Speaking of Real Estate …

One of a series of articles on real estate topics. All of the authors of “Speaking of Real Estate …” articles are full-time REALTORS® who work at Tradewinds Realty Inc. in Nova Scotia.

Staging a house for sale

By Lynn Stewart and Paul Crocker

Realtors sometimes have to deal with a “problem” house. It’s in an attractive and conveniently located neighbourhood. It looks good from the street (i.e. it has “curb appeal”), and it’s reasonably priced. It’s also had lots of viewings by qualified buyers. However, it is not generating serious offers. What is the likely cause of this problem?

Sometimes the causes are obvious – for example, untidy children’s rooms. There are other factors, however, that may be much less obvious – particularly to the seller who has lived in the house for an extended period of time. Many are seemingly minor or superficial. Cumulatively, however, they may communicate to most potential buyers that this is not the house for them. Five factors are particularly damaging to the prospects of a quick sale. They are:

1. Clutter

Some rooms may appear to be too small, impressions that may be created or aggravated by there being too much furniture or “stuff” in them – making them seem smaller than they really are. The solution is to remove some pieces of furniture (bulky ones preferably) and place them in temporary storage until the house is sold. (If there is no suitable storage space on the property, a rental storage locker is an affordable alternative for a short time until the house is sold.) The important message here is that a seller should never create the impression that a house may be too small for the needs of a buyer.

2. Inappropriate use of rooms

Buyers who are looking for a three bedroom house are often turned off if one of the three bedrooms is being used as a hobby room, a storage room or for any other purpose than a bedroom. Similarly, a dining room is difficult for a buyer to visualize as a dining room if it is being used as a bedroom or office. Every effort should be made to restore such rooms to their intended use until the house is sold.

3. Individualistic decorating

Another common cause of negative impressions involves the owner’s taste – not whether it is poor or unsophisticated, but whether it is so different from that of the majority of potential buyers that the colour of walls, carpets and window treatments, for example communicates a “not for me” impression to the buyer.

Interior decorators tell us that the most appealing (or at least the most widely acceptable) colours to most people for walls, carpeting and window treatments are neutral colours – the whites, greys and beiges and their numerous variations. These are the colours that decorators commonly choose when decorating model homes or suites in apartment buildings. Their objective is to create a décor that is highly appealing to the largest possible number of prospective buyers, and to create an impression of a dwelling that is spacious, bright and welcoming – all perceptions that are better conveyed by light neutral colours than by pastel or darker colours.

4. Personal collections

Do you collect and lovingly display Victorian figurines, antique butter moulds, coffee spoons, paperweights or other collectibles? Do they occupy most surfaces in the living areas of your home? If “yes” to both questions, the very uniqueness of your collection may distract the attention of buyers away from the selling features of your house. They are often also an extremely strong signal of ownership by the current owner – so strong that some buyers cannot visualize themselves as owners living in the same space.

Most interior decorators will tell you that while such things as personal collections, family photographs and articles of outdoor clothing hanging from coat racks may “make a house a home”, they can also interfere with a buyer’s ability to visualize what the house would be like with his/her furniture and possessions in it. Therefore, such articles should be packed and stored out of sight in readiness for the upcoming move.

5. Cramped closets

Again, the impression that should be avoided is that the spaces available for the storage of clothing and linens are inadequate. Many people come to this conclusion when they open a closet door and are greeted by clothing crammed together on a sagging rail. Again, the solution is to pack and store enough of a closet’s contents that the end result appears spacious and uncluttered. Good candidates for packing and/or culling include seasonal clothing that won’t be used for several months and seldom used linens that needlessly consume closet space.

Decorators often refer to this general type of corrective activity as “staging a house” – in effect, making minor changes to the interior to make it more appealing to more people and, thereby, achieving a sale more quickly. “Home & Garden Television” (“HGTV” in the listings) offers numerous programs that deal with staging issues. In addition, the Arts and Entertainment” television network airs as many as eight episodes each week of a program titled “Sell This House”. They show stagers and home owners at work converting minor (and often major) décor problems identified during an “open house” by potential buyers as they inspect and react to problem rooms in a house listed for sale. The necessary changes are made and the houses sell. It’s convincing television and is both instructive and entertaining. If you think your house may have one or more of the commonplace problems discussed above, it might be well worth your while to watch a few episodes of these programs.

The job of staging a house may appear to be a daunting one but, usually, a few weekends of concerted effort will make a world of difference. If you want to have a professional decorator advise you, consult the Yellow Pages or contact the author for the names of several “stagers” who work on the South Shore. If you contact a decorator yourself, be sure to explain that you are looking for staging advice to help make your house more saleable.

About the authors

Lynn Stewart and Paul Crocker are a husband and wife team of REALTORS who work out of our Chester, NS office. They can be contacted at (902) 275-7765 (Lynn) or (902) 275-7959 (Paul), or by e-mail at lynn.stewart@tradewindsrealty.com or paul.crocker@tradewindsrealty.com.