Ten Tips for Staging Your Home

Selling a home can be a whirlwind of hiring an agent, home showings, and reviewing offers. But before your home can go on the market, your agent will likely come see your home and suggest some possible home improvements, staging, or small showing tips before it is professionally photographed and the home is listed on the market. If you are looking to get a jump start on preparing your home for showing, here are our top ten home staging tips!

Think About Curb Appeal – The exterior of your home is the first thing that greets potential buyers! In fact, some buyers may even drive by your home before deciding whether to book a showing or not, so make the most of those first impressions! Consider power-washing your driveway and siding, washing windows, and touching up paint as needed. Keeping up on seasonal maintenance is also a helpful way to maintain curb appeal. In the spring or summer, add a touch of color with beautiful flowers and keep the yard neatly trimmed; in fall, blow or rake the leaves regularly; and in cold winter climates, keeping snow and ice off of walkways is key.

Pack Away Clutter – While your personal photos, artwork, and knick-knacks may perfectly represent you and your home, they may not represent your buyer and their new home! The goal when packing away non-essentials is to give potential buyers a relatively clean slate to envision their own things within the home. Plus, clearing away these items gives you a leg up on the inevitable packing that will accompany moving out of your home when it sells!

Deep Clean – Now is the time to wipe down baseboards, polish wood, and make that stainless steel shine! Washing walls, shampooing carpet, and tidying cupboards will make your home sparkle like new for potential buyers.

Stage Important Rooms – Even though you have de-cluttered, your home doesn’t need to be empty! Focusing on those key rooms that homebuyers find most important will help you decorate in the right spots. According to Moving.com, the living room, primary bedroom, and kitchen are where home-buying decisions often get made. Don’t be afraid to set out a bowl of fruit in the kitchen or a fresh bouquet of flowers on the dining table.

Consider Color – While your current color scheme might look amazing in lime green and pink, many home sellers find their best luck with keeping a more neutral palette during the home-selling process. Although not always feasible, consider using a fresh coat of paint in a neutral tone to help potential buyers see themselves and their own color scheme in your home.

Define Each Space – One way to help home buyers envision themselves in your home is to give each space its own, clear purpose. For instance, if your second bedroom has been doubling as a home office, try to keep the space as just an office or a bedroom for staging. This will help potential buyers have a clearer understanding of the spaces in your home, even if they might choose to use the space as something else once its theirs.

Go Green – While it’s best to try to minimize everyday signs of life that may throw off home buyers – such as toothbrushes, dog bowls, and laundry – it is important not to have your home looking too sterile! Ann Carr recommends using live plants to liven up your home. For sellers without the greenest of thumbs, consider plants like pothos or spider plants for easy care.

Follow Your Nose – While living in a home, it is normal to become accustomed to the scents that make the space uniquely yours – whether that is a lavender candle you often burn or your favorite curry recipe. Home buyers will notice these scents more strongly, so consider ways to keep your space smelling fresh and clean. Make sure to air out your home and use more neutral scents before showings. Also keep an eye out for pet odors that can cling to fabric throughout the home. Steam cleaning, wiping down surfaces, and vacuuming can help manage these smells.

Keep it Light – We all know someone who seems to thrive in the dark, but most home buyers want to see your home in the light! Make sure to open shades and blinds, turn on lights and lamps, and let the whole house be bright. This will help make your space look larger and provide buyers with the best presentation of your home.

Remember the Backyard – With all of the home staging happening inside the home, don’t forget to take a look at the backyard as well. Keep the yard well-maintained and stage using the same process as the rest of your home. Remove any clutter, clean and fix anything that needs repair, and then consider adding flowers, outdoor seating, or another focal point that adds to the space.

If you have questions or concerns about what steps are best for staging your home, make sure to talk to your real estate agent! They will have seen many other homes in your area – what has worked and what hasn’t – and can help you decide on what will be best for your situation! Pinterest can also provide you with ideas for staging awkward spaces and home design trends. No matter how you stage your home, making sure to keep the space clean, bright, and uncluttered are steps any seller can take to make their home as attractive as possible!

About the Author

By: Rachel Valerio

Exclusive for JulieCoRealty.com