Estate Sales & Staging

By Catherine Brown

Without a doubt, one of the most stressful and emotional times of our lives is when a parent or loved one dies. Add to that the work of sorting through a lifetime of possessions, preparing the home for sale, and coordinating the multitude of tasks with grown siblings…and you could have a recipe for disaster on your hands.

Houses where families have grown up and gathered a lifetime of memories don’t reflect the model home image. Personal keepsakes, clutter, lingering odours, and dated furniture can hamper the selling process. A professional home stager can help your family de-stress and get top dollar in the process. The goal of staging is to create a “model home” atmosphere in a resale house – or simply, to reflect an idealized version of how a buyer could live in the home.

One of the best characteristics of a model home is that they are impersonal. A staging professional can rent contemporary furniture and accessories to help prospective buyers envision themselves in the house. Plus, she can help with the overwhelming prospect of de-cluttering. Not only does clutter take up valuable space but it has a personal significance, which can prevent a prospective buyer from moving in mentally. But there is a limit – don’t clear away too much stuff. If it looks like something’s missing, such as a coffee table, it can attract attention for all the wrong reasons. A staging professional can help you decide what to keep, toss, auction, give away, pack away, and where to store it.

If you and your siblings cannot agree on what needs to be done, or just don’t have the time and energy, start by removing personal items and clutter then hire a cleaning crew and gardener. A staging professional will organize these tasks.

Some sellers believe that listing the house “as is” will result in a smoother transaction. Unfortunately, when buyers see these listings they smell a bargain and a desperate seller – and often approach the transaction more aggressively. Listing “as is” does not prevent buyers from asking for a home inspection, requesting that defects be fixed, exercising their rights to cancel the sale based on a contingency clause, or deducting dollars from your asking price.

If extensive work is needed, spread your fix-it dollars throughout the house rather than focusing on one room. For example, you may think a new kitchen will draw attention away from other areas, but it is more likely to cause prospective buyers to focus on what needs to be done by comparison.

As with any renovation, speak with your realtor to get a feel for the Return on Investment. You don’t want to have most expensive house on the block. Likewise, fixing up on the cheap is not recommended either. The resulting poor workmanship and missed deadlines will end up costing you money when trying to sell.

Working through an estate sale is an easier process when you know what works and where to turn to for help. A home stager can help. Not only will your stress be diminished, but your best interests will be taken care of professionally.

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Catherine E. Brown is an Accredited Staging Professional and owner of Staged to Move. Catherine is committed to helping clients sell their home for the best price in the least amount of time. She can be contacted at (519) 868-7171 or by email at catherine@stagedtomove.ca. Visit her Web site at www.stagedtomove.ca.

Published in Networking Today, June 2007