Every home is unique, but when you’re selling your house, the last thing you want is for it to be unique. You have to realize that the home will no longer be yours, and the new owners will not have the same sense of style as you.
Your goal when staging your home should be to make it as neutral as possible. Leave the design up to the potential buyer’s imagination. It’s going to be their house, and they need to be able to picture themselves living in it.
If it still has all of your stuff in it, that makes it more difficult for them to picture it as theirs. It also makes it more difficult for a home appraiser to do their job. Staging your home can also improve your odds of getting a higher value on an appraisal.
If everything is staged perfectly, that should mean that everything is in the condition a buyer would expect, meaning you’ll have nothing to worry about when it comes time for the appraisal. Here are a few ways you can stage your home to sell it quickly.
Follow These Home Staging Tips for a Quick Sale
1. Get Rid of As Much As Possible
Ideally, your house should have some furniture and a few decorations on it. Everything else should be in storage, donated, sold, or thrown out.
You’re leaving this house behind, and it’s the perfect time to get rid of some unneeded items so that they don’t end up taking valuable space in your new home.
Once the house is empty, do a deep cleaning; make it the cleanest it has ever been. Everything should look and smell clean.
If you have pets, get them out of the house as well. It’s imperative that you do this if you want the house to smell clean. Plus, no one wants a dog following them around while they are trying to decide if they like a house.
There should be no distractions that keep the buyer from focusing on the house and their vision. A single negative thought could stop them from adding your home to their shortlist. Leave as little to chance as possible.
2. Light Everything Properly
One thing you absolutely should not get rid of is lighting. Buyers will need to be able to see everything, after all.
Make sure you optimize for natural light as much as possible—open shades and blinds and neatly set aside curtains. If you’re worried a buyer might not like your curtains, remove them completely.
If you can afford it, update all your light fixtures with LED bulbs. They provide brighter, more natural light than CFLs and incandescents, and the new owners won’t have to change the bulbs for years. Likewise, make sure that all lighting fixtures are working properly and look the way that they should. An electrician in Voorhees pointed out that lighting fixtures are something that many people notice when looking at a staged home, so it’s best to be proactive and be sure that they are in the best condition possible.
3. Stage What Matters
If your kitchen is a major selling point of your house, focus on making it as nice as possible. If the master bedroom has an attached bathroom, highlight that space.
You don’t have to go all out throughout your whole home. Extra bedrooms, laundry rooms, and basements can be left empty if they’re not as important.
You only need enough furniture to give potential buyers an idea of what they can do with space. Anything else can be brought to your new home or put in storage. If you’re still living in the house, leave as much as is absolutely necessary and remove the rest.
And don’t forget to stage the outside of your home as well. If you have a front porch, that space would likely be more important than a basement, which brings us to the next step.
4. Improve Curb Appeal
Apart from the front porch, the facade of your house should look its best. That includes the walls, shutters, and the front door.
Start by cleaning the walls. If you have siding, a power washer should do the trick. Painted walls will need a more gentle touch. Scrub out any stains and repaint if needed.
Next, clean the inside and outside of your windows. If any are stained, scratched, or cracked, replace them with new ones. The same goes for your front door.
Make sure the front door and your house number stand out. As they pull up, this gives them a clear indicator that they’re at the right place and shows them where to go.
And do some landscaping along the path to the front door and in front of the house. Your lawn should be mowed, and plants should look healthy. Their walk to the house should be as pleasant as their walkthrough of it.
5. Follow Local Design Trends
As for decorations, find out what similar homes in your area are doing. If there’s a certain style people are looking for in your town, jump on the bandwagon.
Every area is different. Work with your realtor to do research on what’s popular. Like any other product you sell, you’re going to have competition. Find out what they’re doing and do it better.
