STAGED TO SELL

by Patricia Williams C.S.P.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, that's why Homestaging is fast becoming an integral part of the process of selling your home.

With the growing popularity of various Home Decor Shows on T.V., Buyers are becoming more particular about what they want when they are shopping for a new home. As the Real Estate market begins to moderate, the need to impress those Buyers becomes ever more crucial.

Often the most difficult first step for a Vendor is to de-personalize or detach from their home. The Vendor has to try to consider the property as a commodity, and how it will yield them the highest possible return. This is where the Professional Homestager comes in. A Canadian Staging Professional will advise and assist the Vendor on how to prepare their home to appeal to the widest spectrum of Buyers.It is imperative for the vendor to understand that staging is not decorating. Decorating is to the taste of the homeowner, whereas staging is to appeal to Buyers. Decorating is a luxury; Staging is a necessity.

The average Vendor in Canada is over 57, but the average Buyer is around 32 years old. A professional homestager bridges that age gap using lifestyle staging skills to make the property more appealing to potential Buyers there are various degrees of Homestaging available to suite most budgets. An initial consultation is on average, between $150.00 - $200.00. This amount can be higher depending on the size of the property. Usually the Homestager will provide the Homeowner with a to-do list following the consultation, detailing the removal of clutter and over sized furniture, etc. If the Vendor decides to engage the services of the Homestager, the Stager will then prepare an estimate of cost. The estimate is obviously based on the size of the home, budget and degree of staging required. A 2005 Poll conducted by Maritz Research revealed that up to 79%of Canadians were prepared to invest up to $5,000 to prepare their home for sale.

Most often, a Homeowner will be introduced to a professional Homestager by their Realtor. By delegating the task of pointing out what needs to be done to the home to prepare it for sale, the Realtor does not have to run the risk of offending their clients and possibly loosing their business. The main benefits Homestaging provides to a Vendor and their Realtor are, the huge edge over the competition and staged homes generally sell for more money and have fewer days on the market.

As a Realtor, and graduate of the Canadian Professional Homestaging course, Patricia and her partner, Bruce have aligned themselves with Agnes Davidson CSP of Ultimate Homestaging to provide their clients with a truly Comprehensive Marketing Plan to sell their home.

Call Bruce or Patricia today for details of how their Innovative Marketing Plan can take the stress out of selling your home.

OAKVILLE BEAVER  Wednesday October 4th 2006