CALGARY — Spring is typically the busiest time of year for the local residential real estate market.

So as thousands of people list their homes for sale, they are also looking at different and unique ways to be competitive — to grab that little edge over other properties.

That little edge often comes in the form of the little things done around the house to make it more presentable, more appealing, more attractive for a sale.

Many sellers are seeking out the services of home stagers these days, or using some of their ideas, to persuade potential buyers to make an offer on their homes.

Maha Aziz, vice-president of Distinctive Living and part owner of a home for sale in Bankview, is using a local home staging company to assist in the sale of a two-storey more than 1,800-square-foot new townhome in Bankview at 2510 16A St. S.W. which is listed for $799,900 including GST.

“What the staging does for us is it defines a space because it’s always hard to come in and have a sense of furniture placement and have a true sense of room sizing when it’s completely empty,� says Aziz. “Because people will either over-estimate the size or more typically they’ll under-estimate the size.

“It just demonstrates how you could potentially use the space.�

Historically in the Calgary real estate market, spring is when the level of activity in the industry increases.

There are many key things home sellers can do in this competitive market to enhance their chances for a sale.

Fresh paint is an obvious one. So too is improved lighting throughout the house. Decluttering a home is important. A facelift for bathrooms and kitchens has appeal for potential buyers.

Dated window coverings should be changed. Mirrors can also give the impression of bigger space. And it’s also important to clean up the outside of a house and the landscaping, because that’s the first thing potential buyers will see.

“We’ll come into the house and look at the whole condition of the home,� says Steve Hanson, owner of ReStage Home Staging, who was hired to stage the Bankview home.

“How’s the lighting? How’s the flooring? How’s the hardware? Kitchen cabinets. We help define the spaces.

“People buy on emotions. So you want that wow factor. You can tell when you walked into this place the way this house is finished a little bit more contemporary. So we’ll bring in the right style of furniture to match the style of home.�

Hanson says statistics by the Real Estate Staging Association show that staged homes sell 78 per cent faster than non-staged homes and for more money.

“Our stats show about 90 per cent of our properties sell in the first 30 days after being staged,� he says.

A staged home involves cleaning, decluttering, updating and repairing while at the same time showcasing the home by the arrangement of furniture, accessories, art and light, says RESA.

Kim Hanson, also of ReStage, suggests people have no family pictures, and no ethnic or religious items displayed in their home when it is listed for sale.

“We don’t want to alienate any buyers,� she says. “Neutral for colours always. . . . We do things like this because people buy a lifestyle not a house.�