How do you really stage your home?
Staging a home is a proven way to help earn top dollar and get your home sold in the shortest amount of time. The Ana and Melissa Team hire a stager to assist us in preparing a home for sale – to make your home clear, open, inviting, and neutral for potential buyers. When we stage a home, we are working to make it as visually appealing for pictures – buyers ‘shop’ on-line and selling your home begins with the listing photos. But, as a homeowner, knowing exactly what to do—and what not to do—isn’t always obvious: It’s easy to go overboard on staging. Here are some tips to get your home ready for staging.
1. Curb Appeal
Cohesive landscaping with fresh plants and gleaming new paint will not only look great in the listing photos, but entice buyers to want to walk in when they drive up.
We suggest removing or trimming plants, mulching, repairing any wood rot, painting trim and front door, removing cobwebs, and hiding trash cans. Just as you would clean the inside of your house – you should pressure wash the outside and clean the windows. You can go a step further and even stage an area with a fire pit or party lights so buyers can envision spending time outside in the yard.
2. Depersonalize
You’ve likely heard this one before, but it can’t be overstated: Staging a home means making it appear neutral and inviting to any buyer. That means removing those items that make it obvious that it currently belongs to a specific family.
With that in mind, be sure to remove family photos, wedding invites from the fridge, children’s artwork, evidence of pets, and the like.
3. Remove Rugs
Rugs can unify a space and add pops of color, but they can also make a room feel cramped and small. They can also be a trip hazard for some. Hardwood floors are a feature that buyers covet – so show them off.
4. Add Mirrors
Got a cramped room? Move a mirror, or add one. They work in most spaces and can create the illusion of more space and light.
5. Remove Clutter
As you clean and depersonalize your home, you’ll want to also remove clutter. Books and knickknacks – anything smaller than a grapefruit looks visually cluttered in pictures. We suggest taking pictures of your rooms and see what stands out to you.
6. Add Fresh Fruit or Flowers
Once you’ve decluttered and removed personal items and decor that may not appeal to buyers, your home may feel pretty sparse – adding fresh flowers and fruit smell good and look even better. They bring life to a space.
7. Replace Air Filters
If you’ve lived in your home for years, you probably can’t smell that unique scent the place has taken on as you’ve lived there. Perfumes, cooking fumes, and pet odors might not matter to an owner, but a buyer will notice. To mitigate this, be sure to replace the air filters in your home.
8. Hire a Professional Cleaner
A clean home is key. Keeping your space virtually spotless can make a difference in how much time your home spends on the market and even what offers come in. Presenting a thoroughly clean space can do a lot for your selling prospects, even if you don’t have the means to implement other home staging tips. If you’re able to, get professional cleaners to do the dirty work. Dust all ceiling fans, clean inside the refrigerator, oven and cabinets, clean glass and windows.
9. Disconnect from the Process
Selling your home can be a difficult process emotionally, especially as you drastically overhaul the look and feel of your home to impress strangers. The more you can detach yourself from that process, the easier it will be.
Staging your home is vastly different from decorating it. Staging involves depersonalizing and neutralizing each space. Chances are likely that our stager will want to put pieces in your home and arrange things that you would never want. Let them.
