Home Staging has skyrocketed in popularity since its emergence in the 1970’s. Although it has been around for a while, it is only within the most recent decade that Home Staging has become the staple that it is now when selling homes. To some, this is still a well-kept secret, to others it is a necessity to sell their home. Some Realtors have become so pleased with the results that they make it a rule to stage every home they list. There are, however, realtors and sellers alike, that are unaware of the money they are leaving on the table from having an un-staged home.
We thought that it was time to clear up any misconceptions you may have about what Home Staging is (or Property Showcasing as we refer to it).
Below we will give you a complete guide to Home Staging including: what it actually entails, what to except during the process, and what it is not.
What Is Home Staging?
Home Staging (or Property Showcasing) is a service that is performed prior to listing your home for sale. The purpose is to present your house in such a way that allows your buyer to see the most potential in it while downplaying the more undesirable qualities. A designer, or certified Home Stager (or Property Stylist) will create a design for your home including art, décor, furniture, textiles, etc. In the end it will be installed and put together by the hand of the Stager. The purpose is to not just make the house look pretty; much more is taken into account than that. Our Property Stylist, for example, takes into consideration the market, the unique characteristics of your home, the target demographic of buyers for your home, and following a design that incorporates proper use of colour, continuity, theme, and flow.
This resource ensures that your home stands out against your competition. It shows your home in a professional light and brings forth all the best your house has to offer. Due to approx. 99% of people shopping online, the photos that you have online become the first impression on your buyer. Listings with photos of a staged home not only perform well because the design is eye catching but because of how well-proportioned the house looks. Stagers take into account the size of each room and fill it with size-appropriate furniture and décor. This results in your house not looking crowded, with each room regardless of size, seeming functional and spacious.
As you can see, there is a lot that Stagers take into account to serve you best.
Our Property Showcasing Process
1. A consultation between the Property Stylist and the seller marks the first step in determining the target buyer for your home and laying out a map for how the home should be styled to appeal that buyer. The Stylist will make all the notes and take all pictures that are required to start planning out the best design for your home. The notes they make will be for their own use however, our Stylist suggests that their client take notes throughout the consult with the recommendations and comments provided.*Below you will find this list.
2. After the consultation, the stylist will begin planning a furniture and décor package that suits the sellers needs and the best possible outcome of the house. Behind the scenes the stylist will manage the communication, timelines, and accessibility (like parking and furniture delivery), between the agent, the client, the furniture rental company (if applicable), and any other members of the Property Showcasing team.
3. Design planning takes the greatest amount of time; meticulously reviewing photos, notes, measurements, while artistically hand selecting the décor, art, furniture, etc. After every detail has been addressed everything will be packed and secured for delivery.
4. Installation day is the day where all the aforementioned items are delivered and set up. Depending on the size of the house, this can take a couple days but commonly completed within one day. Every detail is taken care of during this phase such as hanging the art, arranging the furniture, and decorating.
5. Afterwards, the Realtor’s photographer will come to take photos of the space so that you can stand out against your competition online. For occupied listings (meaning they are currently living in the styled home), Total Home offers an additional white glove service for these listings which entails our Stylist coming back to do style touch ups prior to the photos being taken.
6. Once the property has been SOLD, the team comes back to de-style all the contents, including having the furniture picked up, art and decor removed and all inventory packed and restocked. This process, much like the showcasing process, is often done in the course of one day (and in large properties 2 or 3).
The Recommendations
As stated above, there are a list of recommendations that our Stylist will make to the seller. There is a bit of misconception about who is responsible to complete the tasks listed below, but they must be done by the seller, although our Stylist will coach you on how to accomplish everything that applies to your house.
Here is what our Stylist might instruct as pre-showcasing tasks.
- Deep Cleaning by homeowner or professional cleaner
- Organizing by homeowner or professional organizer.
- De-cluttering by homeowner or professional organizer.
- De-personalizing by homeowner or professional organizer.
- General repairs we recommend that you hire a trusted professional as you don’t want bad work done, especially since you will be showing your house and people will be looking for flaws.
- Painting again we recommend professional help unless you are very confident in your painting skills.
- Moving/Removing items by homeowner or professional mover.
- Yard maintenance by homeowner or professional landscaper.
Often our clients will ask if we can facilitate these tasks and depending on the professional trades your Property Stylist has in their repertoire, it can be arranged for an extra cost (it is NOT part of the regular styling fees). It is wise to keep in mind that this is not always an option as many Stylist operate solo.
We hope that at this point you feel well equipped should the day come when you need Property Showcasing. Total Home is dedicated to delivering the best quality service and innovative, modern Property Showcasing.
Ready to embark upon Home Staging? Let Cindy help you further! Click here to check out this helpful companion video to continue your staging journey!
If there are any questions that you had about Property Showcasing that we did not answer here, check out one of our other Staging blogs or contact our award winning Property Stylist, Cindy Lutes through our contact form: https://yourtotalhome.ca/contact-us/
