Malik Maps the Markets

Rizwan Malik is a qualified fount of knowledge regarding the Canadian real estate market. Rizwan keeps his finger on the pulse of today’s evolving markets. He breaks down its continuing complexities into easy-to-understand terms for all home buyers.

Staging a home comes at a cost and sometimes quite a steep cost, but is it worth it?  What are the benefits and what kind of return can one expect from utilizing this selling tool?

There is no mystery that I am a huge proponent of staging. It is the difference between selling a property and selling a home.

It eliminates the guesswork for all prospective buyers touring your home and questioning how the home will live. How the furniture will fit or in the case of a small condo of an odd space, IF the furniture will fit?  Some buyers are inexperienced and struggle with seeing beyond what is there. Empty rooms raise more questions and concerns instead of translating into offers.

Must you always start from scratch? Remove everything and do a full stage?

Not at all!  Often, I will go into a home and realize that my clients have some wonderful staple pieces. They just need to declutter, remove the items that don’t work and replace them with pieces that do. A partial stage is still better than nothing. The end goal is a sale, so the decluttering helps get an early start on the packing. A win!

Now, if we’re putting in the sweat-equity or actual money doing this, what kind of return can be expected?

Staging can mean the difference between just selling property or generating so much more buzz and interest that will drive your price up by up to 20%! This in itself makes the cost of staging insignificant and leaves you with way more money in your pocket to put towards your next home.

--Rizwan Malik 

@rizwanmalik