Staging Your Home for Sale

Preparing Your Home for a Successful Sale Without Breaking the Bank:

Staging a home is one of the best ways to increase its chances of getting sold. It makes the home look more attractive and appealing to potential buyers, allowing them to imagine how it would look with their own personal touches. Staging also helps to make the home more move-in ready and allows buyers to think of it as their future home.

When staging your home before listing, there are several key steps that should be taken to make sure it looks inviting and well taken care of. First, you want to ensure that the entire house is clean and decluttered. This means making sure each room is neat and organized, getting rid of belongings that may be taking up space, and removing any pet hairs or dust that may have accumulated over time. You also want to make sure all surfaces are wiped down properly and linens are fresh and wrinkle free if possible.

In addition to cleaning and decluttering, it's important to depersonalize your home when preparing for sale. Removing family photos, mementos, religious items, political decorations, etc., can help potential buyers visualize themselves living in the space rather than seeing it as someone else's domain. If you have furniture or décor that looks outdated or worn out, consider replacing these items or investing in new throw pillows or accessories that can help update the look without breaking your budget.  Take some time to make sure your HVAC air filter is clean or replace it.  

It is important to arrange your furniture in a manner that makes your home look as spacious as possible.  Sometimes, this includes removing some furniture and possibly storing it while your house is on the market.  We understand that you still are going to be living in your house, so we are not suggesting you strip it down too much.  Our goal is to have your home show as large as possible while making it easy for perspective Buyers to walk around when they come to view it in person.  We are always able to move things around when our professional photographer comes to take the photos and do your virtual tour as well so please do not overthink this part in your preparation. :-)

Another important aspect of staging your home is taking care of your landscaping needs. Sprucing up walkways with landscape pavers or mulch can add a pop of color while making paths easier for people to walk on throughout your property. Adding potted plants in areas like porches or patios can help create a sense of ambiance as well as adding life into an area without doing too much work. Also consider trimming back trees so they’re not blocking natural light from entering windows since this could be a big turn off for prospective buyers who don’t like dark spaces inside homes.

Finally, it can be beneficial to freshen up paint around the house if needed - particularly on walls near doors or high traffic areas where scuffs are most likely to occur due to people coming in and out regularly over time. Consider going with neutral colors such as grays instead of bold tones like reds so they appeal more widely across different styles and tastes (plus they won't clash with future buyer's furniture). Additionally, painting your front door can add character while brightening up the exterior of your home.

At the end of the day, remember staging is all about creating an inviting atmosphere where prospective buyers can see themselves living in your house as soon as possible.  These tips can help ensure that every detail is taken care of so that once listed on the market - you'll get top dollar offers much sooner. 

We are happy to come out and meet with you to give you suggestions anytime.  It is often advantageous to meet early in the process if possible.  This way you can focus on what matters most to Buyers in today's market.  If you need any contractors to help, get your home ready to sell, we have an extensive list of people who we are happy to recommend for almost anything you might need.  

Please just let us know!