I have found that home-staging can snarl and snag more than a few potential home-sellers. Clients generally want to throw everything into a closet or a box, or they do not see the need to stage at all.
Others believe that staging will cost them money, and that they are required to hire a personal stager in addition to hiring the real estate agent.
And then, they panic. After all, they want to make money on the sale, and every dollar that drips outward cuts into their profit.
In reality, a personal stager is rarely necessary, and most people can do basic staging on their own without breaking the bank.
Tip #1 - Light the way!
Play up the brightness of your home by opening all of the window shades and curtains. (Make sure to clean the windows, too). Turn on every lamp, and be sure to replace ALL the bulbs with 100-watt bulbs. This is especially necessary if you are selling your house in winter, when the days become darker earlier.
Tip #2 - Create the illusion of more space!
Pull your furniture away from the walls. This is a time tested trick to make rooms look bigger and more spacious than they are, even if pieces, especially couches and chairs, are moved only a few feet forward. Along with that, clear the corners. Seeing corners, whether its a kitchen cabinet or a room, will also make the room feel bigger.
"Don't wait to buy real estate. Buy real estate and wait." – Will Rogers
Tip #3 - Confine mini-vignettes!
Confine mini-vignettes throughout your home to end tables, nightstands, or selected empty surfaces. Use well-placed plants, fresh flowers, and other decorative accents on top, but keep the items sparse, generic, and not too personal. Buyers want to see themselves in the space, not your pets or your dashingly cute grandkids.
Tip #4 - Freshen up baseboards and more!
Take a good, realistic look at baseboards, moldings, and trims. If they are wooden, clean with soap and water and, if possible, cover-up any scuff marks or marred areas. If they are painted, and especially if they are white, consider freshen them up with a coat a fresh paint.
Tip #5 - Dinner anyone?
Consider setting the dinner table as though you were about to sit down to eat or host a party. Buyers can easily imagine their own gatherings around the table, and who doesn't love to entertain in a new home?
Tip #6 - Flowers are for forever!
Fresh flowers go a long way to freshen and brighten any room or space. Consider getting inexpensive bouquets for table, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Update the flowers regularly while the house is on the market. Most grocery and retail stores have inexpensive bouquets of wildflowers that last several days to a week.
Selling that house . . .
Fortunately, for my clients at least, I am pretty good at staging, and I offer those services as part of my hiring package. I want your home to sell, and I want you to walk away with as much money as is possible, so I am going to help you put your home in the best light.
Hiring an agent? Talk to them about what they perceive is necessary to sell your home for top dollar and as quickly as possible.
After all, you want to start the next chapter in your story as soon as possible . . . and selling your home is the first step into that new adventure!