How to Stage Your Home To Sell Fast!
When it comes to selling a home, how it’s presented to viewers is everything. Staging is one of the most important parts of the home selling process, as it can encourage a higher selling price and a shorter time during which the home stays on the market. How do sellers make good choices when staging? Here are some DIY home staging tips to give sellers an edge, even in competitive markets like this one.
Cut out Clutter
When walking through a home, buyers want to be able to see the actual home. Before letting anyone inside, make sure to get rid of any garbage that may be laying around such as cardboard boxes or plastic grocery bags. Keep bedrooms at a state of readiness that includes high quality bed linen and all clothes put away in closets or dressers. Make sure toys are put away and laundry baskets are away in closets where they won’t draw any unwanted attention. This is also a good time to put away mundane things like newspapers and magazines that sit around and take up a lot of space.
Rent a Storage Facility
Sometimes cutting out all the excess means moving furniture out of the home. But where should it go? For furniture that’s no longer wanted, there’s always the possibility of holding a garage sale or donating to Goodwill. But for things that need to leave only temporarily, consider renting a storage facility for a few months until the home is sold. The cost of renting a storage facility depends on how large it is, it’s common to pay around $50 for a small one.
Don’t Forget Curb Appeal
When people think of “home staging” they typically only think of the inside of the home. However, what goes outside a home is just as important as what goes inside. Here are some easy curb appeal projects to do when selling a home:
Repaint Instead of Replacing
Cabinets are a popular renovation when it comes to preparations for selling a home, but buying and installing all new cabinets can be expensive. Instead of replacing, try repainting or re-staining the cabinets that are already there. This can be an effective way to make them look new without spending thousands of dollars to replace them.
Update Features to Add Visual Interest
Sellers who have dull, boring homes may be able to freshen the appearance and add a spark of excitement with cost-effective changes or updates. Some good ones to consider include:
Put Away “Conversation Pieces”
Perhaps one of the home’s room is dedicated to a collection of vintage dolls. While this may be the homeowner’s pride and joy, strange décor choices can make buyers viewing the home focus on the furniture rather than the home itself. The same also goes for things like political and religious memorabilia. It’s best to put these sorts of things away until after the home has been sold.
Highlight the Most Interesting Features
If the outside is too plain to attract attention when pictured in marketing materials, homeowners will want to make sure that the images highlight any features that are capable of attracting attention. For instance, if the interior of the home has a beautiful fireplace, polished wood floors, or a stunning kitchen, they can use images of those areas to better attract the attention of qualified buyers. Although a listing may attract buyers based on location alone, selling quickly still requires some amount of effort to stand out.
Remember, however, that it is important to also provide images of the exterior of the home in all marketing materials, even though it may be considered plain or unattractive. This will prevent buyers from imagining the worst about the home and help them see that your plain home has beautiful features inside.
Depersonalize the Space
When it comes to home staging, one of the most important tools professionals use is to get rid of anything that shows the home is owned by another person. This includes things like family photos, certificates, degrees, and anything that has a name on it. Getting rid of these things will allow viewers to more easily imagine themselves living in the home.
Cut out Clutter
When walking through a home, buyers want to be able to see the actual home. Before letting anyone inside, make sure to get rid of any garbage that may be laying around such as cardboard boxes or plastic grocery bags. Keep bedrooms at a state of readiness that includes high quality bed linen and all clothes put away in closets or dressers. Make sure toys are put away and laundry baskets are away in closets where they won’t draw any unwanted attention. This is also a good time to put away mundane things like newspapers and magazines that sit around and take up a lot of space.
Rent a Storage Facility
Sometimes cutting out all the excess means moving furniture out of the home. But where should it go? For furniture that’s no longer wanted, there’s always the possibility of holding a garage sale or donating to Goodwill. But for things that need to leave only temporarily, consider renting a storage facility for a few months until the home is sold. The cost of renting a storage facility depends on how large it is, it’s common to pay around $50 for a small one.
Don’t Forget Curb Appeal
When people think of “home staging” they typically only think of the inside of the home. However, what goes outside a home is just as important as what goes inside. Here are some easy curb appeal projects to do when selling a home:
- Mow the lawn regularly
- Weed the garden
- Paint the front door
- Repair damaged fences
- Put fresh mulch in flower beds
Repaint Instead of Replacing
Cabinets are a popular renovation when it comes to preparations for selling a home, but buying and installing all new cabinets can be expensive. Instead of replacing, try repainting or re-staining the cabinets that are already there. This can be an effective way to make them look new without spending thousands of dollars to replace them.
Update Features to Add Visual Interest
Sellers who have dull, boring homes may be able to freshen the appearance and add a spark of excitement with cost-effective changes or updates. Some good ones to consider include:
- Adding or removing landscaping plants around the perimeter of the home.
- Adding a fresh coat of paint to the interior and/or exterior of the home or adding an accent color to window frames, shutters, doors, or other surfaces or trim.
- Drawing attention away from the home by adding outdoor living spaces with attractive furnishings or an outdoor fireplace to boost perceived value.
- Creating a more welcoming entry area by using bright colors for chair cushions on the porch or flying a colorful flag from a post to add a focal point.
- Using bedding plants to fill flower beds, pots, and urns with brightly colored flowers in areas where the home needs a visible improvement.
Put Away “Conversation Pieces”
Perhaps one of the home’s room is dedicated to a collection of vintage dolls. While this may be the homeowner’s pride and joy, strange décor choices can make buyers viewing the home focus on the furniture rather than the home itself. The same also goes for things like political and religious memorabilia. It’s best to put these sorts of things away until after the home has been sold.
Highlight the Most Interesting Features
If the outside is too plain to attract attention when pictured in marketing materials, homeowners will want to make sure that the images highlight any features that are capable of attracting attention. For instance, if the interior of the home has a beautiful fireplace, polished wood floors, or a stunning kitchen, they can use images of those areas to better attract the attention of qualified buyers. Although a listing may attract buyers based on location alone, selling quickly still requires some amount of effort to stand out.
Remember, however, that it is important to also provide images of the exterior of the home in all marketing materials, even though it may be considered plain or unattractive. This will prevent buyers from imagining the worst about the home and help them see that your plain home has beautiful features inside.
Depersonalize the Space
When it comes to home staging, one of the most important tools professionals use is to get rid of anything that shows the home is owned by another person. This includes things like family photos, certificates, degrees, and anything that has a name on it. Getting rid of these things will allow viewers to more easily imagine themselves living in the home.