SixElements.com

Home Staging Tips

What is a Home Staging Consultation?

Written by -

home staging consultationHome staging doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you just hire a home stager to give you detailed advice on what to do on your own.

This is commonly referred to as a Home Staging Consultation and a good one will include:

1. Discussion of the target buyer for your home.

Think of home staging as “packaging” your real estate. You can’t choose the appropriate package unless you know who the likely buyer is.

The target buyer is determined by your property’s price range, location and configuration.

For example, a house with no yard on a busy street will be less appealing to a young family. Since you can’t change those “features” through home staging, it’s important to decorate with a more appropriate buyer in mind.

A good home stager will begin with a discussion of the target buyer as this should  influence their recommendations.

2. Detailed review of what to do to increase your home’s curb appeal.

Since most potential buyers will form their first impression as soon as they drive up to your home, curb appeal is key.

Many house hunters will decline going into a house even when they have a pre-arranged showing booked, just because they hate the outside of the home.

Curb appeal includes anything from replacing your welcome mat to how to improve the landscaping (and anything in between).

3. Detailed review of what to do to make every room in your home more appealing to the target buyer.

This is a room by room inventory of what you need to:

  • Repair
  • Paint (including specific color recommendations)
  • Clean
  • Get rid of (throw out, donate, sell or put in offsite storage)
  • Rearrange (you may have the right stuff, it’s just in the wrong place)
  • Add (furniture or accessories which will be borrowed, rented or purchased)

Where appropriate, the home stager may also discuss safety tips to protect your family while your home is on the real estate market.

4. Discussion of next steps after the home staging consultation.

A professional home stager can handle any of the items they’ve recommended on your behalf. Or you may prefer to implement their recommendations yourself (which saves money).

Both options, or a combination of these is completely acceptable.

For example, you may want the home stager to shop for the accessories you need and handle repairs, cleaning and rearranging existing furniture on your own.

The cost of a home staging consultation should range anywhere from $200 to $1,000 (or more) depending on: the experience of the stager, where you live (major cities are more expensive), and how much time they spend with you.

Beware of an overly cheap, or free, home staging consultation. It will be a waste of your time, and may result in bad advice that makes your situation even worse.

A true professional knows the value of their services and isn’t afraid to charge accordingly.

Read the 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Home Stager

Debra Gould, President Six Elements Inc.

 

 

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President Six Elements Home Staging

Internationally recognized Home Staging expert Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate across Canada and in the US. She is the author of 5 best-selling home staging guides and has taught over 9,000 home stagers in 23 countries.

When Home Staging Doesn’t Sell Your Home

Written by -

real estate frustrationThanks to “JC” for a recent comment on this blog expressing his frustration that his staged home didn’t sell.

It’s awful to be in that situation when you feel like you’ve done everything “right”. I don’t know JC or even what city he lives in, but he said he spent a lot of money on staging, used the stager’s “hand-picked Realtor”, and even moved out of his house while it was on the market.

Home staging is but one (important) piece in the puzzle of how to get your real estate sold fast.

It’s possible that the stager’s “hand-picked Realtor” was not the right agent to hire for his particular neighborhood or price range.

For example, it’s generally best to list with a real estate agent who specializes in your neighborhood and price range. After all, if they usually sell million dollar homes and you have a $350,000 listing, it won’t get the same attention. Why? Because their commission on your home is way smaller AND they know more potential buyers in the higher price range.

Plus if they don’t normally work your neighborhood, they’re not as knowledgeable about it. So they don’t have buyers there, don’t know the area agents as well to talk up your property, and may recommend the wrong listing price. Worse, in some areas like the one I live in, if you hire an out-of-area agent the other agents in the neighborhood won’t show your home!

There are good agents and bad ones. I have certainly fired a few real estate agents over the years of buying and selling my own homes.

Were there strong photos on MLS?

Unfortunately, many home sellers have found that even after staging, the listing agent will keep the old photos on MLS. Or they don’t take good interior shots at all!

With 90% of potential buyers in Canada (and 70% in the US) searching MLS online themselves before calling an agent to book a showing, the listing photos are critical in attracting potential buyers who want to see the property in person.

If your home is on the market, make sure you see what it looks like on MLS. If the photos don’t show your property in its best light, demand that they be changed! Naturally, it’s up to you as the home seller to make sure your home is “photo ready” when those shots are taken, either because you’ve hired a professional home stager or you’ve done the work yourself. Don’t expect your agent to tidy the place for you!

How well did the agent market your property?

This is another benefit to hiring a real estate agent that specializes in your neighborhood. They know the other agents who have buyers looking there and it’s easier for them to talk up your listing in office meetings, get attendance at a broker’s open house or caravan, etc.

Marketing also includes feature sheets, MLS photos, advertising, open houses, virtual tours, special websites, etc.

When hiring a listing agent, make sure you discuss what marketing they are going to do ahead of time!

Choosing the correct listing price

Choosing the right listing price is critical because even if your home shows well, it needs to be priced realistically for what it is. Get out there and physically walk through homes that are listed in your area and price range to see first-hand how yours stacks up.

Listen to what listing price your agent recommends (it’s best to get at least 3 points of view on this, there can be a significant range) and then compare this with what other agents have recommended and what you see for yourself by going into other listings. Beware that some agents will suggest way too high an asking price to “buy” your listing, figuring they’ll talk you into a bunch of price reductions later.

Seasonality will effect length of time on market

The time of year and how many competitive listings are on the market at the exact same time as you will effect how long it takes you to sell. For example, if you put it on the market at the slowest time of the summer or over the Christmas holidays, it will take longer to sell because there are fewer buyers.

Is it the “right” house for the neighborhood?

If you are trying to sell a 2-bedroom in a neighborhood of 3 and 4-bedroom homes, it will still sell, but it will take longer because your pool of buyers is smaller.

Is the staging any good?

Like any profession, there is good staging and bad staging. Some err on the side of decluttering so much a place practically looks vandalized. Others, add so many cutesy touches and use so many silly staging tricks, they are totally distracting to potential buyers.

In his comment, JS assumed staging was a waste of money, but if it didn’t sell with staging, it’s unlikely that his home would have sold without it. I don’t know how long his house was on the market, or any of the other factors mentioned here. I wanted to share these so that everyone will take into account the full picture of what sells a house when it’s time to list theirs.

Please share your comments or experiences here. They will help others and also suggest new topics that you want me to write about further!

Learn more about how Six Elements can help you with home staging advice.

Debra Gould, President Six Elements Inc.

Debra Gould, President Six Elements Inc.

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is President of Six Elements Inc. and creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with over 4,000 students in more than 20 countries. An entrepreneur since 1989 and author of several staging guides Debra has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate and uses her expertise to train others worldwide.

Real estate listing photo better at dusk

Written by -

real estate listing photo shot at duskReal estate photography quality has never been more critical. I’m dismayed when I see real estate listing photos that look like they’ve been shot from a moving car, or when the photos show a home at its least flattering angle.

As a home seller you need to insist that your real estate agent use quality photos to market your property. As a real estate agent, you need to consider whether you have the time, equipment, and/or talent to take the best shots. Here’s why:

In the US 70% of home buyers search for properties online before calling a real estate agent to discuss properties they want to visit. In Canada, that number is as high as 90%. This means that quality photos are key when promoting a real estate listing.

Whether you are working with a real estate agent or trying to sell your house on your own, make sure you are always showing your real estate property in the best light.
[Read more…] about Real estate listing photo better at dusk

Home Staging Helps Develop a Real Estate Listing Mindset

Written by -

After deciding to list, stop thinking of your house as your home.
One of the side benefits of home staging is that it helps you see your house as a real estate listing instead of your home.

A professional home stager forces you to look at your home from the eyes of a highly critical buyer which is key to selling quickly and for top dollar. If your home is staged well, it will likely contain far fewer items than you are used to having. Gone are the 10 gadgets from your kitchen counter and that table you used to bump into in the foyer. Your bed might be on a different wall and your sports gear is hiding in the trunk of your car. [Read more…] about Home Staging Helps Develop a Real Estate Listing Mindset

5 Real Estate Safety Tips to Protect your Family

Written by -

real estate saftety tipsOne of the unpleasant realities of selling your home on the real estate market is that you’ll have to put up with strangers going through every room and opening every closet. They’ll even look in your medicine cabinet! It’s all fair game, since you are trying to sell your house and prospective buyers have the right to examine everything very closely.

While home staging is key to creating the right environment to entice prospective buyers, much of what I recommend as a professional home stager is for your own security as well.
[Read more…] about 5 Real Estate Safety Tips to Protect your Family

Kids Rooms are Key in Selling in Family Neighborhood

Written by -

If you’re selling a three or four bedroom house in a family neighborhood, it’s important to show kid’s rooms, even if there are no longer young children living in the house. It doesn’t take much to create the look and it’s an important part in romancing the target market for the home.

Home buyers have less imagination than you might think. That’s why home staging can make such a difference in the selling price of a home and the length of time it takes to sell.

When a couple with a young family walks through a childless home, it’s hard for them to imagine how their own family will live there. Questions come up like:

  • Are the bedrooms appropriate for their kids?
  • Where will they play?

kid's room before staging

kid's bedroom after staging



There were no actual children living in this house which had been purchased to renovate and resell. Family homes sell better when they are shown with rooms for children. Six Elements uses rental furniture and props to create the right ambiance, even when no real children live in the home being sold.

Professional home stagers always keep the target market of a house in mind when staging. This helps paint a picture for the potential buyer by staging the house the way it would be lived in by them. With minimal furnishings and a few props, it’s easy to show a child’s bedroom!

Learn more about how Six Elements can help you when it’s time to decorate your house to sell.

Debra Gould, President Six Elements Inc.

Debra Gould, President Six Elements Inc.

Internationally recognized Home Staging expert Debra Gould president of Six Elements will supercharge the appeal of any property. If you’re looking to profit in the real estate market, your best investment may be a ‘decorate to sell’ consultation with Debra.

Rental furniture for home staging adds to what you currently have

Written by -

When it’s time to put the house you are living in onto the real estate market, it becomes a product. Rather than suggesting all new furniture in a resale home, a good home stager will try and work with what you already have in new and better ways when staging your home.

Sometimes though, it’s necessary to bring in rental furniture to add to what you already have, or to replace furniture that’s not appropriate to the purpose of the room, or the target market of your home.

For example, I staged a million dollar home that had inexpensive Ikea furniture in the living room. I moved this down to the basement where it was more suited to a family room. Then I brought in rental furniture to stage the living room to be more in keeping with what the buyer of a million dollar property would expect.

Below is an example of combining what my client already owned with rental furniture that I brought in just before the house went on the real estate market.



Clutter and unnecessary furniture, like the bean bag chair in the center of the room, were removed from the eating area/family room in this home and rental furniture was brought in by Six Elements to create a proper eating area.

Need help with your staging or decorating project?

With a minimum two hour consultation in your home, we will tell you everything that needs to be done in your house before you put it on the real estate market (room by room and outside too). Contact us to learn more or arrange an appointment.

> Read more about our color consulting, interior redesign and home staging services.

If you’re outside the Toronto area, I can still help you personally by phone working from photos you email me. Learn more about this virtual staging service.

Debra Gould, President Six Elements Inc.

Home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements Inc. She has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. Debra has gained international recognition and has been featured in major media in the US and Canada including: HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, GlobalTV, CityTV, The Wall Street Journal, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Ditch the clutter and use art when staging a home office

Written by -

home office before staging by six elementsIf you have a functioning home office in your house, the chances are it’s quite cluttered with papers, binders, “to do” piles, stacks on the floor under your desk and general chaos.

This might be how you work (no judgments here, I work that way myself), but it’s no way to sell your home. Besides, do you want a bunch of strangers looking at your real work, or potentially walking off with an important file?

For security sake, make sure you hide all important papers, clear your desk, shut down your computer and if it’s a laptop, take it with you!

home office after staging by Six Elements
Clutter was removed from surfaces and the floor. Here a large painting provides a stunning focal point for the end wall, pulls in the otherwise bright wall color and emphasizes the generous size of the room.

And for the sake of trying to sell your home, make sure you office looks bright, efficient and clutter free. Even it it’s a little less functional while your home is on the real estate market, the goal now is to sell your home as quickly as possible.

You want buyers to walk in and think, “What a great home office. I can totally see myself working in here!”

To accomplish this, it’s also a good idea to remove all personal diplomas, which distract buyers, and memo boards, which inevitably look cluttered no matter what’s on them. Replace these with a nice piece of art that ties in the wall color and provides a focal point. Make sure the size of the piece is proportional to the wall itself.

Need help with your home office?

If you’re need help redesigning your home office or staging any room in your home, contact us.

If you’re outside the Toronto area, I can still help you personally by phone working from photos you email me. Learn more about this virtual staging service.

Debra Gould, President Six Elements Inc.

Home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements Inc. She has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. Debra has gained international recognition and has been featured in major media in the US and Canada including: HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, GlobalTV, CityTV, The Wall Street Journal, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.