The Benefits and Steps of a Staging Consultation
The real estate market here in Canada is still hot and there are no signs of it slowing down for this new year. That means it’s crucial that as a seller you do whatever you can to get your home ready for sale and get top dollar. Staging for sale is not new but its benefits are definitely being recognized right now. With a lot of inventory, it’s important that your home stands out so you can get a quick sale at your dream price. I’m walking you through the process of my staging consultation so you can see how simple it really is.
STEPS OF A STAGING CONSULTATION
1/ INQUIRY
Just like every other area of interior design right now, stagers are in high demand. I’ve never been busier and while I do try to accommodate all new clients, the earlier we can arrange a meeting, the more likely I can be flexible and work on your timeline. I try my best to accommodate all requests and be available within a week of hearing from you.
2/ THE WALK THROUGH
This is the magic! We’ll go through your home, room by room. I’ll make recommendations about what to leave out versus put away. I also make suggestions regarding furniture placement. That might include moving furniture throughout your home to make the most of your space. You don’t always have to rent furniture to make your home look amazing. Sometimes it’s just simple tweaks.
Once we’ve determined the best furniture layout we can discuss décor items that can be added to highlight focal points.
Paint is important in making a home appeal to the largest number of potential buyers so I’ll always spend time going over the best colours for your space. If there are maintenance issues that need to be addressed, I’ll include those since they will impact a buyer’s perception of the home.
That’s usually the extent of what can be covered but if time permits, I’ll dive into upgrades that you can make.
All of this is accomplished in just 1.5 – 2 hours. The amount of time will depend on the size of the house but generally speaking 1.5 hours is enough time.
3/ CUSTOMIZED BOOKLET
I certainly don’t expect you to remember everything we discuss because there will be a LOT. Throughout the consult I’ll be working on a customized booklet of my suggestions. It will include a checklist of to-do’s for each room followed by my suggestions. This is left with you at the end of the consult and will allow you to easily go through each room. The booklet will be your bible as you get your home looking its finest!
4/ ONGOING SUPPORT
I offer all my consultation clients an opportunity to reach out to me after our meeting. I want to be available to answer any follow up questions you might have.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR OUR STAGING CONSULTATION
There’s no question that most of the work will happen after our meeting but there are a few things you can do to prepare ahead of time.
- Go through your home and start packing away things that are personal. It’s ok to have a few family photos but if you have more than a few, pack them away. Remember that you always want the buyers to see themselves living there and not feeling like they’re intruding into someone else’s life during a showing.
- Same goes for kids’ artwork. You can leave a few pieces in the kids’ rooms but clear out the other areas so the home is easy to view.
- Declutter! This one will change the entire look of your home. Pack, donate or get rid of things that are lying around with no purpose. This will have a huge impact on your space. The goal is to let the architecture of the home shine so the less you have lying around, the better for a sale.
- Clean out closets. A common complaint with buyers is that they don’t see themselves living in a home because of a shortage of closet space. Make sure you pack away all out-of-season clothing items. It’s a great opportunity for you to declutter your life at the same time. Moving is when we can take some time to go through and rid ourselves of pieces that we’ll never wear again. It’ll feel great when you get into your new space to see your wardrobe in its pared down form.
I hope this gives you some important insight about what to expect during your staging consultation. It’s not as overwhelming or intimidating as you might have thought. And with just a little focused attention, you can turn your home into a gem that buyers fall in love with at first sight.
So often my clients tell me they wish they had made these changes while they were living in the home. It’s hard to see your home looking its best and knowing that you’ll be leaving but the staging consultation can give you a glimpse into what your next space can look like. For me, seeing my clients’ homes dramatically change with little changes is so rewarding, particularly when we were able to accomplish the look with just little changes.
Want to see some of my completed staging projects? Take a look at this new condo staged for sale or this family home.
Getting ready to sell your home? Reach out to me to discuss how KF Interiors can help you.
