What Toronto Buyers Look For in 2025: Design Trends & Must-Have Features
If you’re preparing a home for sale in Toronto, it’s helpful to know not just what your home looks like now, but what buyers are expecting next. In 2025, Toronto buyers are looking for style, function, flexibility, and future-proofing. Here are the key features that stand out, and why you should consider them in your staging and preparation.
1. Flexibility & Multi-Use Spaces
With more people working from home, pursuing hobbies, and changing how they use their space, today’s buyers in the GTA want homes that adapt. Homes with dedicated office nooks, flexible rooms that convert into workout studios, or guest suites that swap into creative spaces are highly attractive. For example, luxury custom-home trend reports in Toronto note multi-purpose rooms as a major feature.
For your staging strategy: consider showing how a room could serve multiple uses — e.g., “Home office / guest room” or “Workout / family room”.
2. Smart, Sustainable & Efficient Features
Buyers are increasingly aware of long-term costs and future-proofing. In Toronto and the surrounding GTA, homes with energy-efficient upgrades, EV-ready garages, high-performance windows, and smart home tech are especially in demand.
When you stage, highlight any existing sustainable features (or suggest where one could upgrade) — even small things like modern light switches, USB built-ins, efficient fixtures matter.
3. Design Aesthetic That Feels Modern But Warm
In 2025, buyers want design that is current but still feels like a home — not cold or overly minimalist. Earthy tones, natural materials, layered textures, and indoor-outdoor connection are rising trends.
In staging, aim for:
Soft neutrals + natural wood
Textiles and warm accents that feel lived-in
Clear but inviting layouts that feel larger and comfortable
4. Location & Neighbourhood Fit with Design
Toronto buyers are not just buying a home, they’re buying a neighbourhood, a lifestyle, a community. So design and staging should reflect the area. In East-End Toronto, for example, character homes are strong, while in downtown condos, buyers expect slick finishes and smart layouts. Knowing who your buyer is and aligning the staging with the neighbourhood helps your home attract the right offer.
5. Strong Presentation for Online & Real-Life
Because so many buyers begin their home search online, the first impression often comes via photos. Homes that present beautifully in images perform better. Listings in Toronto that are well-styled, photographed, and ready to occupy are more likely to draw showings. Additionally, with inventory rising and competition increasing in 2025, presentation becomes even more critical.
Staging pays off by:
Optimizing each photo-ready space
Highlighting flow and function
Accentuating features buyers care about
What This Means for Your Toronto Home
When you prepare your home for sale in 2025, think beyond “just cleaned up.” Think:
“Does this room reflect how a buyer might live here today AND tomorrow?”
“Does the design feel current and desirable but also comfortable?”
“Does this property reflect the expectations of this neighbourhood and this price-point?”
“Are we communicating value, function, and aesthetic in every space?”
At Nestiny Design, our staging process takes these trends into account so your home not only looks great, it performs in the Toronto market.
