Hamilton Real Estate Today!

Special to "Hamilton Real Estate Today" by contributing Blogstress, Professional Stager and fellow Realtor

" Rachel Vanderveen"

So now that your floors are polished, your personal photos are off the wall, and every tap, light, and fixture is cleaned and shined, it’s time to lift the curtain and allow people to see your neutral confection. But we want to do more than just let people look at our home; we want to give them a showing. Unfortunately, you will not be permitted to stay at home and actually show the property yourself. (Well I suppose you could but I would submit that, that would be horrendously bad choice). So without you being there to show the home, the home has to show itself.

Let’s start with light. Light is one of the most important things you can add to a space. Hamilton Real Estate purchasers are looking for light because they know if it’s not there, it’s not easy to renovate in. So your home needs to look as naturally lit as it possibly can. For this reason, all of your windows should be totally cleaned (inside and out) and the blinds should be totally open. You have no idea how much even the thinnest layer of dust on your windows can inhibit the clear flow of sunshine into your home.

Further, I want to see every single thing in your home that makes light switched on for every showing. Every lamp, pot light, work light, and desk lamp should be switched on to the highest setting. I also want you to put light bulbs into every socket that burn at the highest intensity that the circuit will allow. (Be safe, people). And, sorry, no high efficiency light bulbs. They cast a greenish menacing light into the space that looks almost institutional. They’re a staging nightmare.

I want all of these lights going, even if your showing is booked for 11am. Which means that if you’re leaving for work at first bells, you’re going to need to fire up your lights and leave them on all day. I know Al Gore’s ire would be raised just reading a line like that, but, what can I say? It will affect your bottom line, use the extra money to buy carbon credits or donate to save the whales. So why all the light? Light makes spaces look cleaner, brighter, bigger, and better. The more the merrier. The more you can convince your Hamilton MLS Shopper that you have oodles of natural light, the more perceived value your home will have.

Next is music. Your home needs to have some background tunes that match the product you’re trying to sell. If you’ve got a swanky flat along King Street, you’re going to be looking for some instrumental jazz. If you’re selling a home in Ancaster’s Estate area, you’ll be looking for instrumental classical. If you’re selling home that overlooks water or a pond, use some music with easy flutes and ocean sounds. I always prefer instrumental to anything with vocals. Remember, we’re going for neutral and non-descript in every way. The music should be playing loud enough so you can hear it, but not so loud that you couldn’t have a comfortable conversation.

Now the final details of actually giving the showing: if your Hamilton Real Estate Agent phones you with a showing request for an appointment between 1-2, you should be gone from the home from 12:45-2:15. You want to make sure that your Hamilton Real Estate Buyer has every opportunity to see your home without running into you. Also, you may not stay in the home. No, you may not hide out in the shed, the garage, or under the stairs or wherever else you dream up. You must be totally gone from the property, otherwise you will totally spoil the effect of the set stage.

Having come this far in the game, you can rest assured knowing that most of your work is behind you. At this point it’s really maintaining the stage you have already set, and hitting a home run on those showings.

Until Next Time…

Blessings

Rachel Vanderveen is a Calgary Christian Realtor specializing in Calgary condos for sale, South Calgary Real Estate, Calgary home staging , McKenzie Towne Real Estate, and Auburn Bay Real Estate. But more importantly, she is a mother to four adorable children, a lover of Auburn Bay Realty, and an avid writer of Calgary Real Estate blogs. For more information on Calgary mls.ca, or searching mlslistings.ca, visit her website here.