Thankfully, you do not need to be a professional or even an interior design guru to stage your home when you are trying to sell it. All you need to do is follow some simple home staging tips. Staging your home is a great way to not only increase your chances of selling your home but also making it sell quicker and possibly for more money. Here are some helpful staging tips you can use when selling your home.
Home Staging Tips
Get Rid of Clutter
When you are trying to sell your house, it is essential to keep it clean and free from clutter. So, your first stage in staging your home is to make sure it is clean and neat. Thoroughly clean your house and get rid of every bit of clutter you can. Avoid simply throwing knick-knacks and tchotchkes into closets to get them out of the way. Prospective buyers will want to check out closet space, and you do not want someone opening a closet only to have a bunch of stuff falling out onto them. Instead, box up whatever you can and take them to your new home or rent a storage container until you can move them.
Bring in Light
Home buyers want to see light and bright rooms. So, open your blinds or curtains and let in as much natural light as possible. If a room does not get much natural light, have an adequate number of lamps to brighten the space.
Remove as Much Furniture as Possible
If you are still living in your house, you will not be able to get rid of everything. But, remove as much non-essential furniture as possible. The less furniture you have in the house, the larger the area will look, and the more obvious the floor plan will be. Plus, prospective buyers will be able to get a better idea of what their furniture will look like in the house, which may tip the odds in favor of a sale. If you have already moved and no longer have your furniture in the house, consider renting a few pieces so prospective buyers can envision what the space will look like with furniture in it.
Rearrange the Furniture
Despite the fact that the remaining furniture is likely where you like it and where it worked well for you and your family, you need to do some rearranging when you stage your home. Move the furniture away from the walls to create a cozy and intimate atmosphere.
Make the Master Bedroom Gender-Neutral
The master bedroom needs to appeal to both men and women. You never know what the tastes of the people moving into your house will be, so your best bet is to go with something neutral that will appeal to everyone. Not only should you keep the color neutral, like tan or off-white, you should also stay away from patterns that seem to speak to one gender over the other like, large feminine floral prints or masculine paintings of dogs playing poker.
Showcase Awkward Areas
Every house has awkward space that is hard to define. Spaces that fall into this category can be difficult to deal with in your own home. But, with a little ingenuity, you can use the space well. However, you have chosen to take advantage of the awkward space in your home, show it off to prospective buyers. Doing so will help the new owners of your house figure out how to use that space to their advantage, too.
Make Your Front Porch Inviting
Whether your front porch is an enclosed sitting area or a simple concrete slab, you want to make sure it presents a welcoming message to anyone who comes through it. Purchase a fresh, clean front door mat and place some potted plants around to add some color. If your porch is big enough, add a piece or two of indoor/outdoor furniture to complete the look. Be sure to make sure your porch is well-lit so passers-by can easily see it even if it is dark out.
Do Not Forget the Outside
It is just as important to stage the outside area of your house as well as the inside. In fact, prospective buyers will get their first impression of the house from its outside, so it needs to be in excellent shape. Here are some easy ways to make sure the outside of your house is ready for home showings:
- Power wash the outside walls, sidewalks and driveway.
- Make sure the house numbers are easy to read.
- Plant vibrant flowers.
- Mow the lawn.
- Reseed or resod the lawn as necessary.
- Wash the windows.
- Repaint or restain the deck as necessary.
Staging your house is a great move to make if you want to sell your house fast. But, it is not the only option. You can also sell your house for cash. Ben Buys Indy Houses will give you a fair market price for your house and we will buy it “as-is”, so you will not have to worry about going to the trouble of staging it. Contact us today to see how we can help you.