Home staging is a process to make your appealing to potential home buyers. Homes that appear more attractive to buyers sell faster and for a higher price than homes that do not. Here are 10 staging tips on how to make your home look more desirable and larger:
1. Clean your home throughly.
Before staging your home, you need to make sure it is immaculate from top to bottom, inside and out. (You may need to hire professionals to help with this activity.)
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2. Just say no to clutter.
Your belongings should not interfere when buyers are looking at your home, so doing a major decluttering is a good idea. Photos, collectibles and keepsakes need to be kept to a minimum. You do not want bare walls or shelves, but restrict items to sets of three items of varying height. Children’s toys should be kept to a minimum and organized.
3. Pay attention to furniture arrangement.
Arrange furniture in a way that focuses on flow from room to room. Also make sure there is a focal point on the furthest wall from the doorway and place furniture in a triangle around that focal point. (In the bedroom, the bed is the focal point. In a living area, it might be a fireplace.)
4. Open up the space.
If a room is stuffed with furniture, the size of the room will appear smaller. Furniture needs to be scaled back to fit the room.
A trick used to make rooms look larger is to paint them the same color as an adjacent room. This fools the eye to think both rooms are one larger space. Another tip is to paint the walls the same color as the drapes. This creates an illusion of more space.
5. Brighten up the rooms.
Walls should be a neutral color, but you can add brightness with the right accessories to make a room appear larger. Remove or open dark curtains or shades or replace with sheer versions.
High-watt light fixtures will also add more light in the room. (Aim for 100 watts per 50 square feet.) If possible, it is preferred to have three types of lighting in main rooms: ambient (overhead), task (pendant, reading or under cabinet) and accent (table or wall.)
6. Organize closets.
Buyers will peer into your closets, so make sure they look neat and spacious. The standard recommendation is to have 20-30% open space in your closets.
7. Give spare rooms a purpose.
If you have an empty room, it is best to stage it for its intended purpose. A spare bedroom could be either a guest bedroom or a home office. You want to avoid showing off a “junk” room. If you do not have a spare bed, consider buying a frame and adding an inexpensive air mattress that will then be covered with bed linens.
8. Add special touches.
Vignettes can add charm to rooms. Just like model homes, think about setting the table and include fresh flowers. Add fancy soaps near the tub along with fresh towels. Master bedrooms should be gender neutral. A blanket folded at the end of a bed is a nice touch. When adding your edited accessories, think in terms of three. This number is pleasing to the eye especially when grouped as a triangle.
If you have a porch or patio, consider staging those areas to make them more appealing to buyers. A small cafe table with a tablecloth and a few dishes can inspire someone to think about having breakfast there. A fire pit in autumn and early winter can be very inviting.
9. Bump up your curb appeal.
The view of the front of the home is the first impression. Make it count! The lawn should be cut and edged. Add pots of flowers in warmer months.
10. Minimize pets' presence.
If you have a pet, be sure to be very careful about cleaning to remove any lingering odors. Many people remove pet food bowls and toys for showing appointments.
Selling your home can take a lot of planning. Whether this is your first time putting a home on the market, or it’s just been a while, let us walk you through the journey ahead, including insider tips on how an agent can add value at every step.
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