Have you thought about putting your house up for sale lately? If so, you have likely encountered the idea of staging your home to sell. You’ll find “how-to” tips all over real estate and home decor sites, along with various resources proclaiming the advantages of staging.

The numbers are in; numerous studies show that staged homes can sell faster and earn more. 

• In a hot market, you can maximize your sale even more. 
• When conditions are slow, staging helps you stand out over competing home sellers. 

Does this mean staging really is the ultimate secret to selling your house in any market, no matter what? The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. The truth is there is no magic secret to selling a house. Staging is an excellent tool. However, it is only one part of a well-executed strategy. Intrigued? Let’s explore this concept some more.

Staging: Part of a Holistic Strategy

Staging is the art of designing your home in a way that creates maximum appeal to potential buyers. But if staging were the only factor, why is it that as many as 50% to 60% of listings just don’t sell no matter what the market is doing? And yes, many of these unsold listings have been expertly and beautifully staged.

We may be a bit contrarian here, but we won’t go so far as to say that “presentation is everything.” It’s a neat catchphrase. Presentation is important, of course. However, selling a home involves a myriad of knowledge and skills, including:

• The ability to conduct accurate market analysis
• Formulating online and offline advertising strategies
• Effective networking
• Creative problem-solving. 

A successful sale also requires the ability to negotiate in all situations and in all conditions, whether the market favours you or not. Above all, you need a compelling price point that attracts the maximum amount of attention to your listing. If all of those pieces are there, chances are you can expect a successful transaction.

Staging at this point can help you maximize your results even more. If any of these critical elements are missing, you could struggle to sell no matter how beautifully your house is staged.

Want to know more about other elements of a successful home selling strategy? Check out the related reading below:

• What’s the Deal with Property Walkthrough Videos?
• How to Make Your House Appeal to the Next Generation
• 4 Must-Know Tips Before You Sell

The Goal of Staging

Oddly enough, you might not even like the end result of staging your home. However, it’s important to remember that the effect is not for the homeowner, but for the buyer. The idea is to create a blank canvas for your potential buyers to envision what life would be like in your home. 

While we won’t promise that proper staging will always result in selling your house for a higher amount, the benefits go far beyond money. Remember that the longer your house takes to sell, the more it costs you in terms of missed opportunities in finding your next home.

If housing prices rise in the meantime, that cost can be very tangible. That’s why the real benefit of staging is to help your home sell faster. In a market where time is money, the investment is well worthwhile.

Getting Started

At Team Rajpal, our mission statement is to empower people. Instead of offering a generic “5 step checklist” to selling your home, we provide detailed education and guidance to help you achieve your goals. We work individually with every client to see what needs to be done, and more importantly, what doesn’t need to be done. For example, you may think a complete home makeover will help you maximize your sale, but that is not always the case.

Instead, a few well-thought-out changes can be all it takes to wow potential buyers and increase your chances of receiving offers immediately. Here’s an analogy that might help you understand the technique. 

Imagine taking a trip to Sephora. The massive storefront offers every product you can possibly think of, and many that you didn’t even know existed. You could spend a fortune on high-end skincare and cosmetic products. However, none of it does any good when you don’t know what you need or how to apply it. 

The strategic use of makeup can enhance the natural beauty of a person’s face. In the same vein, staging allows you to highlight your home’s best features. And as with applying lipstick and blush, less is often more! Consulting with a professional stager can save you a lot of time, effort, and expense by only focusing on what is most likely to capture a buyer’s attention.

What are your next steps? Learn more about some of our top GTA communities below:

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What Are the Steps to Proper Staging

Let’s go back to that cosmetic analogy. You’ve just come home from Sephora with an armload of makeup, moisture masks, cleansers, exfoliators, and toners. What do you do with it all? You start with a nice, clean foundation. That goes doubly for your house when preparing it to sell. 

• Everything begins with a thorough scrubbing and decluttering. 
• Once each room sparkles and shines, you take stock of what repairs and upgrades will give you the best bang for your buck. You don’t have to fix everything. Your buyer will want to make many decisions for themselves about how they want the house to look. Nevertheless, some updates are proven to make your home more desirable. 
• Since real estate trends change constantly, it’s best to consult with a local Realtor® before making any significant investments.
• Staging comes once your house is sparkling clean and all repairs are complete. 

It’s time to get rid of everything that reminds potential buyers of your presence in the home. Instead, you’ll redesign it with tasteful yet impersonal home decor and accessories. Depersonalizing is one way to create that blank canvas that triggers a buyer’s imagination.

After your home is fully staged, you’re almost ready to open the doors to potential buyers. There are just a few more minor details to attend to.

• First, bring in professional photographers and videographers to capture your home in all its glory. 
• These high-quality images will now be used for all your online and offline marketing.

When all of these pieces come together, you’re ready to welcome potential buyers to your showstopping home. As part of a comprehensive strategy, effective staging can help you enjoy a faster and more seamless selling experience. 

Do you want to know more about how Team Rajpal uses staging as part of our overall plan? We can talk about this topic for hours! Reach out today to info@teamrajpal.com or call 647-875-8000 for more information.

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