![\"Staged](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/StagedHome2.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo: Tommerton2010\/Flickr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nWhen potential buyers walk into a home, they decide whether or not they\u2019re going to make an offer within seconds. By that point, they\u2019ve already had an emotional experience, perceiving the entire space with all five senses.<\/p>\n
Home staging attempts to make that initial and decisive experience a positive one.<\/p>\n
Toronto-based realtor duo Ralph Fox and Kori Marin know about the importance of good staging. They\u2019ve seen firsthand how effective it can be to de-clutter, organize and re-vamp a home before showing it to potential buyers.<\/p>\n
Many of their clients have benefitted from cleaning and de-personalizing their homes prior to listing. Fox and Marin said that part of the reason why it works is because it helps potential buyers visualize themselves and their own things in the home because they\u2019re not distracted by someone else\u2019s personal items or distinctive decor tastes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people have trouble visualizing themselves in a space, so a properly staged space doesn’t need to be done over the top,\u201d Fox said. \u201cIt needs to be done in a way that somebody can look at it and say \u2018oh I could understand where my couch would go and I could understand where I\u2019d put the TV and I can visualize myself sitting here and having breakfast at this little table when the sun comes in\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the word \u201cstaging\u201d might suggest theatrics or bright and loud decor, the end product should be the opposite of that. When staging a home for resale, the objective should be to put the house on full display, which is why Fox and Marin believe that a neutral colour palette and minimal accessories are ideal.<\/p>\n
Marin said she\u2019s heard of buyers who are outraged by the idea of home staging because they think they\u2019re being duped by the sellers. On the contrary, she said, clutter and dirt are the real distractors because they can deter open house guests from a property with good potential and solid bones. Staging, Fox and Marin explained, helps buyers see a space for what it really is.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally good staging is when you\u2019re seeing the house and not really focusing on the staging. Really bad staging is when you\u2019re focusing on the staging and the house gets overlooked because you have weird placement or you have weird colours,\u201d Fox said.<\/p>\n
Fox and Marin compared home staging to women\u2019s fashion. They said that neutral, understated clothing emphasizes a woman\u2019s beauty, while busy, over-the-top garb distracts from it.<\/p>\n According to Fox, a quote from legendary designer Coco Chanel about fashion also rings true in real estate: \u201cDress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.\u201d<\/p>\n Barb Schwarz is the founder and chair of the International Association of Home Staging\u00a0Professionals<\/a>, a global network of trained home stagers based in Seattle. She said that a fresh coat of a light, bright hue like white or taupe on the walls can be extremely effective because it will expand the space, while dark colours can make a room feel tight and stuffy.<\/p>\n Colour is one of Schwarz\u2019s three Cs of home staging, the other two being clean and clutter-free. She stressed that getting rid of clutter is an essential part of preparing a home for resale.<\/p>\n The appearance of a space acts as a means of communicating with potential buyers, and an unclean home sends a negative message about the home. Schwarz said ridding your home of stains, dirt and personal items like coats and shoes in the doorway can go a long way in making a good impression.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s got to be clean. I call it Q-tip clean. It comes down to every little thing in that house. It\u2019s got to be spotless,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Home staging isn\u2019t as simple as cleaning and decorating, though. Diane Black of Diane Black and Associates<\/a>, a full-service firm in Toronto specializing in design and renovations, said that there\u2019s so much more to the process than adding a few pleasant-looking finishes to a space.<\/p>\n \u201cStaging has a component of accessorizing and decorating, but that is not the most critical aspect of it. The most critical is these updates or upgrades,\u201d Black said. \u201cStaging is not just furniture and artwork.\u201d<\/p>\n She said there are three different levels of home staging, each one corresponding to a different price point. The first level encompasses changes the owner should make if he or she is planning on selling the home as-is. It covers surface changes like paint, furniture and decor.<\/p>\n The next level of home staging is for those who are planning on selling their home at market value. This includes upgrading things like flooring, bathroom tiles and outdated fixtures.<\/p>\n Finally, Black explained that the third level of staging is for people who are willing to overhaul their homes in order to be paid a premium. Home staging at this level can involve kitchen renovations and overall changes to a home\u2019s layout.<\/p>\n Surprisingly, Black said that flooring is the most important thing to update before resale. She said that the proposition of overhauling the flooring is exhausting to buyers because it can involve a later move-in date and extra finances.<\/p>\n A turnkey property is extremely attractive to house hunters, which is why carrying out the nitty-gritty aspects of home staging is so important.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important thing is having updated flooring, walls and light fixtures. You need those basics,\u201d Black said.<\/p>\n Effective staging is all about providing a frame for a home\u2019s best qualities. A great layout, spacious rooms and high ceilings only go so far if they\u2019re concealed by heavy clutter and overbearing decor.<\/p>\n<\/a>Photo: Tommerton2010\/Flickr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s got to be clean. I call it Q-tip clean. It comes down to every little thing in that house. It\u2019s got to be spotless.”<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/a>Photo: Tommerton2010\/Flickr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe most important thing is having updated flooring, walls and light fixtures. You need those basics.”<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n