March 1, 2012

Home Staging: Preparing your home for sale

by Audrey Larter

When preparing your home for sale, you probably know that your property needs to be clean, clutter-free, and in overall good condition. The benefits of home staging, making welcoming changes to boost home appeal to the highest number of potential buyers, and thereby selling more quickly and for a higher price, are also widely understood and accepted by home owners. Your home is the biggest investment you will ever make, so why is home staging not being done in all homes prior to being marketed by real estate professionals? A real challenge is how much work is too little? What is too much? Homeowners also find it difficult to find the time and resources to follow through on major suggestions given by their Real Estate Agent.

living room before staging

In the case of this Toronto Beach area home, the owners had lived in this detached, 3 bedroom, 2 story home for the last 51 years. To start with, the home needed to be completely cleared out of existing furniture, in order to begin the extensive work ahead. The entire main floor was painted a crisp white, brightening up the space, and providing a nice contrast to the existing dark wood moldings. The kitchen was painted, de-cluttered, and the appliances were thoroughly cleaned. The old window treatments were removed throughout the house. The carpets in the upstairs bedrooms were removed, and the hardwood floors throughout the house were repaired, and treated. Outside yard work was done to increase curb appeal.

The furniture brought in was size appropriate and complemented the mature home. The couch and chair in the living room are classic in style and neutral in colour, and were placed to make the room appear larger, and compliment the focal point of the space: the wood burning fireplace. A mirror was placed above the fireplace, further making the room larger in appearance.

dining room before

dining room after

The home did not have a defined dining space, as the dining room was currently occupied by a piano which overpowered the room. With the piano out and a simple glass table with chairs put in, the space now accommodates family dining.

bedroom before

bedroom after

bedroom after 2

Upstairs, two of the bedrooms had a facelift with new bedding, side tables and lamps. The smaller bedroom was staged as an office, with a size appropriate desk and chair placed against the wall, allowing for full view of the large window.

The end product is a wonderful family home, boasting opportunity. With this property, buyers can focus on the great features of the home and not the stuff in it. When it comes to staging your home before selling, the impact is priceless.

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About the Contributor

Audrey Larter is one of the newest additions to the DeClute team. Her willingness to meet and exceed clients’ expectations makes her an excellent choice for representation. Her areas of expertise cover a wide range of disciplines. She obtained a degree in Law from Carleton University and managed an international model and talent agency for eight years. Having lived in the downtown Toronto and Beach areas for 10 years, Audrey has gained extensive knowledge of the Toronto real estate market. Whether her clients are looking to lease, buy or sell, Audrey provides her clients with sound, well informed advice. She can be reached via email [email protected] or at 416-566-4305.

About Team DeClute

The DeClute brand is a market dominator in the Real Estate Industry servicing clients throughout the GTA. DeClute provides a level of service and expertise that is unparalleled in the Real Estate Industry. DeClute combines three generations of experience, knowledge and success in our market place, they utilize leading-edge technologies, marketing strategies and negotiating skills, while honouring an established tradition of integrity and professionalism. DeClute offers an unmatched concierge service for home staging. They go one step further for clients who do not have the time, resources, or energy to follow through on major suggestions: they stock their own furniture warehouse with showroom pieces for staging a home for sale.

The team at DeClute Real Estate Inc. offers a unique concierge service assisting the homeowner from beginning to end in the home staging process. From the initial home staging consultation to the moving back in of the client’s furniture after the sale of the home, DeClute does not charge an additional fee for this ‘extreme fluffing service’. The team understands the importance of internet marketing photography: people purchase residential real estate based on first impression and emotion. Great photos will attract potential buyers. Great staging will make the photos attractive.