Your house is listed, and you’ve put up the for-sale sign in the yard! But now what? You’re nervous, excited, scared! Is someone going to fall in love with it like you did? Will they appreciate all the love and care you put into your home?

We like to make selling your home relatable to something we’ve all done a time or two. Think back to when you went on a first date. Yeah, we just said that… first date. Do you remember it? You had a lot of similar feelings at that time too. But you didn’t just roll out of bed, grab whatever clothing was in the laundry basket (clean or otherwise) and run out the door. No, you showered, put together the perfect outfit to accentuate your best assets, highlighted your best facial features with make up or a shave, and lastly spritzed on a little bit of perfume or cologne for the finishing touch! You “staged” yourself to stand out from everyone else. Well, guess what? Selling your home is a similar concept.

Stay with us and we will tell you how to stage your house for its “first date” with potential buyers.

Step One: When it’s time to start getting ready for your date, you jump in the shower, or you should. You get your skin glowing, get everything smelling fresh and clean, maybe even find the razor again. Do the same thing with your house. Clean everything thoroughly and bring that sparkle back. This will also help eliminate any odor you may have gone nose blind to. Take the cleaning outside too! Shovel sidewalks in the winter, trim the bushes in the summer this makes the home appear larger and stand out.

Step Two: The first date outfit is crucial. You want something that shows off your best attributes of course but doesn’t show anything extra so maybe you throw on some spanks or possibly layer a plaid shirt over a black T. This step can be the most frustrating one of all. Well good news, when it comes to your house “bigger is better baby” and isn’t that refreshing! Start by decluttering your spaces. Remove appliances from kitchen counters and islands, clean off your coffee table, and put away any remotes, books, blankets, etc. You can also pare down your furniture; swap out that oversized sectional for a love seat and maybe a couple of accent chairs. Mirrors are also a great way to help an area look larger. Buyers will love the feel of the open space that also looks lived in.

Okay Step Three: You’re showered, and your outfit is ready! It’s time to apply a little make up or maybe trim up that beard to highlight that beautiful/handsome face. This same idea can be applied to your house. Lighting is key to accentuate the features of your home. Make sure blinds and curtains are open to add maximum natural light. Add lamps to darker areas to enhance the space. Try adding some fluffy towels, a fancy soap, and some flameless candles to bathrooms for that spa-feeling. And just like with make up, fill in any knicks or dings with wall or door filler.

Step Four: Finally, you have arrived at the date! Conversation should be fun, interesting, and engaging. You’re getting to know each other slowly; this is not the date to deep dive into your family. That can be a fun surprise for later. The same goes for your house. Buyers want to picture themselves in your home, they don’t want to see a picture of that time your family was casually in the woods at dusk in the fall or that time Grandma turned 70. While we’re sure your family is beautiful, you want to show off your house not your family. Put these pictures away for your new home, and instead use neutral hangings and accessories with varied textures and colours to add a “pop” without being overwhelming.

By following these staging tips you’re sure to get your house that second date, we mean showing! Then before you know it, much like that first date that led to signing a contract, you’ll be signing off on your home to a new family to make new memories.

Cheers,

The Beech Woolger Team