Home Staging: Designed To Sell

The popularity of home design and interior decorating shows has given rise to home staging as a strategy for real estate sales agents to attract buyers and quickly sell a home.  How does one go about staging one’s home to sell?  Let’s read on.

First Impressions Matter

Studies show that buyers size up a house within seconds of stepping on the curb.  I encourage potential sellers to investigate their house by putting themselves in the buyer’s shoes.  If you’re a seller, I urge you to distance yourself from your emotions and look at your space objectively.

Look at your house from across the street.  Are the house lines straight?  Is the landscaping neat and trim?  Cross over to your driveway, look at the condition of the mailbox, windows, front door (including screen doors and storm doors), driveway, walk paths and shrubbery. Is everything neat and tidy?  Do you see any chipped paint? Rust? Broken wood trim? Worn out edges and corners?

Fixing broken hinges, peeling paint, rust, and dead, tired shrubbery does not have to break your bank account. Work with your real estate professional to prepare your home for showing.

Less Is More

You want your home to exude a welcoming and airy atmosphere.  This is a good time to go over each room and remove all family photographs and mementos.  Why?  Because photographs are distracting.  Also, your mementos are treasures to you but clutter to everyone else.  Real estate agents had seen buyers open cabinets, closets and drawers so make sure to keep your storage space neat and clean, as well.

In addition to making your house neat and tidy, clearing the clutter and getting rid of unnecessary furniture opens up traffic flow.  So say goodbye to those knick-knacks until you move into your new home

Bright, Airy and Smelling Right

It goes without saying that your house must be spotless throughout the listing period to ensure that it is always ready for a showing.  If you cannot afford to hire a cleaning professional, organize a weekend cleaning brigade with family and friends.  This will help in making every nook and cranny of your house spotless.  Keep it this way until you move out.

Even a small space can be made to feel airy.  Create the illusion of height with floor to ceiling sheer drapes.  Use neutral décor.  If you have a floral couch, invest in a removable sofa fabric cover in a soft, solid color and accent with a few throw pillows.

Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses.  Make sure yours are sparkling clean and free of funky odors. Scrub the metal fixtures, and all other surfaces until they shine.  A mixture of baking soda and lemon juice works wonders in making your kitchen and bathroom look and smell inviting.

Your goal as a seller is to make your home comfortable and inviting so that buyers would want to live in it and say “I want this house.”

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Are you or someone you know thinking of selling or buying a home?  Contact me today!