Selling a condo is not easy, especially when there’s a bunch of similar properties available in the market. But, you can trump the competition with a little help from the experts – an experienced condo real estate agent and a professional condo stager. While you can’t go around not having a realtor, here are some easy and effective staging strategies that can help you sell your condo fast;
- Depersonalise – Time to take down portraits, family pictures, your children’s school medal collection and your personal collection of dolls, records and whatnot. Replace them with artsy pictures, artworks or classy eye-catching accents.
- Declutter – Start using your food horde to clean out kitchen cabinets, drawers and pantries. Raid your bedroom, closets, office desk drawers and storage shelves for things that you won’t be bringing with you to your new home. Throw, donate or sell.
- Start packing. Storage space sell. Cluttered and overflowing spaces are a major turnoff. Start packing to free up space from your closets, shoe drawers, kitchen cabinets, countertops, bookshelves and pantry.
- Shine and sparkle. Scrub or replace anything that’s grimy or stained – faucets, door handles, mirrors, windows, bathroom tiles, backsplash and floors. Vacuum, wash, wipe or clean everything in sight – furniture, the carpet, throw pillows, the sofa, the oven and refrigerator.
- Mind the smell. The indoor smell is something that the buyers will always notice, and a bad or overpowering smell can quickly turn them away. Freshen up your condo air by airing out windows, replacing or cleaning smell-hogging items like the carpet and the sofa, removing all pet paraphernalia and adding sweet-smelling accents like a bunch of flowers or a basket of fruit. You might also want to keep pets away while you are showing.
- Mind the floors. Check the floors for creaks and scuffs. Replace damaged tiles of boards. Clean or replace stained, dirty or faded carpets. A nice clean floor will always give your home a pleasant, well-kept look.
- New curtains up. Replace shower curtains. Choose one with a classic design rather than one with your favourite cartoon character. For the windows, opt for light and gauzy curtains to allow more natural light.
- Let there be light. Replace old and dim light bulbs with new ones. Make sure all lightings are working, especially those in the closets, cabinets and bathrooms.
- Place mirrors strategically. Mirrors, when used and placed right help to create an illusion of bigger space. Mirrors also reflect natural light, creating a brighter and airier ambience.
- Linens and towels. Use your best sheets and towels to sell your condo. Change bed sheets in all bedrooms. Dress up the master bedroom to create an elegant and relaxing room. Add clean white towels in the bathrooms.
- Showcase the bathrooms. All buyers will take a good look at the bathrooms. Make sure yours are ready for their scrutiny. Scrub and wash away all the stains and grout. Polish the hardware to shine and create a calming spa-like atmosphere with rolled-up towels, candles, baskets and a potted plant.
- Plants and food accents help. Bring in some potted plants to add colour and freshen up the air. Beautiful plants and unique are also good conversation starters. Food items strategically placed can also add character and a nice aroma to the room – a basket of fruit on the kitchen counter, a bowl of candies on your office desk, and freshly baked goodies in the oven.
- Spruce up the balcony. Use your balcony to your selling advantage, most especially if you have spectacular views. Dress up your balcony with a couple of relaxing chairs, few plants and maybe a barbecue grill on the side if permitted. Let the viewers imagine themselves having a good time relaxing on your balcony.
- Call the servicemen. Do you hear funny sounds when you turn on the faucet? Is the thermostat working properly? Make sure all utilities are working properly. Call in the plumber, the electrician and other servicemen to check and do all the necessary fixes.
