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Potential buyers form an impression of your home in the first seven to 10 seconds of seeing it. It should be dressed for success.
In fact, 85 per cent of homes that are staged to sell go for 20 per cent more, according to professional home staging consultant Tara Melhus, of Staged by Tara, who works with realtors and homeowners to prepare properties before they hit the market.
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“I specialize in occupied home staging. I walk through the home with the owner and give them tips and ideas to get their home ready. I have zero inventory — I’m teaching them what to do with the expectation that we’re going to use what’s in there and to think about the home in a different way,” says Melhus, a mother of two who took a side hustle to the big leagues after her sports tourism job disappeared during the pandemic.
The homeowners do the actual work based on her sage advice. She instinctively knows how to highlight the property’s best qualities and downplay its weaknesses. Suggestions on furniture placement, paint colours and clutter management are all part of the service.
“I show them what to do with what they already own. It’s amazing what pieces people have hidden away in the basement,” she says. “If they don’t have something, I’ll advise where to shop to get the best things for staging.”
When something must be purchased, it’s usually bedding. Bright colours and busy patterns distract buyers from appreciating the bedroom’s other qualities, like large windows or spacious closets.
Other home staging tips include:
Hide dangling cords prior to the listing photo shoot and showings, especially from a wall-mounted television which doesn’t need to be plugged in all the time.
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Shove clutter into closets before listing photos are taken but organizing those closets prior to showings. Children’s toys, shoes, extra pillows and the like should be neatly packed away because buyers will usually peak inside cupboards and closets.
Pack away family photos. Buyers can’t see themselves in your home if all they see is you.
Pick bathmats off the floor prior to a showing. No one wants to stand on a still-damp mat from your morning shower. Put away toothbrushes and other toiletries. A fresh bar of artisan soap, an attractive soap dispenser and a small plant are nice touches.
Pack and purge prior to listing. Any items that haven’t been used for a while don’t need to be taken to the new house anyway.
Deep clean the home from top to bottom, including vent and exhaust fan covers, light fixtures, sliding door tracks and appliances.
Paint walls that aren’t neutral. People can’t see past unusual paint colour, especially in a photo. A buyer’s journey starts online, and you don’t want them to skip past your home without giving it a chance. Touch up walls that have nicks or scrapes.
Melhus will share more home staging tricks during her Main Stage presentation at the 2024 Calgary Fall Home Show, running Sept. 27 to 29 at the BMO Centre, Stampede Park. Show hours are Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Save $2 per ticket by purchasing online in advance at calgaryfallhomeshow.com.
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