Home Staging: Show It Staged for the Optimal Sale

Staging is not decorating. Nor is it fluffing, or simply decluttering and cleaning. Staging involves reorganizing, refreshing and reducing; identifying the target market; editing, merchandizing and showcasing, so that the potential buyer does not feel like a guest but rather feels at home. Both the interior and exterior of a property are important. Curb appeal is critical. A staged home draws in a buyer as it presents its best first impression. It is arranged so as to appeal to as broad a range of buyers as possible. A staged home is prepared in terms of repairs and condition so that the buyer will see no reasons to lower their offered price or go elsewhere.


Today's average home buyers are educated, savvy and in a hurry; looking for a "toothbrush house"--- plunk their toothbrush in the holder and get on with their lives.  They want a house that requires no work or changes and offers the lifestyle they desire. A buyer will form an impression of a home within the first five seconds. That may be all the time a seller has to put their home's best foot forward.

Consider the demographic realities of the current Canadian real estate market. The average first time buyer is 32 years old. The average seller on the other hand is 57. There are significant differences in how these two parties spend their money and view the world. A typical 32 year old buyer expects instant happy, has little or no cash flow, is willing to carry a big mortgage, and has no repair/ maintenence skills. Staging provides the necessary bridge between the different lifestyles of the buyer and seller.

In many cases the critical first impressions of a home are formed online. In fact over 80% of people across Canada home shop online. Buyers decide from the pictures they are shown whether to view a house or not. Pictures of a staged home show the property at its best. A recent study showed that while 28% of the interior value of a home is determined by its floorplan and room sizes, a whopping 72% of its value is for how it is presented, which the seller can control.

The market will determine the price range in which a home will sell, best identified by an experienced REALTOR. Staging will ensure that the achieved price is at the top of that range. The longer a house sits on the market the less it will likely sell for. Staging will reduce the selling time.

~Melanie

Why hire a qualified Stager?

Why not my realtor, friend, decorator or neighbor? 

REALTORS® can guide you of course because they know what buyers tend to notice and look for. Decorators know colors and furniture arangements that work for living, and perhaps your friend or neighbor has good taste. 

A staging professional, however, understands the concept that how you live in your home is different than how we sell your house. 

Interiors Working for You offers the designationsCanadian Staging Professional (CSP)™ and Accredited Staging Professional (ASP)™ along with years of experience and success, resulting in the highest selling price and shortest selling time for your property.

I just had my home done by a professional decorator. It should be ready to sell, right?

Maybe not. Staging and decorating are significantly different processes with different end results. 


A home is decorated to suit the people that live in it, while a house is staged to appeal to its potential buyers. At Interiors Working For You we understand that the things that make a house your home may actually be the very things that keep a buyer from being interested. 

Can I prepare my home for sale without the help of a Stager?

Maybe. 

Certainly there are many self help resources available now in print and TV form. The tips for selling on this blog  are a good start. 

You may have an excellent sense of what buyers want and what your home's best features are and how to showcase them. You may know how to recognize and minimize possible areas of concern. You may have a creative flair for decorating, with the ability to know when to stop and to detach from your own personal tastes in favour of a neutral approach. 

Sound like you? By all means go for it, but consider having a professional Stager check your results. 

Consider one of my clients who watched the TV shows on getting homes ready for market, knew that clutter is a negative, and had packed up everything that wasn't tied down or used daily. The house looked bare and cold as a result, until she called us in for help. She didn't understand the nuances of Staging and her talents didn't include the ability to showcase a home.

How much will I save by Staging?

Staging is a relatively new tool in Metro Halifax and Nova Scotia. This makes it an exciting field to be in, as we contribute to its growth. According to StagedHomes.com, the creators of the federally recognized Staging® trademark, staging any home increases its value on average 6.3%. Interiors Working For You has an excellent track record from the perspective of both selling time and selling price. 


There is a trend in the US  and recently in Upper Canada where smart real estate companies are Staging each and every new listing. The beauty of Staging is that it is inexpensive. We find cost effective solutions, including the use of reasonably priced tradespeople if needed, the use of the homeowner's own possessions wherever possible, and if warranted household furnishings and accent pieces at a reasonable monthly rental rate. 


The Housing Urban Development (HUB) in the States did a study which showed that Staged homes sold for 17% more than the list price on average. Another study by Joy Valentine looked at 2772 homes over six months in eight US cities, from March to September 1999, and found that the average selling time was 13.9 days for staged homes versus 30.89 days for others. On average these staged homes sold for 6.4% over list price. 


In some cases the Staging process makes the difference between a house that sells and one that sits forever unwanted on the market. How do you meaure that? 

A Word About Today's Home Buyers

Buyers today have high expectations. They want to be shown properties which are in good repair, with current colors and finishings. They want to easily see if the house will be a good fit for them with little or no work needed. 


Home staging helps meet these expectations by arranging for trades people to get work done and/or redressing the house to show at its best.

Things to Consider when Staging a Home

Here are a few things to consider if you are about to stage and sell your home...
1. 90% of people cannot visualize, so having help in choosing the colors and materials for a home turns an impossible task into an enjoyable experience. The results are beautiful! 
2. Painting is a wonderful selling tool when the right colours are chosen. Removing old wallpaper may be the first step.
3. If you are about to change a room in your house, begin with what you want to use it for and how you want it to feel. 
4.  The exterior is just as important as the interior of a house when selling. If the outside doesn't appeal to a buyer you may not get the chance to show the inside. The goal is to show a manicured, easy to maintain yard.
5. When selling, a charming older home will grab many people's attention. Older furniture and decor style, not so much.
6. High quality online photos are very important because that is where 80% of home buyers do their shopping.
~Melanie