Successfully Staging Your Property for Sale

Staging can be an effective tool when you want to sell your property quickly. Potential buyers want to be able to imagine themselves building a life in the home, and staging the property can make a huge difference. It involves cleaning and clearing out the home so that it will look its best when it comes time to sell. From rearranging furniture to enhancing the décor, there’s a variety of techniques you can use to stage your home for sale.

Clear Out Clutter

The most extensive task you’ll have to undertake is clearing out the home. With most of your belongings removed, the home will look cleaner and more spacious, which will attract more buyers. Pack away personal items and ensure your surfaces are free of clutter. Avoid stuffing items in closets as most people will open these to see how roomy they are. It’s best to store your possessions somewhere outside the home.

Once you’ve gotten rid of the clutter, you can focus on deep cleaning the property. Each room should be spick and span—like no one has ever lived in the home. Once done, remember to open windows to air the home out naturally since air fresheners can trigger allergies. If you have room in your budget, consider hiring a professional cleaning service, which will have all the necessary tools and equipment to leave the home looking pristine.

Brighten Up the Home

Lighting is a crucial part of any good home staging strategy. People like to walk into a bright room and be able to see all the details. Before a showing, open up your blinds and curtains. Ensure your home has clean and updated lighting fixtures that will appeal to prospective buyers.

Depersonalize

Remember, when a buyer walks into a home, they should feel like the home could be theirs. One of the best ways to do this is to remove anything that’s personal to you from the property. Everything from family photographs to religious artwork should be gone before you show the home. Consider replacing some of these with more neutral paintings, wall hangings, and other decorations, but remember to do so sparingly.

Neutralize Rooms

Many stagers recommend using a neutral color scheme throughout the home. Consider toning down any paint or carpeting that could deter potential buyers. That doesn’t mean you need to go with boring white in every room. Rich browns or cool grays can give the home a nice, sophisticated look.

Strategically Arrange the Furniture

First, decide which furniture will stay and which furniture you’ll store away. Remember, less is more in this case. You want to open up the rooms by minimizing furniture and décor. If you need your furniture at your new place, you can rent new furniture to make the space showroom-ready.

When arranging furniture pieces, many stagers opt for a more symmetrical technique than you’d see in a typical home. Secure the tables, chairs, and couches away from the walls and position them on an area rug near the center of the room. This gives the home a better, more cohesive flow from room to room.

It’s also a good idea to make sure each room is staged for its intended purpose. For example, if you’re currently using a bedroom as a play room, you’ll want to style it as a bedroom. The number of bedrooms in a home is usually very important to a buyer, so they need to be able to see all the possibilities.

Beware of Pet Odors

Some people will be extremely sensitive to pet odors, so it’s important that the home has no sign that a pet ever lived there. This means deep-cleaning carpets, furniture, and surfaces and making sure any pet toys, food, or bones are removed from the home before the showing. A professional cleaning service can also be a big help here.

Enhance Your Curb Appeal

Your curb appeal is how your property appears from the outside. Since this is the first thing that a prospective buyer will notice, you should spend some time preparing it for the showing as well. If the exterior of the property appeals to a buyer, they will be more likely to want to see the inside of the home as well.

There are many things you can do to improve curb appeal. First, power-wash the exterior of the home and any walkways. This will help remove any built-up dirt and grime. You might also consider repainting exterior doors and trim to give the home that like-new look buyers will appreciate.

Your next step is to make sure the yard will appeal to buyers. You can trim trees and bushes, mow the lawn, and even plant blooming flowers. If you have a patio or porch, be sure to include some outdoor furniture so that people can imagine themselves sitting and visiting with friends and family members. Potted plants can also add a nice touch to a walkway. Remember to put out a clean welcome mat to invite potential buyers into the home.

Exterior lighting should also play a role here. Anyone who is interested in the home may drive by to check it out before the showing, so be sure to keep the porch lights on in the evening. You might also consider installing solar lights to illuminate the front walkway.

Add the Finishing Touches

When the rest of your home is ready, don’t forget to include some extra special touches to the space. Here are some things you can add at a relatively low cost:

• Fresh flowers in a nice vase
• Hand towels for bathroom and kitchen
• Coordinating bedding sets
• Fluffy bathrobes
• Stylish area rugs
• New lampshades
• Throw pillows

Now that you know how to properly stage the home, you just need the right Realtor on your side to help you market the home effectively. Premier Realty has a team of experienced agents who can help you through every stage of the selling process. Contact our office today.