How To Properly Stage Your Home For Sale

Preparing your home for sale can require some planning. It is not often that everyone’s home at any given point is in perfect condition where it is ready to be listed for sale. However, the good news is that you don’t always have to do significant remodel jobs to get it to the point where it is realistically ready for buyers. Staging can be a great and economical way to enhance your home as you make it look its best for buyers. Here are some staging how-to tips. 

Curb Appeal

Your home’s exterior is the first and last thing all buyers will see so be sure it looks great. Have your lawn, flower beds and walkways all looking tidy and well groomed. Perhaps some updated house numbers and a fresh coat of paint on that front door as well. 

Foyer

The next welcoming item is your foyer. Keep this tidy with coats on racks and shoes stowed away. Consider a nice flower arrangement on a vestibule table for some color and life.

Declutter And Store

Go from room to room and minimize all of your personal belongings. Be sure to also reduce the amount of decorating items as well to make your rooms appear large and accommodating. The same goes for your closets and storage areas. If these are packed to the max they will seem smaller. Consider a storage unit for things as you pare down.

Clean

Don’t do a regular run through cleaning, do a deep cleaning. That means inside cabinets, closets, behind toilets, under sinks, behind furniture. Don’t forget the importance of clean windows too!

Function

Be sure to have each room setup as it is intended. If it is an eat-in kitchen, put the table and chairs in it. If it is a guest room, put the bed back in and move that exercise stuff to the side.

Easy Updates

Make sure you repair anything that is obviously broken. If there are any small cracks, fix and paint them so nobody is wondering if there is more to the story. Broken door hinges or loose cabinets? Take a few moments to address these issues so buyers don’t get the sense that there could be more deferred maintenance than what they see. Fresh paint can really go a long way at a small cost too.

Neutralize

Go room by room and get rid of anything that is personal. Any photos, awards, collections and personal items such as blow dryers, makeup caddies, etc. should all be put away. Create a clean slate for any buyer to easily picture themselves living in the home as if it were already theirs.

Evaluate With Friends

Finally, test out your work. Invite over one or two of your most honest friends that may have a keen eye. See if you may have overlooked anything that they feel should still be addressed. Sometimes when we look at something every day, we may not see it as much as the eyes of a visitor.