After 25 years of home staging in over 8,000 properties, I have been asked certain questions time and again. So, in order to make it easier for you, I have compiled the answers to many of the questions that you may have about staging your home or property.

What is Home Staging?

Home Staging is the process of preparing and decorating a house or condo for sale. We specialize in creating favourable impressions everywhere the buyers’ eyes rest. By highlighting selling features, enhancing functionality and visual flow, we create a desire in the buyer to make your home their own.
We follow a proven system for arranging furnishings to create a positive impact on buyers the minute they walk through the door.

Why should I hire a Home Stager?

It is hard to be objective when you are surrounded by the items and furniture you’ve come to love and you may find it difficult to decide what to pack and what to leave on display. We are trained to help you keep your focus on the sale and to highlight the features and benefits so that a buyer will see their own treasures, furniture, and future – right there in your living room.

How much does it cost?

It costs much less than reducing your price. In fact, the staging process helps to ensure you don’t lose money. By investing in our services and executing our suggestions, your house will not be on the market for very long. For every $1 you spend, you will get at least $10 back, on average 6-14% of your home value.

Our prices start from $250 plus tax for a consultation. Depending on the size of your home and the amount of work to be done, the actual staging services will start at $2,500 plus tax. If you give us a call at 416.274.3535 and tell us a little about your property, we can be more specific. We will always try to keep your costs down and will not have you do anything unnecessary.

Can I afford it?

You cannot afford not to have it!

Studies have shown that when sellers stage their properties, their return is an average of 6 – 30% more than they would have gotten if they hadn’t staged. So, for example, let’s say you list your house for $600,000 and you spend $2,500 to stage it with us. When it comes time to sell, on average, you will get $36,000-180,000 more than you would have gotten if it was not staged. If your property is worth $1,200,000 (the average price for a home in Toronto these days) you are looking at $72,000-$360,000 more.

Consider the alternative. When buyers chip away at your price, they are usually talking by the thousands. Investing in staging will secure the equity in your home and does not give buyers the opportunity to try and reduce your asking price at all. If your agent is planning on setting up your property for an offer date resulting in a bidding war, this likely means you will get an offer, but why not get the best offer?

For example, we had a client in Thornhill who tried the “bidding war” route in the fall, but didn’t get the price they were hoping for. Once we staged it in the beginning of February, they got a bully offer the same day they listed, for $400,000 more than their asking price, which was actually $250,000 more than they believed their home was worth. With a $5,000 investment in staging, they received a 4,000% return. Not too shabby for a week’s work, wouldn’t you say?

I love my decor! Why do I need to alter it?

Decorating is great for living, but not for selling.
Staging helps buyers see past your belongings and leaves room for them to imagine their own belongings there.

When you decide to sell your home, you need to stop thinking of it as a home and rather a house. By being able to detach, you will understand your home is a product that needs to be packaged and marketed. It is our job to help you reach that goal quickly and readily.

I have heard all houses sell eventually. Why do I need to bother?

Well, let us ask you this. Where do you see yourself in a week? 30 days? In 2 months? It’s all up to you. The longer your house sits on the market, the more likely your asking price will be reduced. It may also prevent you from shopping for your new home.

Properties are considered “hot” within 2 weeks of listing. Buyers shopping for their new home race to see new listings that are within their price range and desired area.

What you should ask yourself is, how much is it costing you not to prepare your property for sale? If your house sits on the market longer than necessary, it is actually costing you money – equity is dwindling. It costs money for marketing, advertising, continued mortgage payments, taxes, etc.

Does it make any difference if my house is already on the market?

Ideally, you would want to stage your home before it goes on the market as properties are considered “hot” within the first 2 weeks of listing.

However, if your home is already on the market, staging will decrease any additional time it could end up sitting there. Houses that don’t sell quickly are usually reduced in price. Staging your house with us costs much less than a price reduction. We save you thousands of dollars that could be chipped off the asking price with the time it sits on the market.

We start with a consultation in your home to assess the condition of your home and make the appropriate recommendations while considering your situation. We usually recommend pulling the property off the market to give it a few days rest and then come back as a fresh new listing once the changes have been made. This way you will get a whole new crowd of buyers at your door.

A seller in Leaside tried to sell his house 7 times with 7 different agents without any luck, until he hired us. We had him make a few minor paint corrections, change a few light fixtures, and remove all the furniture from his main floor. After our staging, his house sold in 1 week for almost $1,000,000 more than he was asking the year before. Needless to say, he was thrilled.

What is the difference between Staging and Decorating?

Decorating is for Living; Staging is for Selling.

While decorating is about making you feel great in your home, staging is the art of making a buyer feel at home in your house.

Staging will make your house appeal to most potential buyers. Once they are in your door, you want them concentrating on your property – which is for sale, not your decor.

What if I am using a Real Estate Agent?

Great! Real estate agents love to show well-prepared homes because they know that a prepared home will bring higher offers. Visually, the profile photos used in marketing your home in print and internet advertising will be more appealing and attract more traffic and more showings. Your return will be more and better offers.

If I don’t have a Real Estate Agent, can you recommend one to me?

Sure. We work with many real estate agents in the Toronto area. We will be happy to recommend one in your area – all you need to do is ask.