As you are getting ready to sell your home, you may hear your agent talk to you about staging your home. This doesn’t always mean bringing in an outside interior designer to make your home look like a show home, but it does mean putting your best foot forward when it comes to your homes appearance. After all, you only get one first impression on potential buyers. So here are some to tips from a professional on how to stage your home for photos and showings.
- Be Specific about Staging. Not every room needs the same amount of attention when it comes to staging. The Living Room, Master Bedroom, and Kitchen are the top places your attention should be on.
- Rearrange the Furniture. You certainly don’t need to restage your entire home just be mindful to create good walking space throughout the home. Narrow walkways and tight rooms can make your home feel smaller than it really is.
- De-personalize. The goal is to help potential buyers see themselves in your home. While you don’t want a barren house, you do want to create as much of a blank, neutral canvas for buyers. You can accomplish this by removing family photos as well as religious or political items.
- De-Clutter. Whether it is toys in the playroom, all your kitchen appliances on the counter, or a cluttered nightstand, try to remove as many unnecessary things from sight. Try to keep only decorative items on surfaces.
- Patch and Repair. If there is anything that will stand out to buyers, such as a hole in the wall or a crooked cabinet door, patch it or repair it before photos or showings. Small things like those can cause buyers to wonder what bigger things are wrong with the home.
- Create a Neutral Palette. While paint can be corrected quite easily for a buyer, it is sometimes hard for them to see past that when viewing a home. Painting over bright colored walls with a more neutral tone like gray or taupe may help you appeal to a larger group of buyers.
- Elevate the Curb Appeal. The exterior of your home is the first thing people will see when they visit, so make sure it is appealing. Power wash your entrance way. Remove seasonal décor. Add some flowers to the stoop. Make people excited to enter.
- Brighten Your Home. No one wants to live in a cave, so open the windows turn on the light and showcase your beautiful home!
- And Finally,… Clean, clean, clean. Clean those windows, deep clean those toilets, wipe down those kitchen cabinets, and make sure those floors shine. A clean home will instantly elevate your listing because no one likes someone else’s filth.