# Listing my home - Questions



## faline (Feb 10, 2011)

I’m selling my cookie cutter Terrace Home in Centrepointe, Ottawa. After much debate, I’ve decided to sell it on my own. I have 3 very messy tenants living in it until the end of May. 

A few questions:

1) Should I buy the Grapevine/MLS package and list it now, but with no photos or showings until the beginning of June? Or wait until it is ready to be shown? I anticipate it being ready within a month from now. (Just need to clean and paint it first)

2) It will be empty of furniture once the tenants move out. I’ve heard conflicting stats regarding whether a furnished (well staged) home sells faster and for more money. I got a quote from a staging company that will furnish the place and make it look beautiful for about $1500/month. I’m conflicted as to whether this is worth it for a cookie cutter terrace home valued at about $300,000. Alternatively, I could move my own couch in and hang some of my own ‘art’. Is that better than leaving it empty? 

3) Any other tips would be greatly appreciated

Thanks  

Faye Faline


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

You need to wait until the house is ready to be shown.

Poeple don't have that much imagination and it is better to have it staged, I am not sure if $1500 per month is worth it, you may be better off spending this money to fix up any little things, paint and such.


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## faline (Feb 10, 2011)

Thanks.
A little more digging and I found $500 for furniture rental but no consultation. Seems like a better way to go!


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

Are you also thinking of listing your home on MLS through one of the new listing-only agents? Might be worth a try.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Most people buying houses have their own furnture and won't want yours. Sell an empty and clean house and let the buyer fill in the blanks. People have lots of their own junk these days and couches are dime a dozen.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

the-royal-mail said:


> Most people buying houses have their own furnture and won't want yours. Sell an empty and clean house and let the buyer fill in the blanks. People have lots of their own junk these days and couches are dime a dozen.


I don't agree with this. It's been shown that houses that are staged with furniture sell better than empty ones. People have no imagination and they can better picture how the house will work for them if it has furniture in it.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

It isn't about selling his furniture - this discussion is about "staging" the house so that people can more readily envision how the house will look once it has furniture in it. 

I suspect this is a worthwhile expense and I also think it's worth getting a professional to do it. If the staging costs $1500 but the house sells in the first month, is it worth it? (What are the montly carrying costs?) If it doesn't sell in the first month and the house sits empty, people will relate to the price as "stale" and will expect, over time, a price reduction - likely of more (much more) than $1500. 

I think that people make the decision to buy or not in the first minute of entering your home. If they come in, and it is freshly painted and has nice artwork, good lighting, fluffed pillows and an attractive set of furniture, I think that helps make the buy decision go in your favour. If people have to try and imagine how their furniture might fit, and wonder whether the rooms will really work, and feel uncertain about how the place will look when furnished - I think those all introduce hestitation. Are they going to come back with a tape measure? 

All in all, if this helps the house sell quickly, it is a good investment. And if the house does not sell quickly, the asking price can decay significantly (although I do not know the Ottawa market). I personally think this is probably worthwhile "insurance" in this situation.


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

the-royal-mail said:


> Most people buying houses have their own furnture and won't want yours. Sell an empty and clean house and let the buyer fill in the blanks. People have lots of their own junk these days and couches are dime a dozen.


It's not about selling a furnished house, but about staging a house so it looks as good as possible, and nicely staged house looks nicer then empty walls.

Faline, all the consultation you need is online, just go to hgtv or google candice tell all (or something like that), she is a designer that shows step by step, colour matching and so on and get some ideas from there if needed.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

MoneyGal said:


> I also think it's worth getting a professional to do it.


I disagree. Staging a house is a low skill job. A pro might do a "little" bit better than an amateur, but not enough to warrant the expense.

I would only use a pro if you don't have the time to do your own staging. It can take a while and can involve physical labour with the furniture.

$1500 for a $300k is not worthwhile. You can borrow/buy enough stuff to get buy for less than that. Alternative, you can also leave it empty. Having furniture is not the only aspect to house staging.


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## NotMe (Jan 10, 2011)

I agree, this staging business is really not a needed service for the market you're selling to. Given my own experience with selling my loft, the single biggest thing you can do to make your home sell faster is DE-CLUTTER. Get rid of as much as possible (100% of winter clothes, 80% of summer, etc). And clean. Clean like you've never cleaned before. Then just use your stuff, throw a cover over the sofa if you hate it, and move on with your day.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

When you consider what you would have paid to a real estate agent, the extra $1,500 is peanuts when added to the grapevine costs. I know a real estate agent that promotes this service of paying to have the house professionally staged. For the $9,000 (1/2 of 6% or $18,000 cost to you, plus HST) in commissions he would have received, it was the least he could do.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Meh. $1500 would be worth it to me. I'm assuming they come in, bring all the furniture and flowers etc., then pack it all up once they're gone. Let's say carrying costs are $500/month (likely higher) and staging the house has it sell in the first month at a preferred price, before a new month of carrying costs and price aging comes into effect. The net cost is now $1000 - or less if the house price is bumped or remains stable at asking. 

I understand that staging a house is low skill. But I don't have 8 extra lamps and trendy pillows and bedlinens sitting around, plus a couch that looks both generic and inviting, etc. Or a quick and effective way of hiding that awkward house feature -- all that "costumey" stuff that stagers do. :chuncky:


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## Jay (May 9, 2012)

As someone in Ottawa, who's been looking at housing for the past month or so... but is admittedly new to real estate: 

1. Do not post on grapevine (or any other site) until you are ready to show/sell. You will just be wasting your money posting without photos IMO. I would also look into the flat fee realtors who will get you onto MLS, as that's where the vast majority of buyers look.

2. Staging a home, even basically, is a must IMO... $1500 is far better spent on staging than the commissions of a full service agent IMO. You have to make people want to stay in your home when they come in, and that only happens if it is decorated properly. Homes without furniture also give the impression of a more rushed seller because they've already moved on - thus, the offers will almost certainly be lower. I know it sounds superficial, but homes without furniture just have an abandon feel that is not as welcoming to potential buyers - you need to make people believe that the people live there love it! Again, it sounds superficial, but I would definitely price a nicely staged home over an empty one by a few $k, and perhaps even more.

tips:
- From my observations (and my realtor's), the Ottawa housing market is slowing right now - it is very quiet for the Spring season, and places seem to be lingering on the market a bit longer. It's not an understatement to say that the public service job cuts have been devastating to the region as a whole - and it's only starting. I think another problem is that many sellers (especially Grapevine sellers) overprice their homes, and after an initial few viewings, nobody wants to see it anymore. Places that are well priced (probably $20k less than you might think its worth), will sell in a few days, sometimes over asking - most others seem to linger for weeks, months. Perhaps the market has moved downward, and sellers are still adjusting.... or perhaps this is normal. Bottom line - price it right the first time.
- Get professional photos (or at least borrow a good camera and a photographer friend) to take your photos. If you have to pay for this, it's worth it. The quality of photos make all the difference in whether someone calls for a showing or not. 

Good luck!


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

Considering the size of your house the staging quote seems realistic. Personally, I am all for a properly staged home. Yes it will cost $1500, but I am sure it will help you sell faster.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

They rent the furnishings by the month but in my personal opinion my empty house was easier to sell, it was all fairly new and nice colors ,rooms look bigger when they are empty.I have many extra lamps sofas and pillows money gal lol.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

What if the house doesn't sell for four months? That $1,500 turns into $6,000 which is too much for a $300k house. There is no way that staging alone will add $6k to a $300k house by itself.

Op said he can move some of his own furniture in and put some 'art' on the wall. If he can do that, I think that's the way to go.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

If it doesn't sell for 4 months, it is mispriced and no amount of staging is going to help. Also, he can pull the plug on the staging before it hits 4 months / $6000.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

MoneyGal said:


> If it doesn't sell for 4 months, it is mispriced and no amount of staging is going to help. Also, he can pull the plug on the staging before it hits 4 months / $6000.


Good points, but some markets are slower than others. Was your farm mis-priced? You mentioned it took about a year to sell...


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Good thing I wasn't trying to stage a whole farm - that's a lot of...uh...extra cows or whatever props you'd add. Maybe spraypaint 'em all so they match?


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

MoneyGal said:


> Good thing I wasn't trying to stage a whole farm - that's a lot of...uh...extra cows or whatever props you'd add. Maybe spraypaint 'em all so they match?


Lol. Ok, you win the thread.


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## faline (Feb 10, 2011)

Thanks so much for the feedback. It will be empty and costing me more than $1500/month to keep so a quick sale is of upmost importance! And Jay, I've noticed the real estate market slowing in Ottawa as well.

It could use a paint job (still the builder's white) so the service of a designer would go beyond choosing which furniture to rent. Paint+designer would cost at LEAST $2000-2500 for the first month.

Or I could knock that off the asking price, which may be the most important thing in this slowing market.

I don't know if this will help or hinder me, but an identical unit just went for sale (not as nice finishings) for 5k more than I planned to ask. They got a month head start!


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## Jay (May 9, 2012)

^ The listing next door is competition, but as you won't be putting yours on the market for a month, it should give you a good indication as to what the market is like right now. 

As for paint - even spending a few dollars on some paint to touch up trim, baseboards, etc. can make a big difference in how a home presents...and in making it sell. It may not be necessary to do a complete paint job to greatly improve the first impression of your place. Perhaps get an opinion from someone who doesn't normally spend time at your place - as the things you will notice in a place while living there are very different from the things a potential buyer will notice when they first enter your place.


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

Personally I'd list it right now and inconvenience the tenants. I'd adjust the price to account for the cost of a painter. If you wait until the tenants leave you're very vulnerable to bleeding tons of cash carrying the place. You might get lucky. 

I'd start pricing the painters now and get ready to move as soon as they vacate. 

I've seen too many owners "save money" by taking a month to paint themselves. It doesn't take too long for this kind of saving to add up. 

My very first job as a property manager this couple were selling off a portfolio of 50 houses. They never left an apartment empty. If your place is cash flowing that really puts you in a position of strength vis a vis lowball offers or any offers. You're in a far different emotional and financial position if the place isn't costing you a couple grand a month. 

I've actually seen 4 plexes "left vacant do you can put your own tenants in" according to the listing and "easy to show". This is really dumb IMHO it's so much harder to get financing on an empty place.


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