Home Staging In Image Home Staging Services Ottawa by stager Joanne Paquette

Why do we need to stage/hire a stager?

Because you have 90 seconds to make a lasting impression.

Because statistics show that staged homes sell on average twice as fast as unstaged homes and for more money. Why suffer through endless open houses when you can move on with your life with a quick house sale?

Because how you live in your home and how you sell it are two different things! It is difficult for most homeowners to view their home in an objective way, as a prospective buyer does. As homeowners, we get comfortable with our surroundings and often don’t see things that need to be changed but a prospective buyer does. As professional home stagers, we are not emotionally attached to your belongings and therefore we can, with our trained objective eyes, tell you exactly what needs to be done to effectively prepare your home for sale.

Because most buyers only know what they see, not what could be. Neutralizing your home will help potential home buyers to visually imagine their belongings in the home rather than yours. Good staging is a fine line between neutrally elegant and flat-out boring.

Because selling a home is like selling a dream or a lifestyle. Even though buyers will not be buying the property in its staged condition, they will be attracted to it because it represents a lifestyle to which they aspire.

Do we need to stage our vacant home?

Definitely. Only 10% of potential buyers can visualize the potential of a room. An empty space makes it hard for them to imagine the placement of their furniure and even the intended use of some rooms.

A vacant house may give the impression that you are anxious to sell, motivating the buyer to present a lower offer.

Vacants show every sin! With no furniture in the room, buyers focus their attention on any possible negative features.

There is nowhere for the eyes to rest, therefore no invitation to stay.

By bringing in some rental furniture (a little goes a long way!), the empty shell becomes a warm and inviting space. Our partnership with a reputable furniture rental company provides us with preferred terms, which we will pass on to you. We also offer a wide range of rental accessories at a nominal rate.

When should we stage our home?

The best time to stage your home is before you list it on the market as the first few weeks of a new listing generate the most interest. However, it is never too late to stage your property. If your home is already on the market, it may be in your best interest to take it off and then re-list it after staging is completed.

Isn’t decorating and staging the same thing?

No, real estate staging is actually more like ‘undecorating’ because a house with ‘too much personality’ is harder to sell. Even tasteful, expensive collections become distractions and may need to be removed. Remember, you are selling your house, not your stuff!

Decorating is designing a space to suit the homeowner’s taste and personality. Staging is designing a space to suit the masses, where real estate stagers remove as much of the homeowner’s personal signature as possible in order to create broad appeal.

Decorating costs money. Staging makes you money!

The difference that Image Home Staging professionals make.
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Do we need to get rid of all personal items?

We do recommend that the homeowner pre-pack all personal belongings, such as photos, diplomas, most homemade projects and also store all personal hygiene products. Doing so creates a style just impersonal enough so that buyers can better picture themselves living in the home. It also prevents them from speculating about the homeseller and his/her personal life.

Pre-packing gives you a head start with your move and helps you let go of your memories and emotionally detach so you can more easily move on with your new life.

Do homesellers usually follow all recommendations given in a consultation?

The consultation report provided to the homeowner during the appointment is very detailed and it could be that not every recommendation will be completed. That is why we list our Top Recommendations.

We’re moving — why should we paint before selling?

Did you know that, according to a Royal Lepage Poll the top three interior features when selling a home were freshly painted walls (30%), flooring (29%) and organized storage space (20%). A new coat of paint smells fresh, brightens up and transforms the space and yields a huge return on your investment.

Today’s homebuyers are cash-rich and time-strapped. They are interested in a move-in ready home. Presenting your home in neutral, fresh colours increases your chances of securing an offer quickly. Even if the neutral colours are ultimately not the buyers’ choice, it is something they can live with and there is no sense of urgency to repaint as soon as they move in.

As a CCSP™ member, our partnership with national paint suppliers provides us with worthwhile commercial discounts.

How much time does an actual staging require?

Depending on the number of rooms to be staged, a staging can take anywhere from half a day to one day, and may on occasions require longer.

We have a limited budget — what can we afford?

Our 2 to 4 hour consultation will provide you with detailed recommendations on what and how to best prepare your home for a speedy sale. This is a great option for do-it-yourselfers. Our consultation fee starting at $200 + HST can easily be recouped in the sale price.