When you are preparing your home to go on the market, staging can be a total game-changer. Home staging is like giving your home a makeover before its big debut! Good home staging creates an emotional connection with the buyer by showing off its best features while hiding its flaws.
Here are some tips to help your home make a lasting first impression.
1. Declutter and Depersonalize
When you are getting your home ready for sale, less is more. Clutter makes your space look smaller, and it’s also a distraction from your home’s features. Clean, clear surfaces and open spaces make the home feel lighter and brighter.
Similarly, when your home is filled with family photos and personal items, it can be hard for a buyer to visualize themselves living there. Depersonalizing creates a neutral space where buyers can picture their own lives and belongings fitting in.
A home without clutter and personal belongings looks clean, organized, and ready to be lived in. This move-in-ready vibe is appealing to buyers because it looks like less work for them to make this home their own.
2. Deep Clean
A spotless home is one of the easiest ways to up its appeal, and it also shows buyers that you have taken care of the property. Clean every part of your home including blinds, baseboards, vents, appliances, and every nook and cranny. Professional cleaning services are perfect for this if time is an issue, or cleaning isn’t your thing.
3. Focus on Curb Appeal
Your home’s exterior is the buyer’s first impression, so make it pop. Studies have shown that most buyers look at properties online or by driving by before contacting a realtor, so the exterior is a major selling point.
Ensure your lawn is mowed, hedges are trimmed, flowers and garden beds are neat and clean, and your exterior is clutter-free. Rent a pressure washer to remove dirt and grime from your siding, fascia, and gutters. Paint the front door, and replace old house numbers and exterior lighting. Little extras like a new welcome mat or a planter near the front door also add a little sparkle and increase the chances that potential buyers will ask for a showing.
4. Neutralize Colors
Creating a home with neutral colors gives buyers a blank slate to work with. Paint colors are highly personal (not everyone wants that purple bedroom), so keeping things warm and neutral is your best bet for a good impression.
5. Rearrange and Optimize Furniture
Your goal in staging is to showcase your home for its space, function, and comfort. This means creating a good flow from room to room so that every room maximizes the space it offers, and that furniture is the right size for the room. Your home should feel spacious, homey, and easy to navigate, rather than cramped and stuffy. Removing or re-arranging furniture can make a big difference in the overall flow of your house.
6. Show Off Your Storage
Storage is a high selling point on many buyers’ lists. Show yours off by decluttering your closets and cabinets. Matching baskets and cute cloth bins help keep closets neat, while shoe racks and under-shelf baskets can demonstrate versatility. Straighten out the linen closets so that buyers are greeted with neat and organized closets if they peek inside.
7. Walls and Ceilings
Look for cracks in walls or ceilings as they are red flags to buyers as they may indicate foundation problems. If your home has foundation problems, you will either need to fix them or alert buyers to them in the home sale process.
8. Add Fresh Touches
Well-tended potted plants and fresh flowers in vases make your home feel fresh and inviting. Space plants out so they aren’t overwhelming, and ensure they’re in good health (a sickly, dying plant doesn’t send a good message!)
Air out your home to get rid of odors from food, pets, kids, damp bathrooms, or any other conditions that may turn off potential buyers. Nobody likes a stinky home! Simple moves like burning vanilla-scented candles or cleaning sinks and disposals with fresh lemons will help make your home smell fresh. We also love tricks like baking cookies or an apple pie to make kitchens smell warm and inviting.
Lastly, don’t forget to take out the trash!
9. Good Lighting Is Key
Take advantage of the natural light in your home by opening all curtains and blinds. Replace any broken or outdated fixtures, and turn on lights in each room for showings to make it appear lighter and brighter.
10. Don’t Leave Walls Blank
While your goal is to depersonalize your home, you won’t want to leave walls blank and bare. Hang neutral artwork that will brighten the room and add a pop of color if needed, but remember that scale and proportion are important. Use pieces appropriate to the size of the wall and hang the artwork at eye level.
Are You Ready to List?
If you’re looking to put your home on the market, contact us! Getting your home ready to list can be an overwhelming process, but we are here to help. Give us a call and we will walk you through the process!
