Stage Your Home For Listing
How you stage your home for listing pictures and open houses is one of the most important steps to getting as much money out of the sale of your home as possible, especially in a market where buyers are getting into bidding wars for homes in highly desirable neighborhoods.
Staging is a fancy term for replacing, adding, or removing furniture and décor to make your home appeal to potential buyers. Having minimal amounts of furniture helps prospective buyers see the space for what it is and allows them to visualize how their furnishings would fit in the space.
First Thing To Do
The first thing you should do when getting ready to list your home is to clean and declutter. If you are still living in the home until it sells, get a deep clean done by a professional cleaner and keep up with cleaning high-use areas, kitchens, and bathrooms so you are not scrambling the hour before you have to leave for the agent to have the open house. If your home’s interior has not been painted in a few years, paint the rooms a neutral color.
Pack up any personal photos, diplomas, books, and knick-knacks from the bedrooms, living rooms, and foyers. In the kitchen, clear off the counters of all small appliances remove all magnets and children’s art from the refrigerator, and lock up bottles of medicine (over the counter and prescription), In the bathroom, stow away personal care items you do not use. Pack up any drawers or cabinets that you know you will not need the contents of so potential home buyers can see the depth of the storage. Make sure at least one room has an empty closet and others are organized by color since this is a major selling feature in many homes, especially older ones.
Bring in a Professional Home Stager
At this point, you may want to bring In a professional home stager to guide you. Stagers often have a background in interior design. Depending on how the market is where you live, your real estate agent may help with paying for the staging company to move your home faster. The stager will help you rearrange what you have and perhaps swap out some of your pieces for pieces the designer has purchased specifically for selling homes. Once your home sells, the stager will remove the pieces for the next home.
Once those basic items are taken care of it is time to go room by room, starting with the entryway. This is where home buyers will make their first impression of the home. A simple piece of wall art and a sofa table with a lamp or bench will make the space look welcoming and practical.
Make Sure the Walking Paths are Clear
In the formal living room, make sure the walking paths are clear. Find the focal point for the room (usually the fireplace or a large statement piece of furniture) and place a piece of art or mirror above the mantle, a floral arrangement on a tabletop, or a couple of books and a small figurine on the bookcase.
Set the table in the formal dining room with a fully matched set of plates, utensils, stemware, cloth napkins, and a nice tablecloth or table runner, depending on the condition of the table.
Place New, Clean, and White Linens
Place new, clean, white linens on the beds with some bright throw pillows and coordinated duvet. Clear the tops of the dressers and nightstands of personal items, especially jewelry. A comfy chair and ottoman with a blanket in the corner can add to the coziness of a main bedroom.
In every room, if there is recessed lighting, make sure the lights are angled to where you want to draw people’s attention. Make sure all lightbulbs are working and there are table lamps an appropriate size for the room in all rooms that do not have ceiling lights. Do not use air fresheners or scented candles when getting ready for an open house in case anyone who comes through has sensitivities.
Home buyers will want to see the basement if you have one. If it is finished, follow the tips for the living room. If it is unfinished, make sure the lights work and there is a path free of spider webs, hoses, and empty paint cans.
Now that your home is ready to show, relax and let The Ellerbrake Group bring you the best offer!
Make sure you check out this blog on how to make the outside of your home attractive to future buyers.
