It’s time to sell your home. To do so, you need to appeal to buyers as best you can, in order to sell quickly and for the maximum amount. Your home’s appearance is the number one way to appeal to prospective buyers. One way to show your home’s appearance is through home staging.
What is Home Staging?
Home staging makes your house look bigger, warmer, cleaner, and brighter. It helps buyers visualize what life would look like in the home you’re selling. Your home’s first impression is key and staging gives potential buyers an idea of how to use the space. Potential buyers can think about furniture placement and see how much space is available.
Staging occurs after:
- You’ve decluttered your home
- Completed any minor repairs or renovation work
- You’ve painted your home
- You spent time cleaning your home from top to bottom
Even the best home staging efforts can be thwarted by mistakes you didn’t even know you were making. This is a complete guide on staging to sell your property faster:
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Remove Any Personal Items In View
The concept of staging a home is simple. It allows buyers to envision themselves living in the space. This means removing yourself from the equation by depersonalizing the space.
You may like your red dining area but that doesn’t mean that a potential buyer will. Leaving items on your walls such as family portraits can also sabotage your efforts. When you leave personal treasures in sight it says to buyers to move on, because the house is already occupied by another family.You should establish a blank slate that lets potential buyers see a welcoming home that they can mold into their own living space.
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Avoid Over-Staging
You might have heard of the term ‘over-staging’. Many home sellers think that doing a lot of renovations and improvements to a house is what’ll help sell it.
Home seller, be wary that incorporating too much can infringe on the home’s best features. A staged living space is different from a room that has too much going on. For instance, having a vase or two of flowers in a room is suitable. But having flowers placed in every corner of the house is unattractive.
Your home may be small, but adding a lot of furniture to create a ‘homey” feel will make the home feel even more cramped. Remember, it’s better to have too little than too much.
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Don’t Ignore Critical, Minor Details
Preparing your home for sale doesn’t always include major renovations. If you don’t have the budget, why start a costly renovation? You can achieve an updated look by investing your dollars wisely.
There are simple things you can do that have a big impact, such as:
- Hanging decorative hand towels in the kitchen
- Using potpourri in the bathroom
- Painting the walls in warm, neutral colors
- Adding an eye-catching backsplash
- Staging your bar with glasses
The small details really do matter! For example, you can’t just place a couch somewhere and expect that to work. You must go the extra mile and make sure the pillows on it match. Clean beforehand and don’t make the mistake of bringing in furniture and placing it on dirty floors. Before you start inviting potential buyers in, make sure your home looks spotless and well-maintained.
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There’s No Need To Stage Every Room In The House
Prospective buyers must be able to envision themselves living in your home. While sprucing up your home’s look is a must, staging every room is not. You can leave some rooms untouched, but they should still be clean and decluttered. Save the whole staging process for the living room, master bedroom, kids room, kitchen, and bathroom.
Don’t bother staging your office, garage, or guest rooms as it can distract. Sometimes, it’s a great idea to leave other rooms empty. The imagination of buyers is your greatest asset.
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Deciding To Avoid Getting Professional Help
If you are one of those sellers who thinks hiring a professional stager is too expensive, think again. That’s a big mistake that can cost you the chance of selling your home faster and for a higher price.
Competition is fierce and those who work with professionals often have a competitive edge. A stager can help you avoid costly design mistakes and save you a great deal of money in the end. They also have great connections that can make a difference in selling your home quickly.
When staging your home it’s important to avoid these mistakes. Be careful with every move you make in an attempt to make your home more appealing. Consider what will make your home desirable for the prospective buyer and what will sell your home.
Not sure if home staging will help sell your home? Get in touch with one of our real estate agents to discuss your options. Jeffrey Costa Select Realty’s team is here to provide you with tips to help you convince potential buyers to make an offer on your home.