15 Basswood Circle

Staging Recommendations Our goal is to sell your home in a way that is the quickest and most profitable for you. We have prepared this booklet containing some simple and inexpensive recommendations to maximize the value of your home.

Why Do We Want To Stage Your Home?

We want to sell your home quickly and for the highest

price possible. In order to do this, we need to make a few

changes. Your home is beautiful and reflects you...your

life, your travels. Now that you have chosen to move on

from this home, we need to stage according to what

buyers are currently looking for.

This means that we need to change some things...things

that you love, are proud of, and might be dear to you.

Change can be difficult for a home owner who has

carefully selected colours and finishes that they love. This

does not mean that your choices are not beautiful, it is

simply that they do not appeal to a wide enough market.

In order to attract the most potential buyers, we need to

stage the home in a way that presents as the most current,

neutral and move in ready.

Keep in mind that if any item is considered to be

outdated or undesired, the buyer will use this as a price

negotiation. Therefore, making some difficult changes

will, in the end, provide you with the best price possible

in the shortest amount of time.

We have narrowed down the top three changes that we

feel will make the most impact in staging your home:

1. Flooring- One of the top items on

buyers wish list is flooring. We want to

offer them a move in ready home. We

recommend the following changes to

flooring:

Kitchen– a neutral tile in both colour and

texture, preferably a rectangular tile. See

pictures.

Upstairs– continue a berber into the

bedrooms that matches the hall carpet.

2. Paint- Paint is the most inexpensive way to make a

dramatic change when staging. Buyers right now are

looking for light neutral colours, usually in gray tones.

The following is recommended for painting:

Laundry room, kitchen, front hall, living room,

powder room, upstairs hall should all be painted a

neutral gray.

Recommended colour– Metropolitan AF-690 from

Benjamin Moore

Two Upstairs Bedrooms and main bathroom should

be painted a neutral taupe with gray base.

3. Art Presentation- This might be the most difficult as

you have beautiful, unique and interesting art pieces that

represent not just style but also memories. Your art

collection is beautiful however, we need buyers to focus

on the features of the home.

With so much art displayed, their attention can be

distracted to focus on those pieces rather than the home

itself.

Also, as an art lover, you would probably agree that art is

a very subjective thing. If a buyer has different taste in

art, these displayed items can change their opinion of the

home itself and can make it difficult for them to see it as

their future home.

The first step to staging your art is to eliminate most of

the pieces leaving just 4 or 5 select pieces per room. Since

you are moving, you will need to pack these items

regardless so it doesn't hurt to get a head start.

The next step is displaying the items that remain. Select

pieces that are an appropriate size to the scale of the

wall/room.

Group similar items together.

Smaller pieces can be grouped to

cover a larger area. Similar pieces

together can create a theme which

minimizes distraction.

Hanging your art in the right spot will become a bit

challenging once many of the pieces have been removed.

Follow these general rules for hanging art:

Art should be hung at an average eye level of 60 to 65

inches from the floor. For rooms with higher ceilings,

hang at 65 inches.

Art above the sofa should be hung 6 to 8 inches above

the back of the sofa.

Art hung above horizontal furniture should be 8-12

inches from the top.

This is an impressive entry. It is bright and inviting

with a desired double door entry. We want to

showcase this spacious entry by making the

following changes:

Remove all items from the wall including the

shelf and mirror. Replace with the large

framed mirror currently in the living room.

Install a citrus scented plug in air freshener

for a fresh first impression.

FRONT ENTRY

We want the buyer to picture family Christmas

dinner around the table. We recommend the

following:

Remove artificial flowers from on top of the

china cabinet.

Place a vase of fresh flowers in the centre of

the table.

Remove a few small furniture pieces.

DINING ROOM

Did you know the average buyer forms an opinion about

a home within the first 7– 10 seconds of arrival?

Buyers will picture cozy movie nights or entertaining guests in this space. We want them to notice

some key features in this room: high ceilings, oversized access to deck, fireplace, and hardwood

floors. To help them focus on these details, the following is recommended:

Remove all items from the floor. Do not position any furniture or decorative items in front of

the patio door and remove drapery from door leaving only the blinds.

LIVING ROOM

Research finds that only 10% of buyers can see potential

in a home. That means that 90% of buyers cannot see

past dirt, clutter and imperfections.

Position area rug directly in front of sofa. You can move the wooden coffee table from the bed room downstairs onto the area rug in front of the sofa. Remove bar cabinet, and stereo cabinet from room. Place a few brightly coloured throw cushions on sofa for a pop of colour.

Remove a few items from mantle. Follow recommendations regarding paint and art.

“ 52% of buyers said the kitchen had the most signifigant

impact on their purchasing decision”

- Maritz Research

This is where families enjoy Saturday morning pancakes and bake cookies for Santa. The kitchen is

a very important space to potential buyers. To really showcase this room, we recommend the

following (as well as previous paint and flooring recommendations):

Remove all items from on top of cabinets and fridge and all unnecessary items from

countertops.

Remove extra island as well as shelf beside pantry

Consider removing drapery leaving only blinds and replacing red chairs with a neutral wood or

black chair.

KITCHEN

This is a great feature, especially for those who

work from home. We recommend:

Remove drapery to allow maximum natural

light and showcase the view.

Remove centre coffee table to maximize

space and movement in room.

Remove any personal photos.

Be sure the desk surface is clutter free.

OFFICE

Display crisp white towels, hung or neatly folded.

This is a luxurious spa bathroom, an item which is

typically on the buyers wish list. Some items that

may pose a problem are the blue bathtub and

toilet. With that in mind, we don’t want to give

them any other little things to pick apart. So we

need to create a neutral, distraction free space.

Remove all items from counters and floor

except for a vase of fresh flowers.

Art should be minimal and very neutral in

colour and theme. We’re going for a spa feel.

MASTER BATH

“...the average staging investment is between 1 and 3% of the

home’s asking price which generates a return of 8 to 10%.”

National Association of Realtors

“Staged homes spent 83% less time on the market than

non staged homes” -HomeGain.com

The bed should be neatly made for showings.

Crisp white linens give that hotel feel. Crisp white linens give that hotel feel.

The features of the master suite are desired by buyers including spacious, hardwood,

access to deck, walk in closet and plenty of light through an oversized window:

Remove unnecessary furniture. All items on far “window wall” should be

removed.

Simple white bedding is recommended for this room.

Remove drapery leaving only blinds. Be sure blinds are open for showings.

MASTER BEDROOM

This needs to look like a space the family can use. Right now it is difficult to define

what to use this space for with so many mismatched seating areas.

A sofa and chair should be positioned around fireplace.

Bring coffee table in from downstairs office and centre in front of sofa.

All other furniture should be removed from this space with the exception of

wooden cabinet on far wall. (items should be cleared from on top of this)

Follow recommendations regarding art in this space.

FAMILY ROOM

“ 87 % of people said that presentation makes a

difference in most sales”

“ Staged properties can increase the number of offers

and selling price in hot markets”

-Real Estate Staging Association.

This bathroom has the neutral finishes that attracts buyers. We just need to tweak a few things:

Follow painting recommendations.

Hang crisp white towels on the towel rack.

Neatly fold a white hand towel on counter and display an attractive soap pump.

All other items should be neatly put away.

Follow art hanging recommendations.

BATHROOM

Recommendations for this space:

As mentioned, paint this room a neutral

tone such as Thunder by Benjamin Moore

Remove the wardrobe and centre the

dresser in the middle of the wall.

As mentioned, continue berber into this

room that matches the hall carpet.

Be sure blinds are open for showings.

BEDROOM 1

Recommendations for this space:

Remove current items from walls and items

from on top of dresser.

Hang framed art in matching size and tone

above each bed.

Follow recommendations regarding flooring

and paint.

BEDROOM 2

“Photos of professionally staged listings look better on the

MLS, as well as in print”

-Real Estate Staging Association

Showing Tips: Having people walk through your home can be strange and even difficult. But it’s all part of the process. Remember the goal is to sell your home so that you can move forward with the next exciting chapter of your life. Try to keep your eye on that goal as you begin the process of selling your home. Here are a few tips to help you get through it! 1. Don’t be at home. It’s hard to see people walking through your home, opening

doors and making comments. And the buyers want to feel comfortable to look and speak openly. So it’s best for everyone involved if you’re not home for the showing.

2. Turn on all lights when you leave. We want your home to be bright and we

don’t want agents and buyers to have to look for light switches when they could be admiring the space.

3. Open all the blinds and curtains to let in as much light as possible. 4. Use plug in air fresheners with a neutral scent like citrus or apple cinnamon to

freshen your home for the showing. 5. Keep small baskets handy for quick clean ups for those last minute showings.

You can run around the house, throw it all in a basket and tuck it away in a closet or cabinet.

6. If you know there will be a showing, try to be careful what you cook. An hour

before a showing might not be the best time to cook your favorite curry or fish dish.

7. Use fresh flowers to add colour and interest to the space.