Staging Your Oakville Home for Maximum Profit

First impressions are important in everyday life, but many people don't realize how true this is when you're trying to sell your home. A prospective buyer has basic information about your house and may have even seen in pictures or video, but the ‘real’ first impression comes when he/she walks through the door at a home showing. An excellent first impression grabs a potential buyer's attention and his interest: this usually leads to a better offer and a faster close on your home sale.

One way to maximize your potential buyers' impression of your home is by using staging techniques. Home staging is the art of rearranging and adding touches to your home that will make your home more inviting. Proper home staging can make a home feel warm, larger, and inviting. Home staging is not about cleaning or making minor repairs. Staging is what you do after you've cleaned and made small repairs.

It’s important to focus on key areas of your home when staging. The living room, kitchen and bathroom should get your attention. Potential buyers are more likely to focus on ‘community’ rooms rather than, let’s say bedrooms, which are more personalized. A bathroom should be set up for maximum open space, especially if the bathroom is on the smaller side. Baskets of lotion and soaps may be added to give the room a more luxurious feel.

A home on the market is sometimes vacant, but a home that clearly looks vacant leaves viewers with an empty feeling, especially if the living room and kitchen appear devoid of a human touch. Bowls of bright fruit and cookbooks can be placed in a kitchen to give the visitor the feeling of a family actually living in the home. An empty kitchen is often unappealing to a potential buyer. Living room furniture should be arranged in a way that doesn't crowd the room, but gives visitors the feeling of use, and space.  Colorful blankets, small pillows, sofa throws and area rugs can dress up an empty living room.

The backyard should get some minor attention as well. Adding colorful potted plants and a small picnic table, if possible, with a bright centerpiece gives the yard a warmer feeling.