How to Stage Your Home Before Selling

So you’ve decided to sell your house. Hopefully you have called me, but if you didn’t...that’s ok, I forgive you. If you’re about to put your house on the market, you need to understand that staging is an important tool for sellers. We want them to picture themselves in this place and staging your home is exactly how we can tip the scales in your favor. Home Staging companies are incredibly good at what they do, but professionals can be a little pricey, so here are some tips as to what you can do to stage your home yourself.
Curb Appeal
You know that saying “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”? Well, curb appeal is your home’s first impression, and yes, it is important.  

Refresh your landscaping, make sure the flower beds are devoid of weeds, and make sure that the lawn is manicured. You also may want to consider giving the house a fresh coat of paint (or maybe just paint the trim).

I promise, it is completely worth it. When buyers pull up to your home, the first impression sets the tone for the rest of the tour, so make it a good one.

Pack up Personal Items
However many years you have lived in this house, it has been your home and there are a lot of memories and emotions in this place. But your memories are just that...yours.  Not anyone else’s, and they certainly don’t belong to potential buyers, so let’s show those buyers the house... not you or your family.

I have shown houses to buyers and I am here to tell you, they will stop and look at family photos almost every time. That means that they are not picturing themselves in that house, they are seeing your family’s home. So pack up any personal items that are in the home.  I know it is hard to see the memories being packed away, but just think about it as a jump start to packing once the house sells.

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De-Clutter
Let’s talk about de-cluttering, shall we?  All of those knick-knacks are beautiful...really. That is the reason you bought them, but we are trying to showcase the house, not the stuff that is in it.  Start with packing away 50% of your things and see how it looks.  

I know, it will look bare, but the house will start to shine through and that’s what we want.  You might want to also pack away some of your furniture as well.

And while we are on the topic of de-cluttering...please take down everything that is on your refrigerator.  Even the magnets. Stop shaking your head. You can tell more about a person by what is on their fridge than by the pictures on the wall.

Rearrange
Rearranging furniture can also have a huge impact.  Right now, your rooms are arranged for functionality as well as aesthetics.  But, now you need to make sure that each room has a purpose but may not be exactly functional.  

Case in point...in the living room, you may need to pack away a couple of pieces of furniture and the seating that is left may not all face the television. If you are having trouble envisioning how a room can be changed, ask your realtor. She should be able to help you see your house in a different light.

While you are moving furniture, look at the walls. Pick a couple of rooms that need a fresh coat of paint and paint them. Fresh paint can provide a big return on your investment.

Does all of this sound like a lot of work?  It is, but you will be rewarded with a quicker sale of your home and quite possibly a larger sale price as well.  So, good luck and remember that if you ever feel like you need some help, call your realtor. I know that as a Realtor, I am always more than happy to help, so when the time comes, call me! 386.315.4162.

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