Selling is an exciting, albeit sometimes nerve-wracking experience. Depending on the number of buyers in your market, it can feel like getting dressed up to go on a lot of first dates! Now, while a great agent will come ready with advice, a plan, and a marketing strategy, there is one key to selling your home that starts even before your photos are taken and could make the all the difference in how easily your home sells – Staging!
These eight tips are my favorite ways to prepare a home to sell. They are straightforward, and most of them can be done with little to no cost.
Plan it out
Small touch ups
Whether you have an older home or a newer build, small repairs and touch ups make a real difference. Check for chipped paint, fingerprints, and broken, missing, or loose items like light switch plates, cupboard doors, and faucets. The last thing you want is for someone to walk into your house and focus on a bunch of little DIYS or “Honey-do list” work to be done
Declutter
You can love the knick-knacks on your mantle, and you might really use all the things on your counter. You might even be able to find what you need in the messy utensil drawer or packed closet. Buyers won’t do anything of these things, and this is all about them. So, get rid of papers, bottles, collections, calendars, awards, and anything else that doesn’t need to be in the room. Arrange your kitchen drawers and cupboards, as well as your closets for the absolute best impression!
Pro tip: People viewing homes have been known to look in cupboards, so don’t just stuff your clutter out of sight. If you use something regularly, organize it in a cabinet or drawer. If not, decide whether you want to keep it and then either donate, trash, or box it up neatly in a storage space or garage. This will also make your moving process way easier later!
Depersonalize
You like seeing your family’s smiling faces in the hall, and your dog clearly needs six beds – a pup’s gotta have options! When your house is for sale, however, you will want to do your best to wipe away all traces of your personal life and preferences. These things remind buyers that they are in someone else’s home and can make it hard for them to envision what the space would look like with their own lifestyle. The more neutral you can make it, the easier it is for viewers to see the possibilities.
Light it up
Bright homes look bigger and cleaner, and natural light is a huge selling feature. So, make sure those windows are clean, open the blinds to showcase the views, and turn all the lights on. This is what you’ll be asked to do for showings, so staging your home with this in mind is important. Of course, you will also want to replace burnt out bulbs or maybe even rearrange lamps to give great light even in smaller or darker rooms.
Showcase Space
Did you know the height you hang pictures or the size of your rug can change the visual size of your room? During a showing, it is unlikely that anyone is going to whip out a tape measure to see if a room is a certain size. They’ll simply estimate, and most humans aren’t great at that, which means if the arrangement of items or furniture takes up a lot of space, they may chalk it up to a small room instead of a big couch.
Keep it clean
We all have wildly different standards of what clean looks like. There’s the kid clean and the parent clean, the hotel clean and the professional house cleaner clean.
For your showings, assume they are as tough to please as the in-laws – and keep it spotless! This means that every day you will want to run through a checklist of putting things away, wiping taps, fluffing pillows, and making beds to make sure your home puts its best face forward.
Fresh is best
You want the house to smell clean, but not perfumed. Many people have allergies to room sprays, so avoid those if you can. Instead, open the doors and windows often, keep pet items super clean so they don’t leave an odor, and don’t cook any food that leaves a distinctive scent behind.
Doing a quick mop or wipe with a light citrus cleaner before a showing or choosing a very subtle essential oil diffuser scent can help add a little something extra.
While the term home staging often brings up thoughts of expensive interior redesigns, the reality is that every time you tidy up for company or rearrange your décor, you’re staging your space! Getting a little bit more intentional with it is all it takes to help your home’s new family fall in love with it.
If you have questions about staging a home, real estate, or home building and development please reach out! I am always happy to share information, insight, and create connections that move you toward your goals in real estate!