Fluffing for Dollars - Vancouver Magazine article…
Blog entry for Lance Phillips of Macdonald Realty, North Shore and Vancouver Real Estate Specialist, 604-926-6718 or 604-861-6767
There is an interesting article in the March 2006 issue of the Vancouver magazine that addresses the benefits of home staging. The writer, Michael Harris, states that, “Home staging has become big business because it adds big bucks to the sale price.” Here is an excerpt from the article, titled “Fluffing for Dollars”:
Who Says You Need a Professionald Stylist?
You’ve been on a first date before. This is no different. First impressions are everything; floss your teeth, cover odours and don’t bring up religion or politics. For the staging-savvy home seller, here are six easy steps that’ll have ‘em begging for your number:
Neat bushes, etc. Slow, neck-craning drive-bys occur long before prospective buyers even fondle the knob on your front door. If the yard is festooned with rusty tricycles and half-fermented droppings from your fruit tree, you’ve just committed the equivalent of garlic breath.
Ex-Nay on the Esus-Jay. Religious icons and intimate artifacts (anything from tampon boxes to diplomas) make prospective buyers feel edgy. Even that piece of artwork Timmy made from dry pasta and a glue gun is just rat food to the unbiased observer. And speaking of kids…
Get Rid of Children and Other Animals. Remember how your co-workers didn’t care that your child was born? Prospective homebuyers care even less. In fact, family portraits are a major no-no. How can someone imagine their own life in a house where your’s won’t butt out?
Fresh Flowers. Like on a first date, the key to home staging is fooling prospective takers into believing you offer them a lifestyle they don’t deserve. Tuplis do the trick. “The people who live here are fabulous,” your buyer will think. “I, too, could be fabulous if I bought this house.”
Easy on the Curry. You brush your teeth if you want a smooch, don’t you? So why would you fill your house with pungent aromas when trying to sell?
Fixer Up. Damaged goods don’t second dates. Tighten dripping faucets and flue down the carpet.
To read the entire “Fluffling for Dollars” article by Michael Harris, pick up the March issue of the Vancouver magazine.
If you are interested in finding out about home staging, Lance Phillips is pleased to pass along the name of a great contact in that business. Her name is Patti Houston of Fluff Rentals, 604-876-3747. Her e-mail is info@rentfluff.com and website is www.rentfluff.com
For any real estate inquiries or to discuss the benefits of home staging, please contact Lance Phillips of Macdonald Realty, 604-926-6718 or 604-861-6767.