You Have 15 Seconds to Make a Good Impression

When someone looks at your listing you have 15 seconds to give them a great impression. That means your description has to be just so, you have to have the right pictures and you have to know JUST how to draw them in… but how do you DO that?

It’s not just about sinking money into costly remodelling efforts that may or may not pay off in the long run, it's about pulling them in, showing them the house that this could be for them, not the house that it has been for you. Here we're going to talk about home staging (oh my!) and how the right home selling strategy can help you move your luxury home for sale.

Remodelling is a Great Start

Don't get me wrong, remodelling is a great way to get started! You don't want to end up trying to dress up a hum drum home, but staging and remodelling should always go hand in hand. Here are a few of the best ROI remodels you can do for your home:

Vinyl Siding: Done right, vinyl siding can make your home look great. This improvement averages out at about $10k to $12k and you'll get about 75% of that back in increased home value.

Decks: A deck is a great place to relax on a hot day, but it also can add $7,000-$8,000 of value to your home.

Attic Bedroom Remodel/Reno: Everyone loves that morning light, and an Attic Bedroom can add up to $35,000 to the value of your home.

Energy Efficient Windows: These can save you up to $500 per year on your heating and cooling bills, and they make your home look great too!

New Metal Entry Door: These can cost up to $5k depending on your options, but they hold one of the highest ROI (return on investment) for home improvements: a whopping 85% goes right back into the value of your home.

Take Care of Those Little Projects

After you've chosen your remodelling projects and done your big improvements, it's time to shift your attention back to all those little things that need to get done. Things like:

Any Minor Repairs - That loose step down to the basement, the nicks in the paint behind your dining room table, any little things that could make buyers thing there's big trouble in paradise.

Replace, Refresh and Renew Interiors - Fixtures, furnishings and design elements should be updated if outdated.

Go Neutral - You don't have to go beige but you do need to go neutral. Bold colour statements are not where you want to go right now - choosing neutral brights (think muted pastels and colour palettes) helps you make the right statement to potential buyers.

Depersonalize, Declutter - It's not your home anymore, and you'd be surprised just how turned off potential buyers can get when they realize someone else lived in this house.

Bye Bye Carpet - Say bye bye to carpet and hello to your hardwood floors

Staging Gives You the Finishing Touches

Staging can give buyers the illusion of a very modern, beautiful home - and you won't even have to go crazy buying all those furnishings to do it! Think of it as renting a designer while you show your home and once all those bids come rolling in the furnishings and designer notions go rolling out.

But before you start creating a home selling strategy, it never hurts to talk to a luxury realtor! It's all about showcasing your luxury home's potential, piquing their interest to learn more. Once you figure out how to capture their imagination, the buyer will do the rest.

Brad Miller is a luxury real estate broker for The Goodale Miller Team. GMT is the #1 team in Canada for Century 21 8 years running. Specializing in Oakville luxury real estate, including luxury Oakville homes for sale, infill building lots, condominiums and more. To view their listings of great Oakville luxury homes for sale please visit: http://www.goodalemillerteam.com/Homes.aspx