Staging Your Home to Sell

As a home seller, your goals are to sell your home as quickly as possible and for the best return on your investment. To stand out from the crowd, you’ll want to make your home and property are appealing to potential buyers. You want to grab the interest of those passing by and make them interested in taking a closer look. It’s best to stage your home before having professional photos taken for listing purposes. Help sell your home faster by making it warm, inviting, and comfortable looking for those who visit or see photos online.

Make an amazing first impression by having your home power washed or freshly painted. Consider using a bright color on the front door that invites people to come take a closer look. Make sure all windows, shutters, and outdoor furnishings are in good shape. Remove all clutter from the yard, including stray toys and garden tools. Take care not to overwhelm the area with lawn décor. You may love a dozen pink flamingos, but they may cause a potential home buyer to ride by without a second glance.

Your lawn should stay mowed and manicured during the time your home is on the market. Clean and freshen all flower beds and plant fresh flowers, if needed. Add a potted plant next to the front door. If you have outdoor entertainment areas, make sure to place furniture in conversational settings. Clean pools, fountains, and ponds on the property. Walk around the yard and make sure there are no holes a potential buyer could stumble upon.

Our homes reflect our interests, experiences, and memories, but you want to make a clean slate so that a potential buyer can imagine themselves living in that space without being distracted by your collections and personal items. Your collection of dolls may be the pride of the family, but a buyer may not appreciate them and be turned off from placing an offer.

Take care to remove anything that could be controversial or make someone who visits your home uncomfortable. Place a few neutral items on bookshelves and be careful not to fill them with clutter. Remove all refrigerator magnets and photos from the refrigerator, as well.

Your kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house. For this reason, it deserves some extra care when it comes to staging. You’ll want to schedule a thorough cleaning that includes all appliances, cabinets, shelves, and surfaces. Remove themed items and make the space as neutral as possible. Use accents to place small pops of color to make things appealing but try not to place a personality on the kitchen.

Go through all cabinets, pantries, and storage spaces. Organize pantry items by size, color, and use. This attention to detail will not go unnoticed by people who visit your home. This organization gives the impression that you take care of your surroundings and can win you bonus points with buyers.

The bathroom is another room that buyers pay close attention to when touring a home. If you have a small bathroom, you want to do all you can to maximize space and make it look larger. Remove any hampers and large waste baskets. They can take up valuable space and make things look cluttered. Use light colored accessories that open the space. Check the lighting and replace dim bulbs with brighter ones to create a space that is well lit and inviting. Replace the shower curtain, toilet seat, and hand towels. These inexpensive changes can breathe new life into a bathroom.

Be aware that people are going to walk through your bedroom. This is one of the most private spaces in our homes, but for the sake of selling a home you must open it up to the public. Keep this in mind when cleaning out closets and cabinets. Store collections, jewelry, and other valuables in a safe place. Remove anything that could cause a visitor embarrassment if they happen to open a cabinet, closet, or drawer. Use neutral colors when it comes to paint on the walls, bedding, and décor. Again, small pops of color can create interest, but you want the space to appeal to a broad range of buyers.

The amount of money you spend on staging will vary depending on how much you put into the process. If your current furnishings are worn and need a replacement, but you don’t want to buy new furniture until you move, you may consider renting furniture. However, there are many things you can do that are low to no cost that will make your space more appealing. Focus on those first and ask your real estate agent about more in-depth staging.