Some home sellers are led to believe that because their home is beautifully decorated, it doesn't need to be staged. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Staging does involve the kind of de-cluttering and possibly even some fix-up or painting that a beautifully decorated home probably doesn’t need. Thus, people sometimes believe that only "tired," un-decorated, or vacant homes benefit from staging. But staging isn't about decorating.

While stagers do make an interior space look beautiful, this is not their only function.

Stagers are trained to present a home to give it appeal to a wide variety of buyers. Thus, the decorating is "neutral," rather than a reflection of the occupant's personal taste and style. The furnishings are chosen and placed to produce a "feeling" without drawing attention to themselves.

Part of this process is the removal of personal items that take the focus away from the house. You as a seller really don't want your potential buyers examining your photos, trophies, awards, or collections when they should be noticing how the house exactly suits their wants and needs.

Buyers who are distracted in this manner can pass up a house they'd love, simply because they didn't "see" all the features and benefits.

In addition, stagers know how to emphasize a home's most appealing or useful features and benefits, while showing potential buyers the possible uses for each space.

The bottom line: Just because your home has been professionally decorated doesn't mean it won't benefit from a stager's touch.

If you're thinking of selling and would like your home to appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers, get in touch. I'll be glad to share my list of professional stagers who have helped my clients sell their homes faster and for more money.

And of course, I'll be glad to let you know what's going on in the Vancouver housing market today.