Common Staging Mistakes

The Internet is the place to go for things we are unsure of. With a few clicks, we can often find exactly what we are looking for! There is no shortage of tips and tricks online and through television shows about preparing a house for sale. While some of these ideas can be easily applied to a DIY experience,
in our experience, home staging is not a “one size fits all” sort of service.

As such, we have provided you with the most common mistakes that today’s home sellers often make so that you can avoid these traps:Leaving Rooms Empty Empty rooms tend to appear smaller to potential buyers and can raise concerns regarding optimal furniture placement and fit. Unfortunately, only 10% of your buyers can visualize a space beyond what is in front of them, so leaving rooms empty can leave 90% of your buyers frustrated and uncertain of the room’s true potential.

1.Leaving Rooms Empty

Empty rooms tend to appear smaller to potential buyers and can raise concerns regarding optimal furniture placement and fit. Unfortunately, only 10% of your buyers can visualize a space beyond what is in front of them, so leaving rooms empty can leave 90% of your buyers frustrated and uncertain of the room’s true potential

2.Staging with Random Furniture

The goal of home staging is to help to define and showcase a space for prospective buyers. The staging elements should be inviting and help to sell buyers on the overall experience of living in the home. The only thing worse than leaving a room empty is filling the room with random and distracting excess furniture and décor. If you cannot secure the right items for a space, it is better to leave that space empty.

3.DIY Staging 

In a world that allows easy access to answers to almost any question with just a few keystrokes, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with information, and even easier to misinterpret the advice provided in these free resources. From borrowing the wrong style/size items from a friend or family member to painting your home in a colour that your neighbour used in their home and absolutely loved, we recommend exercising caution when making these staging decisions. Every home is unique and incorrectly implemented home staging principles and techniques can result in an inconsistent flow and disconnected style in the home. 

4.Leaving Walls Bare 

Homeowners commonly suffer from a fear of commitment – to artwork. Afraid to put holes in the walls until they find that “perfect piece”, many find themselves inadvertently living with an incomplete room for years. Wall décor helps to pull a room together, ensuring that the eye is drawn to the room as a whole, rather than any one element or area, and empty walls tend to “cut” the room in half visually. Additionally, personal photos or certificates should be removed from walls and replaced with neutral art selections.

5.Too Much Furniture 

When selling your home, less really is more. Ensure that furniture and other items are not interrupting the proper flow of the room. Too much furniture will make the room look busy and crowded. Remove the dresser or extra couch that doesn’t fit in the room and ensure that all walkways are clear. Buyers will not notice that a piece of furniture is missing from a room, but they will notice a room that is furnished awkwardly.

6. Odours 

It’s often difficult to detect odours in your own home, but if you have pets, previous moisture damage, or smoke cigarettes or cigars in your house, these lingering odours will raise red flags with potential buyers. Avoid covering these with artificial air fresheners and instead work to remove the source. Remove pets from the property, if possible, for the time the house is on the market, fix damaged areas, air out the house, paint the walls, and smoke outside.

7.Poor Listing Photos 

Most real estate agents today recognize the importance of professional photography and will include this as a part of your listing package, after all, 90% of home buyers shop online first! You’ve worked hard to set up your home to sell, be sure that this comes through with quality photos as well.

8.Underestimating “Clean” 

When listing your home for sale, you will want to take your cleaning to a whole new level and ensure that it is white glove clean before your first showing. This is exactly how it sounds – leave no stone unturned and clean every surface, nook, and cranny. Of course, if you already live this way (and much respect if you do), then you can check this one off your to-do list now!