You may have noticed that many if not most top real estate agents have their listings staged. This is no coincidence, as staging a home can make a big difference when it comes to selling it. So, what exactly is home staging? It is preparing a home for sale from an aesthetic perspective. It involves decluttering, removing personal items, decorating or redecorating so that the home feels current and rearranging or replacing the existing furniture all to highlight the most desirable aspects of the home.
Its time to stage your house but where to start? Here are some ideas to get you going:
1. Clear all clutter
Grab some cardboard boxes and plastic bins and label them, putting away all knick-knacks and all personal items family photos, especially. Clear off all clutter from kitchen and bathroom countertops. (The bigger that countertops look, the better.) Thin out all shelves to a select few books and pieces of decor.
2. Think light, bright and neutral
Showing dark rooms wont bring the best offers or any at all. Paint all the rooms in calming, neutral colors, if they aren't already. Open all the curtains and, just before showings, turn on lots of lights and lamps. You want the home to feel as light and bright as possible.
3. Hang or lean large mirrors
An instant way to make rooms feel more spacious is by hanging large mirrors the bigger the better. You can also lean large mirrors against walls or behind sofas, to give the illusion of depth in the spaces. (Follow all safety precautions for securing leaned mirrors.) Add mirrors even to rooms with lots natural light already, so that they bounce that light around and add to the homes allure.
4. Hang floor-to-ceiling curtains
To make rooms feel their tallest, hang curtains all the way to the ceiling and all the way to the floor. This will give the impression that the room is loftier and more spacious.
5. Mix up the furnishings
If your staged interior starts to feel a bit too neutral, try mixing up your furnishings a bit. Pull a pair of traditional chairs into a more contemporary living room. Hang a contemporary painting in a traditionally furnished bedroom. Put some pops of color here and there, too: Add some bright pillows to a beige or gray sofa, and put a couple of colorful vases on an empty bookshelf. The key is restraint but a little energy injected into the rooms is a good thing.
6. Rearrange the furniture
Maximize the flow of your living spaces by rearranging the furniture. Choose a focal point, such as a fireplace or a wall of windows, and orient a seating grouping toward it. And, dont push furniture against the walls: Rooms will actually feel larger if you pull sofas and chairs together nearer the middle of the room or its ends. Create multiple conversation areas if you can, with two chairs, for example, or a settee and a chair.
What should you avoid when it comes to home staging? Follow this list, honed from decades of experience.
1. Don't display any personalized belongings
Take down all family photos, painted portraits and anything with your family name on it including signs, trophies, nameplates and wall graphics. (This goes for kids rooms, too.) You want buyers to visualize themselves living in the home not you.
2. Don't use bold colors or wild patterns, anywhere
For paint, wallpaper and furniture (the latter whether its your own or rented), make sure none of it is over-the-top in color or pattern. The more the home appeals to the most buyers, the better the chance of it selling quickly, and for the best possible price. Stick to a neutral, soothing palette for everything.
3. Don't forget the outside of the house
Curb appeal is critical for making a first impression. Make sure the lawn is neatly manicured and the hedges are trimmed. Put a fresh coat of paint on the front door. Replace or repair any damaged parts of the sidewalks. Pick up all toys, water hoses, fallen branches, etc. Basic maintenance goes a long way for staging the outside of the home.
4. Don't forget the garage
This is an oft-overlooked aspect of staging a home. If your garage is messy or disorganized, tidy it up. (See our related story, here.) After all, 32 percent of buyers cite the garage as one of the most important spaces of the home.
5. Don't overlook odors you cant smell
Lets face it: It can be difficult to smell your own home. (You're nose blind, as the famous fabric-freshening spray commercials say.) The smartest approach? Neutralize any potential odors in your home as much as possible, especially if you have pets. Try natural methods of freshening and neutralizing including baking soda, distilled white vinegar, coffee grounds, vanilla extract and lemons or air fresheners and diffusers.
6. Don't hesitate to get help
Staging your home might feel like an intimidating process. The good news? You don't have to do it alone. I'm here to help you from start to finish so never hesitate to reach out!
