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EXPERTS WEIGH-IN ON MISTAKES YOU CAN AVOID WHEN PREPARING TO
SELL YOUR HOME.
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One of the best ways to ensure your
home sells quickly and at a great price is to
ensure you portray a strong property lifestyle
within the home. Every home portrays a type
of lifestyle. The key is to ensure that the lifestyle
showcased matches the targeted demographic!
Here are a few steps to help you create a
property lifestyle for your home.
FAILING TO CLEAN PROPERLY
In my experience, professional home cleaning should go hand in hand with professional
home staging. Dirt and odor may not show in photos but it will definitely show during
an open house. Homeowners often miss details like cleaning inside window frames
or inside closets. A thorough cleaning can be a very time consuming process but a
professional cleaning and staging company knows what needs to be done and can take
care of all the little, forgotten details for you! A few other things we suggest homeowners
consider includes having family pets visit a friend’s home while they are selling, making
sure all laundry hampers are empty prior to viewings (hide laundry in the washer if need
be), and make sure all furniture and appliances are finger-print free. - Karolina Jandera, www.
fraserviewhomecleaningservices.com
EVALUATE DEMOGRAPHICS Consider the
neighborhood features, price point and style
of the home. What type of buyer will be most
interested in this property? The difference
between potential buyers for a four bedroom
home in the suburbs to a high-rise condo in a
trendy downtown neighborhood will affect the
property lifestyle you want to present in your
home.
ELIMINATE The one thing nearly all buyers
have in common is that they are busy and want
an up-to-date, stylish and well maintained,
move-in-ready home. Look at your property
from the eyes of a potential buyer and eliminate
possible concerns. Repair and replace anything
that is worn or dated, freshen up with paint
and declutter! Pack up everything you can live
without. (you’ll need to do it anyway) and then
clean, clean and clean some more.
EMPHASIZE Highlight the features of the home
that will appeal to your audience and create a
cohesive lifestyle story throughout the home by
using color, pattern and form to unify the space.
IGNORING OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES
One mistake homeowners often make is failing to properly stage their outdoor
living spaces. This is especially important when you are working with a small
space or a condo where every square foot of living space needs to be
showcased at its best. Adding furniture to a small balcony turns the balcony
into useable space and if it is visible off of the living area, it also helps to visually
expand the size of the room! If you have a larger balcony or patio, staging the
area for entertaining will show potential buyers the opportunities available to
host family and friends. - Laurie Usypchuk, www.lovethishouse.ca
ENHANCE Enhance the property lifestyle with
details and accessories that offer a wow factor of
aspirational living. Think about what will inspire
your target audience. An ambitious young
professional may be wowed by a space with
luxurious modern touches that inspire a feeling
of success. A young family, will respond well to
warm, welcoming spaces where they can imagine
their children at play. Use these small touches
to create that feeling of what your target buyer
inspires to have in their life.
Work with professionals to guide you, and when
done right, these steps will ensure that what
you put in will come back to you. You might just
have a little fun along the way! - Karina Strachan, www.
mojodesignspace.com