Rooms That Sell A Home

Your kitchen and bath can encourage  a quick sale. A stager will show you how.

BY SHANNON MONEO | PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES

It’s well known that, when it comes to remodelling, the kitchen and primary bathroom typically provide the best return on investment, about 70 per cent. But even staging those rooms can boost the value of your home and lead to a quicker sale.

Take Lisa Lalonde. In early 2023, she and her husband sold their 20-year-old Colwood home within a week and a half. “Everyone that walked in said it was the nicest house they’d seen in a long time,” says Lalonde. “We had an offer the day we put it up.”

To what does Lalonde owe the compliments and speedy sale? Thoughtful staging, especially of the kitchen and bathrooms.

Like a Model House

Lalonde hired stager and designer Melanie Henson, of Victoria’s Jōmel Interior Design, to evaluate the 3,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bathroom home. Henson went through the whole house and provided a detailed list of what needed to be fixed, staged or removed. “She told me what I had to do in each room. It was a lot easier with a list,” says Lalonde.

She dutifully followed instructions. Anything personal was removed from walls and shelves, to be replaced by a few strategically placed items. There was lots of cleaning and decluttering, and many boxes were stored in the double garage. Lalonde had also recently repainted the interior a very light shade of grey, providing an adaptable palette.

Henson’s services cost roughly $3,500, and were well worth it. Lalonde says Henson did an incredible job, and adds: “It was like a model house.”

Henson has been offering staging services for 15 years and says it’s better to have someone like her come in before putting a home on the market. That’s because most sellers have difficulty envisioning strategic staging or an involved renovation, and when they see something they like, they often don’t know why.

“So, we’re like a Realtor’s tool box,” she says. “Good staging helps you see the potential of how the home can be.”

Fix, Clean, Depersonalize

Realtor Laurie Lidstone agrees. She has been selling homes in Victoria for over three decades and is also the current chair of the Victoria Real Estate Board. Her years of experience have given her insight into what buyers are looking for, so she will often give sellers ideas for how to stage their homes. (Sellers can find more ideas on Realtor websites where the new homes are listed.)

But Lidstone has also used stagers numerous times, and says hiring a stager makes a lot of sense because they view the home through a specialized lens.

“You want people to walk in and visualize themselves in the kitchen,” says Lidstone, who works at RE/MAX Camosun. “You want the buyer to look at the room, not the personalities.”

“You want the buyer to look at the room, not the personalities.”

She recalls one young couple who were viewing a house where the floors were barely visible due to all the “stuff” in the house. The couple were turned off, but the floors were in good shape — they were just invisible. “You have to minimize, open the space,” she says.

Also key is having things in good repair — and, most importantly, everything should be immaculate.

Fixes that have been put off should be done prior to listing. Everything should undergo a deep clean, especially the kitchen and bathrooms. Windows should be sparkling, with curtains or blinds open to let the light in, particularly during the fall/winter periods when the Island can be dark. And if the home has undesirable odours, Lidstone recommends renting an ozone generator that can remove smells.

If the seller is skilled, they can repaint kitchen or bathroom cabinets and install new countertops. But try to avoid the slippery slope, Lidstone cautions. “Be careful, you can start chasing that reno. The best return you can get is on paint.”

If you plan to sell, the kitchen and primary bath are the rooms to focus on. They should be immaculate, attractive and free of clutter and personal items. A stager can help make them ready to list.

Kitchens and Baths

Kitchens and bathrooms are two of the areas that elicit the most buyer interest. According to a 2021 RE/MAX study, the top three renovations for return on investment were kitchens, bathrooms and a fresh coat of paint in 17 Canadian housing markets, including Victoria.

So, one of a seller’s first considerations is to determine if a redo is needed and how far they want to go. A savvy staging job may be enough.

Because a full kitchen renovation can cost upwards of $70,000, recouping that likely won’t happen. Smaller fixes like new countertops, cupboard hardware, refinished cabinets (neutral shades) or new light fixtures may be worthwhile. Clear out kitchen clutter and obstacles. “Less is better. A few appliances are OK, but you don’t want to have paper towels, a breadbox,” Henson says. If appliances are dated, they should be replaced. But don’t break the bank when buying.

Lalonde, for instance, cleared the kitchen counters, leaving only a few plants and a couple of appliances. She also reorganized and edited all of her cupboards. But she didn’t do a reno.

Same in the primary bathroom. Lalonde bought a new rug and white towels, hid the garbage can, redid the grouting and removed personal items. “I made it clean and beautiful,” she says.

Items like a new mirror, lights, fresh towels, new shower curtain, clean glass and perhaps new fixtures all go a long way in a bathroom. So does a fresh coat of paint. “Paint is gold in a can,” Henson says. “It really enhances a space without spending a ton of money.” Inoffensive, neutral white is the best choice.

And remember: As Henson notes, “How we live and how we sell a property are different. When you walk into a home that’s really well staged, you can see yourself living there.”

For Lalonde, Henson’s staging list was the start of a simple life. In her current Victoria townhome and house in Courtenay, she’s replicated Henson’s slimmed-down-decorating suggestions. “I didn’t even want to put pictures up,” she says.