As a Toronto real estate agent, you can imagine how many clients we meet with that have spent several years in their family home and have been out of the real estate game for 30+ years. It is no wonder that sellers often bock at the idea of having to clear out their home, make minor updates and most of all DEPERSONALIZE their home.
I recently met with a seller who mentioned their listing agent had encouraged them to depersonalize their family home before it went on the market. The biggest push was to paint the natural wood paneling white and remove photographs and artwork so the new buyer could picture themselves in there.
They begrudgingly replaced flooring, updated the kitchen, painted the wood white and left the art in place. As an artist, they mentioned it was blasphemy to hide away their talent and treasures. Now I assure you they did in fact have talent, BUT the art was not neutral and would be polarizing to the potential buyers that would inevitably come through with critique.
The home boasted an incredible outdoor space, a blank canvas ready to be filled with a family playing soccer in the summer or hockey on a backyard rink in the winter. It could host family picnics or reunions. I imagined baby showers and bridal showers, sleeping under the stars or a hearty barbecue for the neighbours. The outside was perfect—but the inside painted a picture of who lived there and how they lived. It was difficult to see past the decor for some buyers. It sat on the market almost 6 weeks which was unheard of for the time and then it sold quietly under asking.
The SO&Co. team takes the staging and depersonalizing process very serious as we know what an impact this can have on time on the market and sale price. I thought I would share some easy tips on how to depersonalize your home and appeal to a wide array of buyers!
Prepare to say goodbye: It may be an emotional time saying goodbye to your home. Take the time go through your home and photograph any rooms you may want to remember in days to come before changing its appearance. One client mentioned doing a video walk through of the couple’s first home voicing it like “How I met your mother” addressing their future children. I’m getting choked up!
Pack it up: Remove photographs, portraits, children’s schoolwork and art along with any sport’s trophies, medals and scholastic diplomas and degrees. While sentimental to you, it does nothing to neutralize your home decor, remember you are selling a dream where the buyer can see themselves in your home, not you.
Can the collections: Do you love model cars? Sports jerseys? That’s awesome—so do we, but your buyer may not. Pack away models, collections, memorabilia and anything that may cause a divide politically, morally, socially, religiously or otherwise.
Playtime is over: Get an early start on packing and box up toys, sporting equipment and large items that may reduce the appearance of space. It’s a great time to declutter and minimize the home so you don’t have as much to move with while giving your home a more polished look.
Clean out the bathroom: This one is a no brainer. Get rid of personal hygiene items such as toothbrushes, shampoo, makeup, brushes…you get the picture. Store it away and make the bathroom look like a pristine hotel. Yes, they are looking at your baseboard and open the drawers so take the time to do it right!
Neutralize: It’s time to freshen up with a coat of paint and cover any accent walls or busy wallpaper. Remove any personalized decor items and make everything seem as clean, bright and spacious as possible.
Staging: You may not want to stage, but your realtor will see big potential in changing the sofa or dining set. If you can appeal to more buyers, increase the value of your home, and see the best bang for your buck, why not?
For more information on how to prepare your home for the sellers market, you know how to reach us! We’re ready when you are!
