De-cluttering vs. Staging: Getting Your Home Ready for Sale

75% of Canadians classify their home decor as current while 45% call themselves pack rats.

Which category do you fall into?

Today the real estate market is hot however, that does not mean your home will sell in a flash.

Make yours stand out from the crowd by watching this short video on De-cluttering vs. Staging then read on to get all the great tips that I offer.

Getting It Together’s Top 3 Tips on De-cluttering

De-cluttering Tip 1: Donate, sell or toss any items that are no longer serving you. Fine china set; large vases, furniture etc. Keep only what you need to stage the house and what you need for your new place. If you are not sure where you are moving to, you’ll need to make some executive decisions.

De-cluttering Tip 2: Pack seasonal items, clothing, sporting goods, Christmas decorations, entertaining items from the kitchen etc.

De-cluttering Tip 3: The front hall is the first impression. Make sure the hall closet has only two or three coats in it and a couple of pairs of shoes. Keep the front entrance clear.

Clutter is overwhelming to prospective buyers. It might be invisible to you but not to new eyes.

Getting it Together’s Top 5 Tips on Staging

When you think of staging think of a hotel room.

No candles, no personal photos, minimal furniture.

You will feel like your house is bare but to the prospective buyers it will look inviting.

Staging Tip 1: Take down all personal photos. For one thing, this protects your privacy and for another, the potential buyers want to visualize their family photos in the space.

Staging Tip 2: Clear kitchen counters. A big bowl of fruit or fresh flowers is inviting. Put your toaster, coffee maker and knife set away in the pantry when you have a showing.

Staging Tip 3: Repair. Go around your home on your hands and knees. Look for scuff marks, dents and any other repairs. Do you have doors that squeak? Taps that drip? Time to get those fixed.

Staging Tip 4: The outside. Does your home need a little TLC? How is the garden looking?

My house could have used a paint job. I had to weigh the pros and cons of getting it painted prior to being put on the market. I opted to not paint. In the end that did not make or break the deal. If you decide to paint, keep paint colours fresh and neutral.

Staging Tip 5: Keep everything squeaky clean. That means the inside and outside of windows, base boards, ceiling fans, inside the oven and fridge, floors, walls etc. Prospective buyers look everywhere. Make sure your home smells fresh by using some essentials oils in a diffuser.

Staging is done so the prospective buyers can visualize their belongings in your home. If your place is filled to the brim, they subconsciously cannot picture living in it. Some prospective buyers many even want to purchase your furniture if it is staged properly.

You can stage by simply tossing most of your belongings in boxes and paying for storage or you can de-clutter, downsize and then stage which means you will have a stress free move. It also means you will not have to deal with all “that” stuff in your new home.

Which would you prefer?

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