Home staging is essential when selling your home and helps to show off the true potential of your home. The overall thought of staging is to clear out clutter or other personal items that will distract buyers. You can also paint the walls a neutral tone, and furnish the space to show off how functional it is when staging. When buyers come through and imagine themselves there, you can bet an offer isn’t far behind. Lets talk about staging more in detail with a few great tips:
1. Boost curb appeal and welcome visitors with an inviting porch! This is something you always hear, and with very good reason as the outside of your home is the very first thing a buyer sees. Many people thinking of touring your home will do a quick drive-by first, often deciding on the spot if it is even worth a look inside. This is why it is a good idea to make sure your home is ready to lure in onlookers by planting blooming flowers and fresh greenery. Keeping the lawn mowed and making sure your house number is easy to read are also great ways to attract home buyers. For an added bonus- wash those windows! As for the porch, even if you only have a tiny stoop, make sure to say “welcome home” with a clean doormat, potted plants in bloom and if you have room, even a piece or two of neat porch furniture. It is always good to keep your porch lights on in the evenings, in case potential buyers drive by and illuminating the front of the house makes it more inviting.
2. Clean is key! From shiny floors to clean counters, every surface should sparkle. This is the easiest way to help your home put its best foot forward, and the cheapest! Some may opt to hire pros to do the deep cleaning, especially if you have a large house. Definitely don’t skimp on cleaning- this step is key! And while cleaning….lets talk about clutter! If you are serious about staging your home, all clutter must go- bottom line. It’s not easy, and it may even require utilizing offsite storage or even garage space temporarily, but it is well worth the trouble. Clean and clear surfaces, floors, cupboards and closets equal more space in the eyes of potential buyers, so purge anything unnecessary or unsightly. It is easy to take this step personal and think that you are removing your “style” but when preparing to sell your home, you must remember that it may not be the style of those seeking to buy your home!! No worries, you can bring your personal style back into play in your new home.
Before
Before
Before
After
After
After
3. Pops of Color! When cleaning and clearing out clutter, it is easy to leave rooms more bare than they once were. Don’t forget that those buyers will see the pictures online first and a space that pops will help entice people to want explore the whole house. By placing something that draws the eye at the top of the stairs, in hallways or in corners, you can pique curiosity and keep potential buyers interested throughout a whole home tour. A piece of artwork, a painted accent wall, a window seat, a vase of flowers, a hanging light or even a small, colorful rug can all work to draw. As seen in the picture above of some before/after staging pictures of a home, placing a simple plant or wall hanging can change the entire look of the space and make it seem more interesting. Pops of color help stage a once boring home and bring it to life! Keeping decor simple yet somewhat neutral or to match the space directly are definitely things to consider. It has been proven that even staging an empty home on the market helps it sell faster! Buyers sometimes need help imagining the space and since you have cleaned and cleared clutter while placing furniture to show functionality, they can see the space in its entirety and enjoy the decor that much more.
These are just a few staging tips that can help as you prepare your home to sell. There are many more tips and advice we have to share with you as home staging is evolving and becoming more and more important in the real estate world. We, The Marr Team, stay up to date with all home staging trends as we do provide free home staging to all of our clients when we sell your home. Call us today at 214-620-0411 to get started, we would love to help!