🌸 Spring Market Is Here — And We’re Launching a “Get Ready to Sell” Spring Series!
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be breaking down the most important (and most avoided) parts of preparing your home for sale — one topic at a time. Make sure you follow along so you don’t miss the next posts in this series.
Let’s be honest.
Selling your home is a job — and it is not an easy one.
The realtor comes in. You have to pick the right one. Then they tell you to declutter, depersonalize, and make the home neutral… and you’re offended.
But should you be?
The answer is NO.
Realtors have a tough job. They invest a ton of money into your listing — even if it doesn’t sell. Photography, marketing, signage, online exposure — that all comes out of their pocket first. So shouldn’t you take the advice of a professional?
(Bathroom Above not Staged has color, personal items and personality)
As a professional stager, it is my job — as another professional — to come in and tell you exactly what needs to be done to prepare your house for market.
Staging and styling a home to sell is completely different than interior design. One is about your personal taste. The other is about buyer psychology and return on investment. And yes — it can be uncomfortable having someone point out what needs to change in a home you love.
(Same Bathroom Staged no colour, no personality that is staging and styling for sale.)
But this is the shift:
When you decide to list and sell, it is no longer your home.
If it still feels like your home in the listing photos, then you, the realtor, and the stager did not do your jobs — and you have likely left money on the table.
I always ask clients first:
“Are you serious about selling your home?”
If they say yes, then I say:
“Okay. From this point forward, this is no longer your home — it is a house, a product for sale.”
If when I am done it feels a bit uncomfortable and does not feel like your home any longer, I have successfully done my job.
The Prep Work Is the Real Work
The hardest part of selling a home is the prep work to get to the photos. After the photos, it is the daily work of maintaining it for showings.
On average, clients spend anywhere from 40–150 hours getting a home ready for market.
Decluttering.
Sorting.
Packing.
Cleaning.
Neutralizing.
Making hundreds — sometimes thousands — of small decisions.
And here’s where the car example makes it clear.
If you were selling your car, would you leave it full of stuff? Coffee cups in the console? Dust on the dashboard? Personal items everywhere?
No.
You would empty it. Clean it. Maybe even have it detailed — because you know presentation affects price.
You wouldn’t say, “Well this is how I drive it every day.”
You would show it at its best.
Your home is no different.
Yet people hesitate to remove personal items, clear surfaces, or neutralize spaces because it feels personal. But buyers don’t want to buy your lifestyle — they want to imagine theirs.
A cluttered, busy home in photos will not stop the scroll.
And in today’s market, buyers have options.
You have one chance for someone scrolling listings online to say:
“Let’s go look at this one.”
If you wait until two weeks before listing because you didn’t want to make 10,000 decisions about your things, you will either feel overwhelmed — or you will leave money on the table.
Start early.
Meet with a stager months before you plan to list.
Create a plan.
Tackle it room by room.
Work on it weekly instead of in panic mode.
Think of a stager as your home’s detailer.
We know how to make it shine.
If you are thinking about selling this spring, don’t wait.
Contact us today — and let’s make sure your house hits the market ready to perform.
🌷 Coming Up in the Spring “Get Ready to Sell” Series
In the next blogs, we’ll go deeper into:
• Decluttering — Especially Closets (Why 50% Less Is the Magic Number)
• Depersonalizing — What It Really Means (And Why It Matters)
• Cleaning — The Difference Between “Tidy” and “Market Ready”
• Outside Spaces — Curb Appeal and First Impressions
Each topic will have practical, realistic steps so you can prepare without overwhelm.
✨ If you are even thinking about selling this year, make sure you watch for the next post in this Spring Series.
You do not want to miss what we cover next — because preparation is where profit lives.