Need to sell your home fast or want to stand out in a crowded market? Don’t assume that prospective buyers will have the ability to look past rooms stuffed with furniture and disorganized closets to see the potential in your home. Home staging showcases the best features of your house and enables the buyer to picture themselves living there.
Still not convinced that staging is worth it? According to Realtor.com, “staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than nonstaged homes”.
Home Staging Tips
Remove Clutter
Clutter instantly makes a home look small, dingy, and uninviting. Pick up the stacks of old school papers, throw away the empty Amazon boxes, and clean out and organize your cabinets and closets. Don’t assume that sellers won’t open doors and drawers. They will want to know if their belongings fit in your home’s storage space.
Ask yourself what you can live without in the short term and consider packing it up and storing it. Store out of season athletic equipment, extra dishes and serving pieces, excess furniture, and holiday decorations. Removing clutter enables buyers to see themselves coming home to a calm oasis after a busy day at work. An added bonus is that you will have less packing to do when your house sells.
Depersonalize
You want to make it easy for potential homebuyers to envision themselves living in your home by neutralizing the space. You are selling your home not your decorations. Take your personal memories and experiences out of your house by packing up taste-specific decorations, family photographs and mementos, trophies, certificates, diplomas, stuffed animals, pet toys and beds, sports memorabilia, and anything with a political message.
Refresh Spaces
Maximize the extra space that you have uncovered in your home after you removed the clutter and personal items by refreshing it. For the most impact, focus on the main areas of the house. A fresh coat of paint in a neutral color is a great place to start. Bring in pops of color through the careful selection of accessories such as pillows and throws. Remove worn or broken furniture and arrange the remaining furniture in inviting groupings. Increase the wattage of the bulbs in your lamps and fixtures to instantly brighten up rooms. Buy new towels for your kitchen and bathrooms for a fresh crisp look. Imagine you are a stranger walking into your home. What is the first thing you see? What should you change to make a good first impression?
Next Steps
Not sure if you should spend the money on upgrades prior to listing your house or need to determine a listing price for your house? A pre-listing appraisal is a great way to determine what your home would sell for compared to comparable properties in your market.
Short on time and overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done before you can list your home? Consider hiring a professional stager or redesigner. Often times your upfront investment in professional staging services will pay off when you sell your home quickly.