Dos and Don’ts for Staging Your Vancouver Home for Sale

 

If you’re thinking of selling your home, first impressions can make a big difference. In addition to the financial concerns of selling a home, you’ll most likely need to make aesthetic considerations when you put your home on the market. You’ll want to prepare your property for sale in the real estate marketplace.

According to the National Association of Realtors, staging a home can be a crucial part of the process, potentially helping a buyer visualize the property as a future home and sell the house faster. There are many reasons why you should stage your home, and your approach should make your home as appealing as possible to attract the highest number of potential buyers.

Home staging can involve several tactics, and typical staging might include decluttering, cleaning, rearranging furniture, adding or subtracting décor, and expertly presenting a home to make it look attractive for listing photos and showings. While there are specific considerations you should make when deciding to stage Vancouver homes for sale, there are also some things you shouldn’t do.

Decluttering your Vancouver real estate could be the most crucial step when staging a home for sale. Additionally, you’ll want to organize the spaces in your home as much as possible, including closets and cupboards. It may not seem like much, but taking the time to declutter and organize will help make a positive first impression. Declutter your home in stages, focusing on one room or even one area at a time. In some cases, you might even need to emphasize one portion of a room, such as your kitchen cabinets or bedroom closets.

 

 

Before you begin, make a list of the spaces in your home and prioritize those areas to maximize your time effectively. To help the process run more smoothly, establish a system for sorting your belongings. While there are a variety of approaches you could take, find the one that works best for you and stick with it.

While it’s important to declutter Vancouver homes for sale, you don’t need to hide every little detail that makes it a home. You might want to stay away from overly religious or political items when staging your home, but in many ways, that shouldn’t be a significant deterrent for any prospective home buyer. Family pictures are fine—as long as they aren’t cluttering up your space or taking away from the overall aesthetic, do think about putting anything away that may be too personal. Your goal is to stage your home so that many buyers will find it appealing.

In addition to decluttering, it’s important that you take the time to thoroughly clean, dust, vacuum, and deodorize your home. You might even consider hiring a professional cleaning service to do the job for you. Be sure to clean the walls, ceilings, cabinets, and baseboards. Wipe and clear windows and mirrors, removing any fingerprints or noticeable smudges or marks. Do your best to ensure the bathrooms and kitchen are as clean as possible — a dirty home could discourage a potential buyer from making an offer. Prospective buyers looking for homes for sale in Vancouver want to think about how they’ll make your home theirs, not how much cleaning and work it will take.

If you’re selling your home or placing your Vancouver real estate property on the market, you do not need to make costly, unnecessary renovations to your home. While you’ll most likely want to invest in a cosmetic “tune-up,” it’s unnecessary to put a lot of money into fully remodeling every area of your home unless you know it’ll give you a worthwhile return on your investment.

 

In most cases, you probably won’t need to repaint unless there are significant issues with the current appearance, such as chipping or peeling. Minor additions, including a new vanity or light fixture, can go a long way.

 

 

In addition to making any necessary repairs, consider discussing any remodeling projects with your real estate agent. They’ll know which home improvement projects are worth the investment based on current information and their knowledge of the local real estate market. Typical remodeling projects are often limited to kitchens, bathrooms, and flooring. In some cases, a new roof or update to the home's exterior might be something to consider.

While the interior of your home is important, you can make a solid first impression by tidying up your lawn and outdoor landscaping. Remove any dead or otherwise unsightly shrubs or bushes and put away any outdoor equipment or tools. Power wash driveways, steps, and porches if needed. The outside of your home is the perfect opportunity to make a great impression without spending a lot of money. Seasonal plants, a freshly painted (or cleaned) front door, and other small touches are inexpensive ways to make the outside of your home more appealing.

 

Although you most likely won’t need to hire someone specifically to help stage your home, you want to consider working with an experienced Vancouver real estate agent who understands the details of the home-selling process. Most real estate agents will already have experience staging homes, and their knowledge will help you make the most out of your effort. In many cases, you won’t even need to stage every room in your home, and your agent will know precisely what kind of strategy to take.

 

If you’re ready to learn more about investing in the real estate market in Vancouver or are interested in homes for sale in Vancouver, reach out to agent David Merrick when you’re ready to start the process.