902-223-3237.
