Tips for Staging Your Home
Updated: Mar 5, 2021
Is staging really THAT important? The answer....YES!
First impressions are lasting impressions and potential buyers utilize the web to search with or with out help from a realtor. Someone is more apt to have interest in a home if it looks neat and tidy and well cared for just by scrolling through a handful of photos. Seeing a sink full of dishes, laundry baskets over flowing, and a floor full of baby toys could easily get a swipe left! Here are some helpful and easy tips to make that first impression turn into a sale.
Declutter. Start by organizing closets and shelves with unwanted or unused items. You don't have to throw them out! Donate them, have a yard sale or sell on an online market place. Not only will it make the space look organized, it will give the appearance of larger areas plus an added bonus of a few dollars in your pocket. Heck, if you're really serious about moving, it's time to start packing anyway!
Deep clean. And yes, I mean deep! Time to get the old toothbrush out to scrub the bathroom grout that you have been ignoring. Use the fluffy duster on the ceiling fans. Wash the entrance doors around the door knobs and clean inside the refrigerator. Wait...WHAT?? Yes, inside the refrigerator and might as well do the microwave while you are at it. Anyone who comes to view your home could (and should) be looking over every nook and cranny. Show pride in your home. A sparkling clean house could be the difference in getting the list price or a lower offer. Cleaning doesn't require additional money, just extra elbow grease.
Stick with neutral color schemes. If your daughter insisted on neon walls while she was growing up, now is a good time to tone it down. Potential buyers want to be able to vision how they would decorate, not be distracted by a homeowner's drastic taste. There is nothing wrong with bold schemes, however for staging its best to air on the side of simplicity and keep it "light and bright".
Allow your realtor to move items for photos or open house showings. Clearing off the kitchen counter of smaller appliances, opening blinds, moving a scatter rug, and folding hand towels are all part of the best photo shoot scheme. All the items can go back for your daily living when the photographer leaves or the showing is over.
Take the trash out. Even if it's only half full. This eliminates potential odors that someone could smell.
Hope these easy tips helped. Feel free to share any of your own ideas below!