Everything You Need To Know About Staging Your Home
(To Sell It Faster and for A Higher Price)
When you list your home for sale, people will begin looking at your home and they’ll be comparing it to 12 to 20 other homes they also want to view. To each of these prospective buyers your home is now a product. Professional home stagers utilize staging to maximize space and give the illusion of larger living areas. They also create a warm, inviting, and desirable feel. The National Association of Realtors reports that a staged home sells 50% faster and for 17% more money.
While hiring a home stager is an option, you can stage your home yourself very effectively by following the four key steps below.
Depersonalize
Hide everything—family photos, awards, trophies, your collection of antique teacups—that might interfere with a buyer feeling like your home could be theirs. People get really distracted when they’re surrounded by someone else’s personal stuff. Make your bathroom look like a hotel’s; no one wants to see your soggy loofah and half used bar of soap. Put all your beauty products in a shower caddy that can easily be stowed under the sink before a showing.
De-clutter
Clutter lowers a homes sales price! Since you want to move now, it’s a great time to start packing anyway! Most people have too much stuff, whether it’s tchotchke or paperwork or furniture. The goal is to create a sense of space in a room—and in all of your closets. Fight the urge to shove all your stuff in your closets, since many prospective buyers open every last one and love to examine nooks and crannies. An organized closet can send the message that as an owner, you’re the kind of person who doesn’t slack on any aspect of maintaining your home.
Clean and Freshen
No one wants to walk into a dirty house. Bathrooms and kitchens, in particular, should be sparkling. Pay attention to hidden corners like the nook behind a toilet or the inside of your refrigerator. You never know where people are going to look. Since only about a third of Americans live with pets, be sure you’re not alienating the other two thirds of the population. Remove all traces (leashes, litter boxes, dog beds, pet food bowls) of animals. And since outdoor living is so popular here in the desert, be sure to make your patio, outdoor furniture and barbecue area appear ‘entertainment-ready.’ Adding a color bowl or two full of seasonal annuals is an easy and inexpensive way to brighten up your patio, as well.
Lighten and Brighten
You want to have as much light as possible filtering through your home. Start by cleaning the windows. Prior to a showing or open house, make sure your shades are open. Check to see if all your bulbs are working, and replace low-watt bulbs with high-watt ones to maximize brightness.
When appropriate, Sheri's marketing team is pleased to make suggestions to our buyer clients prior to scheduling photography and professionally marketing your property.
