Style Profile: You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

Brandelyn Cameron’s Style Profile focuses on local Ottawa Experts. Nicole Rosenfeldt shares why Home Staging is essential for a memorable first impression in Real Estate.

In today’s world, competition is fierce. Selling a home is no longer about hiring a Sales Representative and installing a sign on your front lawn. It is about working with a knowledgeable and professional Realtor who has a team, including yourself, to present your property to give the most memorable first impression. Home Staging is a huge part of the Real Estate process. While most of us live very busy and demanding lifestyles, the taste and the practicality of your family should be set aside while in the process of selling a home. The reality is you are competing with new home builders who have all the latest finishes and designer services. In order to be ahead of the competition, you must prepare your home to be desirable in the eyes of the general population. This is accomplished by using neutral tone colours, keeping your house organized, but most of all, clean and uncluttered. Practicality becomes secondary to presentation and personal lifestyle needs are temporarily on hold during the selling process.

It will be a challenging period especially for families with little ones, but keep in mind photographers are not magicians. They can use fantastic lenses and flashes, but their cameras usually do not have an app to remove the dirty laundry, toys everywhere or the broken window. Take a minute to fix paint damage or loose baseboards. Anything unappealing will be in the buyer’s eyes a detriment to the value of your home and they will question how well you maintained the property. A little time and hard work can save you big dollars and surely avoid too many complications at the home inspection stage. If you know something is defective or in poor condition, the inspector and the buyer will notice it too. Why encounter unnecessary complications or risk losing a sale?

Home Staging is a process and has many levels of tasks to complete to achieve a successful transaction. Most of the work is inexpensive, but in some instances, there might be a cost in order to obtain the best value for your home or return on investment. Your goal is to avoid price reduction or simply be on the market for as little time as possible. The more involved you are personally, the better your results will be! A Real Estate transaction is a team effort by skilled and hardworking individuals, choose well and ask relevant questions.

Be ahead of the game and leave a fantastic first impression. Many home buyers search for their homes through pictures featured on MLS or during a visit where your property is showcased in the best light possible. A picture is worth a thousand words and the potential future owner of your home will analyze everything with a fine comb. Keep them captivated and the magic will happen! You never have a second chance at a first impression.

Always keep in mind a touch of elegance can make all the difference…

Nicole Rosenfeldt

www.HousesbyNicole.com

Real Estate Sales Representative, Home Stager & Decorator