Well you came to the right place!

Those of you who arent familiar with Staging, it is the process by which houses are prepared for sale through decoration, de-cluttering and furniture re-arrangement. Any house or condo, large or small, benefits from Home Staging.

In my experience, there are three things that homeowners need to do to make a Staging job successful.

1. Follow the Stagers recommendations. They are provided to you because they have been proven to make the house more appealing and more saleable to buyers. This includes changing old and outdated furnishings and decoration, storing unneeded furniture, performing necessary repairs and creating amazing curb appeal. Your Home Stager wants you to be successful and is looking out for your best interests.

2. Give your house an appropriate price. Home Staging will make your house look incredible but if its priced unreasonably higher than similar houses on the market, potential buyers will walk on by. Competitive and proper pricing ensures buyers in your price range will see your house which increases your chances of a successful sale.

3. Commit to the Staging process. Being dedicated to the process of putting your house for sale is key to getting it sold. So if you dont want to put in the minimal investment to repaint those scuffed walls, clean the mildew in your bathroom or if youre not even sure that you want to part with your family home, chances are youll have a tough go at selling your house.

Check out this example of committed homeowners who pocketed more than they asked for.

Challenge: A health crisis meant that this house had to move fast but the elderly couple had been living here for more than twenty years and those years of wear and tear showed.

Solution: We enlisted the whole family to deal with the lifetime accumulation of stuff. They followed our recommendations to repaint the house, add new light fixtures, de-clutter ruthlessly and use Staging rental furniture to replace their tired seventies furniture. We transformed this four bedroom suburban house back into a dream home fit for a young family. It worked!! After just one day, a family offered to buy the newly Staged house for $2000 more than the asking price. The twist? Their experienced agent knew the value of appropriate pricing. She originally priced the home based on its unorganized and unstaged state. But, after seeing it cleaned and decorated, she upped the original price by $10,000 knowing that the house looked like it was worth more. So in fact $12,000 is what these golden oldies walked away with as they embarked on their new life.

Remember, your house is one of the largest investments youll make. Using Home Staging as a tool to make your house stand out will reap financial benefits and ensure the transition to your new home is a smooth one.

Ayanna McAlmont, ASP (www.theartofstaging.ca).