When setting out to sell your home, it is important to be mindful of the perception of the buyer; they are looking not just for shelter, but also for a place to throw down roots, and call “Home”. By taking the time to create a pleasing environment, you not only enhance the opportunity to grab your buyer’s heart, but also increase the likelihood of acquiring your asking price. So if you’re getting ready to sell and want to be pro-active about moving, here are a few tips on how to make your home the dwelling of choice.
Paring Down – Knowing that closing dates are often in the range of between 45 and 90 days from date of sale, there is no time like the present to begin preparing for your move. We recommend streamlining your belongings in advance of going to market.
Paring down is straight-forward, yet admittedly, challenges exist; there is always a balance between practicality and sentimentality. First, you need to eliminate everything from the property that won’t be moving with you. Get rid of furniture that is past its prime; make closets more spacious by donating old clothes and empty drawers of those ubiquitous odds and ends.
Next, pre-pack some of your belongings. By streamlining, your residence will look more light, airy and spacious. Start with hiding away seasonal clothing, rarely used linens, and out of season gear – which will have the two-pronged effect of creating space in your closet- and making your life easier, come moving day. Face it, there is nothing more effective to dissuade a buyer than opening a closet stuffed to the ceiling and being unable to easily close the door. It screams “This house lacks storage!”
Fluffing – A home that is fresh and clean, simply, is a home that is visibly loved. Sometimes you need to spend money in order to make money- and when preparing to sell your house- this certainly holds true. A little investment in touching-up or re-painting a feature room, placing new carpeting on your stairs, or laying new linoleum across your basement floor can work wonders in making your home stand out, and also underscores the chances of getting the price you want. Replacing old light fixtures with track lighting, changing broken handles on doors and cabinets, or adding a wall of storage shelving in the garage can give your home a discerning, well-maintained edge in the minds of buyers, over properties in the same price range.
Fluffing is strategic. A home that comes to market with the smell of fresh paint, new carpet and a glow from an intense scrubbing tells prospective buyers you’re house proud, which provides a visual and scented cue that says you care about where you live- and this sense of pride goes a long way to enhance value and communicate worth. Who wouldn’t find that appealing?
Staging – An entire new industry has emerged over the past decade called ‘staging’, where people advise home sellers on how to make their homes more appealing to buyers. Much like ‘propping’ in shelter magazines, where the magazine editors bring in their own pieces to create a more appealing ‘stage set’, there are businesses that bring in quality furnishings, rented art and masses of flowers to produce the illusion of a beautiful, well-loved home.
No question. As a strategy, staging is effective. We can say, with evidence gleaned from our experience, that a vacant property can command a lower price because of gaps on both visual and emotional levels. This is simply because it is difficult for buyers to visualize the scale of a space when furnishings are absent, and because an empty property doesn’t convey the feelings of home – the very emotional connections buyers seek are missing. Creating an alluring dream home for a buyer to fall madly in love with is the goal of effective staging.
It’s not a ploy, it’s a strategy! While we do not suggest that you set to baking aromatic goods in advance of a showing, we do encourage the strategic placement of cues to create emotional connections. An enormous vase of fresh flowers injects life in a room, creating a pleasant scent while drawing critical eyes away from possible flaws- like floor scratches or cracked plaster- resulting in a highly functional, visually appealing focal point as well. To create an oasis for escape from the daily grind, stock bundles of new over-sized bath sheets next to a soaking tub to emit calm and serenity. Place accoutrements for a meal on the kitchen counter to suggest that your space is perfect for gathering people round your table. Don’t underestimate the power of the olfactory influence in total experience, either. Wood burning in your fireplace or even lightly-scented candles are irresistible to prospective buyers. Paring down, fluffing and staging provide prospective buyers cues that subliminally whisper ‘home’ and give you the competitive edge, encouraging a faster sale at a better price.
Our Free urbaneer.com Style Enhancement Service For homeowners who would like to get the highest price, urbaneer.com offers our exclusive Style Enhancement Service as part of our listing package. Along with providing a property-specific list of improvements and tasks to elevate your dwelling’s presentation and maximize your return on investment, urbaneer.com also has its own home furnishings storage facility filled with unique furnishings, art, and accessories geared to today’s decor trends, along with items which are little unusual and eclectic to make your property more memorable. Working with your existing furnishings, we’ll come in and Style Enhance your residence to achieve the highest price possible.
Do you have questions? As real estate practitioners who monitor trends and markets in housing, we offer consumers insight and assistance in making rational and educated decisions about real estate. Specializing in renovated and restored character dwellings, low-maintenance living, revenue-producing income properties and loft conversions, call us now at 416-322-8000.
We’re here to earn your trust, then your business.
Steven Fudge and the urbaneer team
Sales Representatives
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage
(416) 322-8000
www.urbaneer.com • info@urbaneer.com
