Pre-sale painting, staging costing us $4,500

It’s going to cost at least $4,500 to paint our two-bedroom condo to get it ready to put on the market.That’s a lot, but we believe we'll get it back in the purchase price.

Our two-bedroom condo with a den is just over 1,100 square feet. Painting all the rooms, including the kitchen and two bathrooms, along with the doors and frames will cost about $3,165. That price also includes some small repairs to fix some scrapes and holes in the walls.  

Staging will cost $1,328 for one month. That includes bed linens, artwork and accessories for each room. If it takes longer to sell, this cost will increase. 

My husband and I considered doing the fixing and painting ourselves to save money, but we haven’t done this kind of work before, and this is not the right time to start. Instead, we’re focused on de-cluttering, packing, and cleaning.

As for the staging, it’s best to let the professional do it.

Our stager is not insisting on high-end renovations or appliances, the so-called HGTV effect. During a consultation she explained how small touches such as neutral colours, uncluttered counter tops, open spaces, fresh flowers, and art could really make our place standout to a potential buyer.

We were a little skeptical, but then we went to some open houses. The difference between the ones that had been de-cluttered and staged and those that hadn’t was striking.

I was surprised at how distracting it is to see other people’s personal affects everywhere.

Discussing the properties later, we would sometimes refer to the one with the “cluttered kitchen” or the “mask place” because of all of the theatrical masks that adorned the front hallway. We took in the important details, too, about square-footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, and basements, but it was those little things that really lingered in our minds.

Our agent explained that if we sell our place as-is, a potential buyer may make an offer that's lower than our list price, knowing that he or she will have to do some work before moving in.   

We want a potential buyer to see our place as ready to move into right away.

Also read:

10 ways to avoid buying the wrong house

Selling a home: 10 things you need to know

In a hot market, we're selling first, buying later