Selling your home is one of the most stressful things you will ever do. The quicker you sell it the better. Here’s how to stage your home to make it the most attractive – and easiest to buy – for potential buyers. Not only will it help you sell your home faster, staging a home can get you a higher selling price as well.

Making The Buyer’s Decision Easy

The main thing you need to do in order to sell your home is make it easy for the buyer to picture himself living there. As the realtors say, once they start placing furniture the deal is in the bag. So how do you do that? You take yourself out of the home. Even if your home is exquisitely decorated, you still need to take most your personality out of it. Because you don’t know who the buyer is. They may love modern and your gorgeous southern charm will turn them off. 

Step 1: Pare Down Furniture and Decor

You want to rearrange the furnishings, pictures, accessories, etc. in the best possible manner to make the rooms look spacious and functional. Put excess furniture into storage. What may be essential to your family’s every day life is not important to buyers. Make rooms appear open and large by taking out furniture. A good rule of thumb to begin is to take at least one piece of furniture out of every room.

Step 2: Pack Away Personal Items

You must pack away your pictures and other personal items. Especially pictures. They are just something else to distract buyers from their task: buying your home! And you don’t want buyers to be distracted by that adorable knick knack you picked up on your trip to the beach last summer. You must unclutter at all costs. Go room by room banishing clutter. Aim for 100% clear counter tops. The toaster? That’s clutter too! Because your buyers aren’t going to be making toast on their showing. Stick it in the cupboard. Bookcases must be neat and closets are for clothing only.

Step 3: Paint and Light

A fresh coat of paint goes a long way. Stick to neutral colors and don’t forget the baseboards. You cannot make too much of lighting. It is extremely important because of the immediate, visceral impact it makes on a buyer. Make sure the rooms are well lit, even if the showing is during the day. Lamps are your friends. provide some nice ambient lighting with lamps and avoid bright glaring fluorescent overhead lights. Don’t forget the entry way – it’s your home’s first impression. And if you can, tidy up the laundry room and place a cozy little lamp in there too.

Step 4: Concentrate on Kitchens and Bathrooms

Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes so you need to be sure these are immaculate. They should be cleaner than they’ve ever been, and as I mentioned before – NOTHING on the counter tops. Except maybe some fresh flowers. Take all the notes and magnets off the fridge. Clean under the sinks and organize the pantry and cupboards.

Step 5: Create Curb Appeal

The buyers first impression is formed when they drive up to your home. Make sure it’s neat and tidy. Plant flowers, keep the lawn cut, and trim any shrubs. If anything needs repair or paint, do it! It will pay off.

Follow these five steps and you’ll have buyers fighting over your home! I know because I’ve done all these things, several times. I was lucky enough to have an amazing real estate agent my first time around who taught me all of the above. My husband and I have sold four homes, each in a matter of days – each for a profit!

Image Credit: Kendyl Young, Flickr