With recent news about home sale prices holding steady in the past month, it looks like home prices have finally peaked and even more homeowners will be looking to cash in on their home sale, which demands some new thinking from home sellers to attract and have the most impact on market buyers. Indications from real estate market analysts ? 2007 is gearing up to be an exciting year in the Comox Valley where homes are still selling throughout winter and there are a number of homes still available, not to mention the usual spring / summer 'selling season' that is fast approaching.

With Home buyers becoming more critical of the homes they are purchasing because of the higher prices, sellers may be forced into accepting lower offers, waiting longer or not closing a sale at all on their homes. Home buyers are consistently becoming savvier about the listings they even consider, since it probably means they will need to work more, longer just to afford to live there. If it's a half million dollar house ? It better look the part! This applies to all listings in all price ranges, if it doesn't look like the asking price value; that will be your first impression on buyers.

Cheryl Reynen, professional home staging consultant of; Set The Stage, shares the top 5 home staging tips to create maximum profit from the sale of your home.

1. De-Clutter & Organize Your Home

This is an absolute must do & many people think they know this already, but you would be surprised at how many people don't take this seriously. If you have lived in your home for 20 years chances are you have 20 years worth of stuff that you don't need and don't want to pay to have moved. Donate usable items to your favorite charities & Throw away unusable items.

Pack away religious items throughout your home, remember you are trying to appeal to the greatest number of buyers & want buyers to feel like this is their new home! De-personalize your home, including family photos, hunting trophies etc. These items may serve a dear personal purpose for your home ? but this is not 'your home' anymore, it's a product you are selling. You need to de-personalize the entire home so buyers aren't distracted by personal items or who lives in the house currently. You want to create an environment where buyers fall in love with your home and can see their own personal items within it.

Closets are a major selling feature of your home ? this will show buyers how much storage space a home has. If your closets are bulging with items that you don't use everyday ? pack them! A stuffed, full, and unorganized closet will give buyers the impression that your home does not have enough storage space. Don't forget the Garage & shed!

2. Clean, Clean, Clean!

Everything in the home should sparkle! If needed hire a team to clean your home ? even the furnace and electrical panel should shine! This will give buyers a sense of the home being well looked after. Kitchens & Bathrooms are MAJOR rooms to focus on when selling your home & are the most valuable rooms of your home ? let this show to buyers. Always leave the lid on your toilet down when showing your home & never leave toothpaste in the sink. Dishes in the kitchen sink should be in the dishwasher or even better cleaned and put away, buyers may look in your dishwasher if it's included in the sale! Clean the carpets. Especially if you have children or pets! Carpets too will hold odors that you may not notice. Bad smells in a home will turn a buyer off immediately! And this usually happens once they come through the front door! Don't forget windows & window coverings as they are usually included in the sale. Window coverings can hold odors that you as the owner don't notice but others will.

3. Curb Appeal

If you don't have curb appeal, you wont have as many buyers looking inside your home. Studies have shown that most buyers will only view homes that interest them, and can make their decision about your home within 3 -5 seconds of viewing from the street. Consider planting some brightly colored flowers in the front garden, planted pots at the entry way or hanging baskets. This will help define your door and create an inviting entry inside your home, ultimately giving the buyer looking from the street some interest to come inside.

4. Fix & Replace items

Your best bets for replacing items and getting big returns are in the kitchen. A kitchen truly is the 'heart of the home' and if its dated, dark, dirty, run down or in need of repair; you really need to address these things to get the most value out of the home sale. Replace leaky Sink fixtures in Kitchen & bathrooms. Replace Old appliances with new ones (the almond color appliances your parents had isn't the look you are after). Consider the lighting fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms; are the rooms still dark when you turn the lights on? If so, replace these with new fixtures that have more sockets or purchase brighter bulbs.

5. Create some Ambiance

Don't forget to set out fresh flowers & carefully choose some background music; possibly some soft jazz on with exotic flowers (if in season) or wildflowers found close by placed in vases throughout the home. Remember to keep the volume of the music low, it is only intended to create a mood within the space. If your home is properly cleaned you should not need to bake cookies or anything else to enhance the emotions of buyers viewing your home.

Does your house look more like a show home yet?

Remember what is fabulous for living isn't always fabulous for selling

when it comes to the interior design and décor of your home.

For even more ideas on how to sell Higher, Faster, Smarter ?

Call Cheryl Reynen @ 250-703-9698 President and Home Staging Consultant Set The Stage ? Sell Higher, Faster, Smarter! http://www.set-the-stage.ca/

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