Buyers love taking immediate possession. So, they often look for properties that are vacant when browsing for a new home. But that doesn’t mean they want to look at empty houses. Buyers are drawn to homes that are properly staged and will often pay more than they would if they were presented with a house void of all furnishings and décor.

If your listed property is uninhabited, you are one step ahead of your competition. You already have one selling point in your favor, but you need to do something to close the deal. You need to stage your property. You can take items out of your own home, borrow from others or rent furnishings from a store. You might even want to think about hiring a professional stager. Regardless, you should follow these tips:

• Stage the major rooms of the house. If you can stage all of the rooms in the house, by all means, do so. But if you can only afford to furnish and decorate a few, stick to the main rooms. The entryway is a must as is the main living rooms. Bedrooms and bathrooms are secondary. And don’t forget those outdoor spaces!
• Draw attention to your selling points. A large painting in a two-story entryway will draw the eye up to the architecture of the room. Patio furniture will create outdoor living space that adds to the size of your Toronto real estate.
• Furnish areas where the function of the space in unknown or versatile. For example: A nook furnished as an office space gives the space a function and gives the illusion of an extra room. Even if the prospective buyers do not use the space as an office, furnishing it draws their attention to the fact that there is useable space available.
• Don’t stop with furniture. Decorative items such as curtains, paintings and other types of decorative pieces complete the space and give it a homey feel. You need to make buyers feel at home.
• Go the extra mile. Baking and giving out cookies at open houses makes the home feel inviting and distributes a pleasant aroma all throughout the house. Children playing in the yard will make your property appealing to buyers that are looking for a home in which to raise a family.

Staging can make all the difference when it comes to selling Toronto real estate. You see, there are just so many houses on the market right now. You have to make yours stand out from the rest. You will attract buyers who want a home that they can move into immediately with a vacant house, but you may not be able to hook them with an empty shell of a home. So take the time to stage your house. Staging will help you sell your home quickly, and it will help you get a better price. In today’s market, you need all the help you can get.