Assuming that you want to sell your home quickly and for top dollar (and I’m sure everybody does), here are some things NOT to do, from a home stager’s point of view.

1. Do not assume that most buyers will love your decor as much as you do. (Most likely won’t.)

2. Do not assume that buyers can see past the ’stuff’ and see the home for what it is. (They can’t.)

3. Do not assume that it is costly to stage your home. (It’s not, considering the return you will get.)

4. Do not try to mask odours with various products. (Get rid of the odours.)

5. Do not neglect curb appeal. (Most buyers will do a drive-by first, often before even contacting the realtor.)

6. Do not leave family photos or any type of collection on display. (It’s distracting and also too personal, making it difficult for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home.)

7. Do not leave pets or various pet related things where potential buyers may see them. (Many people are allergic to pets and some people just do not like animals.)

8. Do not expect to get great results if you do not follow the homestager’s ‘to do’ list.

9. Do not assume you will like your home after it has been staged. (Most people do, but some do not because it has become too impersonal for them.)

10. Do not try to decorate your home to sell….it needs to be MARKETED through staging, not decorated.

My thoughts as a potential home buyer as I tour two houses on the market.
House #1

1. Neighborhood….hmmmm…nice family area. Most of the homes SEEM to be well kept. Very close to amenities, schools, etc. I’ll give it a 9/10.

2. Curb appeal….nothing especially inviting. Lawn but no flowers/shrubs or trees. Front door is white, same colour as house. Has a nice veranda, which should be a big plus for me..but this one is just ho-hum…no seating/plants/colour. Toys are strewn all around it and rakes and hoes are leaning against the house. The driveway is concrete and has a few cracks in it.

3. Entrance into foyer….lots of ‘stuff’ here. Coats, shoes, umbrellas, hats….most is stuffed in the front closet haphazardly. Seems like the closet is not big enough for this family. I wonder if will it be big enough for my family? The rooms that can be seen from the foyer look reasonably clean and tidy…but what is that smell?? There’s the answer…. I hear a dog barking in the backyard. Not sure I should even continue this tour. I love animals but I do not love the inherent smell!

4. I’ll quickly go through the rest of the house I guess. Do not like the blue color in the living and dining rooms….looks gloomy to me. I would definitely prefer a lighter, airier, neutral colour. The walls are so covered with family pictures, diplomas, etc. that it is hard to picture myself living here. It has a lovely big window, vaulted ceilings and a fireplace, but I can’t ‘see’ the architecture of the room for all the ‘stuff’.

5. The kitchen is the room that is most important to me. This kitchen is a nice size but is poorly laid out. The cupboards are in good condition but outdated. Flooring is linoleum and I would prefer ceramic. I would like at least a small eating area, but the layout of this kitchen does not allow for it.

6. All the bedrooms have worn outdated carpet. The closets also seem to be smaller than average.

7. There is one full and one half bathroom, both of which are clean and tidy, but rather outdated.

Don’t think I’ll check the basement or the back yard…there’s just too much work to be done in this house to make it what I want. I’d rather pay $5000 to $10,000 more for a move-in ready home.

This tour took about 7 minutes total. I have lots of time to see the other house down the street. The asking price is higher, but it will be worth it if it meets my criteria and is move-in ready.

Next on the list…down the street I go….

House #2

1. Neighborhood…..same neighborhood, nice for families, close to amenities.

2. Curb appeal…..fantastic. Lovely front garden with flowers, trees/shrubs. The veranda is neat and tidy and has a small bistro table and two chairs…very pretty. Two urns of flowers, one on each side of the front entrance and colorful pots of flowers hanging from the veranda. The front door looks very classy with glossy black paint and brass hardware and kickplate. The driveway is paved with no obvious cracks or stains.

3. Entrance to the foyer…..very similar size and layout to the previous house. The closet seems very roomy and plenty for our family. There is a subtle lovely fragrance in the air…ohh, there is a bowl of lemons on the console table.

4. Living and dining rooms are painted in a neutral color which is great. My furniture would look great in here. It doesn’t have a fireplace or a vaulted ceiling like the other house, but the large picture window and the view outside are stunning! The art on the walls is very tasteful.

5. The kitchen is smaller than the other house but laid out much more efficiently. There is even built-in bar seating for 4 people. Looks like it has had some updates…new sink & faucet, new countertop and lighting fixtures. Also, the floor is ceramic, which I love.

6. The bedrooms are clean, tidy and painted in soft neutrals. They feel very roomy and airy. The carpet has been replaced with a good quality laminate. The closets are very well organized and would suit my family perfectly.

7. This house also has one full bathroom and one half bathroom. They are small but have been updated with new fixtures, faucets and cabinets.

8. The basement has been partially developed with a laundry room, and a rec room. There is also possibility of further development.

9. The back entrance very neat and tidy and the garden is well kept and fenced on all sides.

This house is $10,000 more than the first one, but I can really see my family living in this house. There is nothing at all that needs to be done before we could move in.

This tour took about 30 minutes and I will definitely come back with my family for a second look.

These are a few tips I put together to summarize the most important points (in my opinion) to address when staging a home. Anybody want to add more??

1. The house needs to be clean, clean, clean, from top to bottom, including windows, inside and out, floors, the inside (and outside) of fridges, microwaves, ovens, etc. Everything needs to be sparkling!

2. Remove ALL clutter…this is a head start in getting packed for the move to the new home! Remove at least half of the clothes from each closet…this makes the closets look much larger than if everything was stuffed in there. Closet organizers are great to give a roomy feel. Kitchen cupboards, pantries, china cabinets, etc. should also be roomy and organized, so again, remove lots of ‘stuff’ and make it seem like there is lots of room for the new buyers. Remove EVERYTHING off kitchen counters, except for a bowl of fruit, or a vase of flowers and/or another simple accessory.

3. De-personalize everywhere…remove family pictures, diplomas, etc. from walls. Do not leave all the walls bare though, hang some simple art pieces…landscapes/flowers, etc. Also remove any collections that may be on display (plates, china dolls, etc)

4. Do any simple repairs…leaking faucet, fixing cracks in plaster, squeaky door, windows that don’t open properly, etc.

5. Update some things that won’t cost too much. New faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms can really update the room. Replace worn floor/carpet with laminate. Install new lighting fixtures, etc.

6. Provide highly visable extra storage areas wherever possible….storage is one of the top three things buyers are looking for according to a recent poll.

7. Paint the walls in a neutral colour.

8. Curb appeal is of utmost importance. Many people do a drive-by of the home before they decide if they want to see it or not. If there is nothing inviting about the curb appeal , many potential buyers won’t even bother to look inside the home. Mow the lawn, plant colorful flowers, hang baskets of flowers, put two urns by the front door with plants/flowers in them. Give the front door a fresh coat of paint in a colour that will stand out from the rest of the house. If you can’t decide what colour will look good, a glossy black colour is always classy. Make sure the hardware on the door is in good repair, as well as the doorbell/knocker, house numbers etc. Trim any trees or shrubs that may be blocking views from any of the windows or that hide the front of the house. Do not have children’s toys or garden utensils, garbage containers, etc. in view.

9. Lighting is also very important. Make sure all rooms are well lit. Replace any burned out bulbs. Remove or reduce the number of window coverings where possible to let in as much natural light as possible.

10. Remove any sign of any pets….especially the smells. This is one of the biggest turn-offs for buyers. Also, the smell of cigarette smoke has to be removed. Put out a bowl of lemons or oranges, or a vase of fresh flowers to introduce a natural, subtle fragrance.