The 5 F-words of home staging

In order to make sense of staging your home for sale, follow the 5 F-words of home staging.

1 - FLOORING

Hardwood flooring is the most popular and therefore the best option for your flooring choice. The floors are beautiful, they add warmth, value and are preferred especially with the increase of allergens in the home - hardwood is much easier to clean. Have as few types of flooring as possible in one home, as multiple materials can make a home look small and choppy.

2 - FOCAL POINT

Create a focal point in each room such as a fireplace, a bay window. Make sure the focal point in obvious and highlighted for the buyer to see. this is where staging and furniture placement really work in your favour. As the owner of the home, circulate and take notes of what you feel are the best features/focal points of each room - this can really help your stager, since you bought this home you probably fell in love with some of the features.

3 - FUNCTION

Make sure the function of each room is clear. If the space is not defined, buyers are left wondering what to do with a certain room. Doubling up functions of a room is not always recommended but in smaller spaces it is often necessary but again be clear, if the room is a sitting room plus an office make the room tidy and organized so the buyers can tell it apart from a catch-all space. For example, in a open concept place an area rug in the living room can help to define the living room apart from the dining room without building walls and blocking the flow

4 - FLOW

The house must have good flow in order to attract an offer. You can achieve this through paint (keep each room more or less in the same colour palette). Other tips - allow 3 feet for pathways in and out of a room; chairs and sofas should be no more than 8 feet apart and allow 18 inches between sofa and coffee table. These tips helps create a free flowing space with good energy and a space that feels large but still inviting.

5 - FURNITURE PLACEMENT

Make sure the furniture highlights the room's best features and doesn't obstruct or cramp a room. Look at the room and pay attention to features such as the dining room fixture, it will tell you where to place the table. Create conversation groupings no larger than 10-12 feet square. Create a focal point such as a tall vase by the fireplace or pillows in the window seat. An appointment with a home stager can help you put together a great furniture plan offering flow and presentation to buyers

Staging in a slower market

There are two very important factors when selling or listing your home today. The first is: the price and the other is : staging. In a slow or down market, when two homes in the same location are priced the same, the buyer will almost always purchase the staged home. Why? Because a staged home is usually better cared for, and it is much easier to visualize your furniture and other personal items in the staged home. Even in a slower market most clients are willing to pay a bit more for the staged home because it is move-in ready and the purchaser will not have any surprise costs.

Statistics show that even in a slower market, 95 % of staged homes sell on average in 35 days or less! Homes that are not staged on average take 187 days or more to sell!

In slower markets creativity is a definite factor when it comes to selling your home. Once a home is staged think of other ideas to get potential buyers through the home - charity event, food tasting, a garden tour. Potential buyers may come for the creativity but they might leave with the keys to their new home!