“Stop the car !”is the reaction you want to evoke from your buyer.

First impressions can rarely be changed--- so in today's buyers' market , it is a wise  homeowner who  'wows'  the buyer as he drives by . Most folks find the properties that are within their target area and price range on the Web first. Then they drive by the home and if it has curb appeal they will then call their Realtor and arrange a showing. Yours has got to be the best on the block to get the second look!
Staging your home, inside and out, will give you all the ammunition you need to spiff up the old homestead to attract the best buyer.          

So how do you get that “Gotta have it” emotion  in the buyers mind.

As we enter the gardening season CURB APPEAL  is very important.

Just as you declutter the inside of your home, do the same  for the outside .Most staging professionals will come in for a 1 or 2 hour consultation for a small fee and will provide you with a detailed plan. The work  can be done by the stager’s team  for a reasonable fee or you can gather family and friends together and have a work bee . Prune, weed whack, edge and mow gardens and lawns. Spread Green Valley  18/6/12 over all the lawns for a quick pick me up. 

A few basic ideas!

• Buyers need to see the address on the house. Buy larger numbers and light them up.

·  Replace the outside light fixture with larger ones and add motion sensors

·  Take down those Christmas lights after the first week in January they look really tacky.

·  Clean the garage . Pressure wash the floors and clean windows and walls.

·  Pressure wash all sidewalks and driveways. Deweed and neaten the edges.

·  Pressure wash and remove algae on house and gutters. Add new shutters. The rule of thumb is shutter size is half the size of the window.

·  Garage doors should appear to disappear. Paint the front door a welcoming shade so buyers know where to enter the front door. Try  Benjamin Moore Supernova  CC 990.

·  Replace the porch railing with wrought iron.

·  Make it pretty. Add containers of bright coloured annuals.( You can take these with you to your new home.) Nurseries are overflowing with ideas. Buy before Mother's day,  May 10^th for the best selection. 

·  Remove all tacky lawn and garden ornaments--- and make sure doggie and cat thank yous are not there for an unsuspecting buyer.

·  Remove outdoor carpet on concrete slabs and paint the concrete..

Prospective buyers have a huge choice in this market.The  Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver indicates  that listings are rising and sales are slowing.  

There is an old story ---

             A rich man asks,  “How much will I make , if I do all these improvements?”

            A poor man asks,  “How much will it cost?”

Are you the rich man in the story or the poor man? Staging/detailing  your home for sale –and  investing a small sum --- will keep more equity in your pocket.

Article provided by :

Marilynn Currie CSP
Canadian Staging Professionals
"Discover the secret weapon of keeping more money in your pocket"
See us online at http://www.StagingForTopDollar.ca
email stager9@telus.net