How Staging Your Home Makes a Difference
Staging your home plays a big role when you’re putting your house on the market. An appealing home is one that sells quickly and gets full asking price. You want your home to be attractive to a wide range of buyers, so read through these tips and prepare your house so someone else can easily envision it as their new home!
Curb appeal is crucial.
Nothing beats a first impression, and it only takes a moment for a prospective buyer to take a look at your house and think “This looks like my future home!”—or not. Your house may boast a gorgeous interior, but when it comes to the first impression, it’s the outside that counts. Take the time and effort to clean the windows, clear the walkways, and touch up the paint if needed. Also, make sure your lawn is freshly mowed and your garden is weeded and in good shape.
An inviting porch says “Welcome Home.”
An empty porch doesn’t project the right feeling to potential buyers, so spruce your porch up a bit with potted plants, décor, and furniture. A welcome mat makes a great finishing touch.
A clean home means a well-maintained home.
While it can be difficult to keep your house spotless, particularly if you have children, be aware that this is key because potential buyers may assume that if you’re not keeping up with the chores, you haven’t kept up with repairs either. Rid your home of clutter (rent a storage unit if necessary), and keep your home clean and tidy.
Rearrange your furniture to create a more inviting space.
You don’t want your house to have the “lived-in” look, rather, you want it to appear more like a showroom. Move your furniture out from the walls for a more open feeling, and put together a natural-looking seating arrangement where buyers and agents can sit to discuss a potential offer.
Decorate with neutral colors.
You want prospective buyers to be able to envision how your house can become their home. Neutral tones are not only universally appealing, they also create a clean palette for potential buyers to work from.
Guide buyers through the entire house.
Put appealing touches like lamps and flowers at the top of the staircase, in the halls, and in corners. This invites people to continue moving through your home.
Transform your closets into well-arranged spaces.
Buyers are going to be opening up your closet doors and evaluating the interiors. Closet space is a major selling point, so make sure your closet is clean, organized, and clutter-free, with plenty of open space.
Put away personal items, like photos or collections.
This step is perhaps the hardest part of staging your home, but it’s incredibly important. Remember, the point is not to sell your home, but to sell the idea of your home—that is, to make potential buyers think that your home should be their home. This means that you should remove all traces of yourself and your family so that the space is welcoming and neutral, and potential buyers can envision themselves living in your house.
For more ideas, check out this slideshow of staging strategies.
Oasis Home Inspections offers Pre-Listing Inspections for sellers, which is another effective way to reduce your home’s time on the market. Contact us today to schedule your inspection.