1. Give Yourself Time

Probably the most important tip I can give you. Don’t leave it all to the last week before listing your home or you will be in full panic mode on the day of the photographs and will likely end up cutting corners. The final product will then not be showing at its best, bearing in mind of course that you only have one chance to make that vital first impression. Preparing your home properly can take weeks or even months if it needs a lot of repairs so be kind to yourself and give yourself enough time!


2. De-Personalize the Space

This is such a well-known tip regarding preparing your home for sale but one that should not be overlooked. Prospective buyers want to imagine their own possessions in the space so if you fill it up with yours then the magic is lost and they will move on to the next home. Start by removing any personal photos, making sure to take down both framed photos on walls and surfaces and anything that is hanging on your fridge. Keep clothes stored away and out of sight and clear bathroom counters of personal items, like toothbrushes and make up. Remove anything religious or political as well. While it is true that de-personalizing our home makes it a little weird to live in it is extremely useful in helping buyers to better connect with the property.


3. Get Rid of Clutter

Clutter takes up space and space is what sells! To make your home feel bigger and therefore more desirable edit down to the basics. You do not have to sell the rest of your items, but perhaps store them in an offsite storage locker until the home is sold. Clutter includes any out of season clothing, papers, games, ornaments, kids’ toys, excess furniture and pretty much anything that you don’t use on a day-to-day basis. Buyers will be opening your closets to look at their storage potential. Jamming everything into them to hide excess items will not work, will actually make the home appear too small and buyers will move on to the next house in the belief that your home will not fit their needs.


4. Deep Clean

Imagine going on your first date without taking a shower, brushing your hair and putting on nice clothes. You want to make a good first impression and selling your home is no different. Make sure your home is sparkling clean and any lingering cooking or pet smells are taken care of. If you are a smoker then do stop smoking in the home or garage - as that is a red flag for buyers.


5. Patch and Repair

Don’t put off all those small patch and repair jobs that you have never seemed to get around to over the years. When selling your home you do not want the prospective buyer to be put off with damaged walls, broken or missing doors, dog scratches on the floor etc. etc. Your home must show at its best to encourage buyers to part with their money so even though it may cost a few dollars it is money very well invested. If the paint in your home is tired or the colors outdated then repaint the rooms but keep it neutral as possible. No body want to buy a house that has dark purple walls and red doors so keep the woodwork white or natural and the walls cream, light grey or light beige. Get all those jobs you have been putting off done, repair the deck railings, replace missing closet doors and replace broken air vents. Pet damage to a home is a big red flag so make sure any such damage is all repaired and taken care of.

Take a detailed walk around your home and make a list of all the jobs that need doing. Engage a handyman or do it yourself but do not think you will get away with not doing it. It may only be a few dollars for you to fix it but a buyer will want to deduct $$$$ from the list price to cover repairs.


6. Light it Up

Good lighting is essential in a home. Dark rooms are sad rooms so brighten it up by letting as much natural light as possible shine in the house for photos and viewings. Open the blinds to make rooms appear bigger. Make sure you have no burnt-out bulbs and all the ceiling shades are clean and clear of flies and debris. Invest in bedside lamps and closet lights to make the room feel more luxurious.

TURN ON ALL THE LIGHTS FOR PHOTOS AND EVERY VIEWING

7. Don’t forget Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is basically what buyers see when they drive past your home. Many people will look at a listing on line and check it out by driving by the home before they contact their Realtor to arrange a viewing so do not forget to get this right before you list. Start by tidying up the flowerbeds. Depending on the season remove dead flowers/plants and rake up any leaves and keep the grass mown short. Add planters full of fresh flowers on either side of the front door if in summer - or seasonal greenery if it’s fall or winter. Remove any seasonal décor from the front area, Christmas or Easter wreaths for example will date a listing online and remove any flags that are flying from flagpoles attached to the deck. Halloween or Christmas yard ornaments are a big no no and don’t forget to remove the Holiday lights (even if it is the Holidays!)

Keep any snow shoveled away from the walkway and decking area. If you are listing in the spring months then power wash the front of the home making sure any cobwebs or general winter dirt are washed away from the front door area. Buyers will spend a good 5 minutes in this area as they wait for the realtor to open the lock box - and believe me - many buying decisions are based on what they see at this point of the viewing so don’t forget to prepare it properly.

8. Focus on the Rooms That Matter

If you fail to follow tip 1 of this list and you are running behind time then stage where it counts. Not all rooms are considered equal when it comes to home staging. You want to focus your efforts on the rooms that have the biggest potential to influence buyers’ decisions, and spend less time on the rooms that won’t make as much of a difference. The rooms that hold the most importance for buyers are the living room, master bedroom and kitchen. These are the rooms that you want to focus the most on when you are staging your home. Don’t worry as much about the rooms that have less influence such as guest bedrooms, children’s bedrooms and bathrooms. Having said that if you follow tip 1 you should be able to get the whole home looking fabulous, which is obviously the best way to go.

9. Flow is The Key to Success

What is flow?

Flow: (noun) to move with a continual change of place among the
constituent particles. A smooth uninterrupted movement or progress.

The art of flow in a home is the basis of all home staging and to get it right takes a keen eye and a lot of experience but do not fear there are a few simple things you can do to increase the flow in your home yourself. Keep one accent colour throughout the home in the way of art or decorative cushions or throws. Do not theme each room from a different colour wheel or they will constantly clash and argue with each other and the home will not feel ‘right’ Do not decorate each room in a different style. If you like contemporary then don’t decorative the living room in glass and chrome accents and the bedroom in shabby chic or farmhouse style as the flow will feel ‘off’ and buyers will feel confused. Keep things simple, bright and fresh


10. Every Sense Counts

SMELL – TASTE – HEARING –TOUCH – SIGHT. Try your best to incorporate all the senses for your buyers during the viewing of your home. RED SHOES Home Staging uses several different ways to incorporate this in their staged homes.

Here are a few of our favorites:

SMELL – Remove pet and cooking odors and replace with fresh scents in the form of flowers or a citrus plug in or diffuser

TASTE – Tantalize the taste buds by putting out cupcakes or cookies on a cake stand in the kitchen.

HEARING – play soft spa sounds in the background especially if you have in built ceiling speakers

TOUCH – Create the feeling of touch by the use of different textured soft furnishings, fur, feather, linen, silk etc.

SIGHT – If your home is staged well this sense will be overwhelmed with good feelings

If you would like more information on the services that RED SHOES Home Staging can offer you please don’t hesitate to contact Claudia at

(250)-937-9674

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