When you’re selling in the Kelowna real estate market, consider some of the evolved home staging tips to help your home sell faster.

In just a minute and a half, statistics say, a potential homebuyer decides whether they feel like could drop their bags and move in, or if they want to move on to the next listing. Over the years, our Kelowna realtors have found while online tools can bring buyers to your listing, what you need for great photos and the kind of successful viewings that seal deals, is some home staging.

But not the original variety of staging that left spaces feeling like sterile store aisles. We’re talking about new-school staging in 2015, for real people who want a home and a lifestyle.

If you’re thinking about putting your home up for sale, today’s staging techniques will help you compete in the ever-active Kelowna real estate market, and that often translates to fewer days on the market and sometimes higher prices.

Whether you’re outsourcing home staging to a professional, or you’re keen to do it yourself, here are some tips that will help your home become someone else’s.

 

Home Staging1. Staging is a state of mind

The first rule of home staging, particularly for the sellers, is to remember that you need to let go of the space as “my home” and think of it as a property you want to sell. Detach and begin to pack. Only when you let go of it and show off your home’s best features will strangers begin to imagine themselves in the space, and that’s when the offers come in.

Homeowners often turn to professional Home Staging companies or even just advice from Kelowna realtors for this very reason—the objectivity needed to get rid of nick nacks and well-loved throws to build a neutral nest that will appeal to your buyer.

 

Home Staging2. Stage with your buyer in mind

Let’s say you have a beautiful condo in downtown Kelowna. Take a look at your neighbours in the elevator. Your buyer is apt to be people starting out in their twenties and thirties, or people downgrading later in life. What does that group like and look for in a property? Stainless steel appliances? Contemporary furniture and art? Then infuse your Home Staging with that.

If you’re among the homeowners selling Kelowna real estate that boasts stunning lakefront views, your luxury property is more likely to be attracting people in mid-life looking for a second home or a pre-retirement home. You’re selling a lifestyle, and your space needs to reflect that with high-end everything and little touches  (from original artwork to statement plants) designed for entertaining and enjoying the good life (and those views!).

 

Home Staging3. Don’t forget your yard

Imagine you’re in the backseat of your realtors’ car, making your way along Lakeshore Road into the thick of Upper Mission. The car stops. The home on the left has two cherry trees on either side of the front door, flanked by streams of begonias, hydrangeas and decorative grasses. The house on the right has a lovely blue stone path and a green lawn. Which home are you drawn to?

First impressions count for everything. Remember when you’re considering Home Staging that you need to include the impression your landscaping will make. To create a home that evokes warmth and permanency, add an array of trees of flowers that complement the style of your home.

 

When you’re ready to sell, what you need most are professionals committed to selling your property with all the tools available. Contact the experienced and award-winning Kelowna realtors at Quincy Vrecko & Associates.

If you’re coming over from Alberta to check out luxury properties with a Kelowna realtor this spring. Be sure to pack your clubs so you can get in a few early-season rounds on the local links.
Photo credit: Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club

 

Out here in the Okanagan, spring is barely upon us and residents are already swapping their snow shovels for golf clubs. If you’re visiting from Alberta looking for your dream home, ask your Kelowna realtor to save some time after viewings to take in the warm, relaxing wonders of the valley.

 

5 Ways to Spend a Spring Day in Kelowna

 

1. Golf

With nearly 20 courses dotting the Kelowna and West Kelowna landscape—several of which are championship tracks—you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to working the kinks out of your swing after the long winter.

Even in early spring, the greens and fairways are in terrific early-season condition on many courses. Which is one of the many perks Kelowna residents enjoy this time of year. Your Kelowna realtor can recommend which courses will suit your skill level.

 

 2. Skiing

What could be more glorious than cruising down the slopes of Big White on a gorgeous spring day? With spring skiing lasting until mid-April, many Alberta families tack on a spring break ski trip while they’re in the valley searching for luxury Kelowna real estate.

Some hardcore outdoors enthusiasts will head up to Big White in the morning, then return to Kelowna to golf 18 holes on a championship course in the afternoon. The Okanagan really is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise.

 

3. Wineries

If there’s one thing the Okanagan has more of than golf courses, it’s wineries. From the quaint little boutique operations that offer a few special varieties to the larger, nationally recognized estate wineries, there’s something to please every palate.

Spring is a fascinating time of year to go on a winery tour. As this is when the vineyards really start to ramp up their operations. Besides, is there ever a bad time to sample a velvety smooth Merlot or refreshing Chardonnay?

 

4. Outdoor activities

With an abundance of scenic lakes, rivers and mountains right on Kelowna’s doorstep. There’s a smorgasbord of outdoor activities to satisfy every craving. From thrill seekers—ziplining, horseback riding and cross-country skiing—to more leisurely pursuits—birdwatching, guided tours and parks—the options are endless.

 

5.  Garden and orchard tours

Kelowna’s orchards come to life as early as April, and their blossoms are like a beacon declaring the start of spring. Apricots, peaches, cherries, pears and apples send forth their delicate pink and white petals in a visual display not soon forgotten.

To get a better understanding of what the market will be like this year, read our post: Kelowna Real Estate 2015: Predictions for Luxury Real Estate.

 

No matter what time of year it is, there’s many exciting ways to spend your time in the Okanagan. Ask your Kelowna realtor about spring activities while you’re searching for your dream retirement home.