7 Guidelines for Staging Your Home

Staging your home for sale gives you an advantage. It is estimated that a staged home can sell for 6% to 20% higher. Also ensuring a quicker sale.

If you have been looking at real estate listings online, you likely noticed that the homes look amazing. Even thinking, “Do people even live there?” The reason for this appearance is staging.

1. Deep Clean

   

   Buyers should be able to walk in and live there.

Ideally you want your potential buyers to be looking at your home and not be distracted by a dust bunny floating down the stairs. All parts of your home need to be touched. Take a look where you want to spend your money. Would you like to do it all yourself?  Are you able to have a service do it for you? Or, would you like to hire for the time consuming tasks? Services for blind cleaning and house cleaning are available.

2. Declutter

We are talking kitchen counters, office desks, that Cunucks bobble head that is sitting by the tv remotes. Take 3 bins, label them, trash, donate, storage. (The storage bin can be boxes that you can label with what is in it.) Start small with items throughout your home. Now look at what furniture is cluttering up the space. Which pieces need to be removed to allow good flow. The less ‘stuff’ the larger your home will look.

3. Depersonalize

All pictures of family and friends must come down. Pictures on the fridge, gone. All pet related items moved. Think of what a hotel room looks like. Lights on the nightstands, soap in the bath room and nothing on the counter in the kitchen. Staging your home will make the buyer fell like they can step into your home and start living in it.

4. Fresh Neutral Paint

   

   Burgundy paint and wall paper neutralized, light fixtures replaced.

Someone may have convinced you that sunshine yellow is a reviving colour to wake up to in the morning. Not all people think so. Neutral is the best option. Warm whites, gray and blues are typically the best choices. Buyers also see a benefit in having a freshly painted home. They will not have to do it themselves!

5. Lighting & Mirrors

Updating and upgrading light fixtures make a world of difference. Replacing what the builder put in says that you have cared for the home. Try to use LED lights to add energy efficiency. Add mirrors strategically to bring in more light and give the illusion of more space.

6. Give Rooms a Purpose

If you have a catchall room that is part guest room, office and storage. Pick an identity for it. This will give your buyer a better sense what they are able to do with the space. An empty room will indicate that there is too much space. Home offices are a great way to stage a room.

7. Add Landscaping and Exterior Touches

This is your homes first impression. When staging your home for sale, make it good! Something simple like painting your front door and facia, changing out the light fixtures make a massive impact. A simple clean up of the yard and tree trimming, also make a massive difference. Washing the home brightens it up and cleans the window, also letting more light into the home. Again, these are things you can do yourself or done by a service.

It really comes done to the time, ability, and what you actually want to do yourself. Unsure of what actually needs to be done? Your Realtor can tell you what to look at doing for your home.