How to Stage Your Home
Stage your Home for the Real Estate Market
When you put your house on the market, always consider staging it first. Potential buyers make their decision in precious few seconds so you have one chance to make a good first impression.
The first thing people notice is curb appeal, so make sure the outside of your home is well groomed, ie: the grass is mowed, the hedges trimmed and the flower beds weeded. A pretty flowering plant by the front door is a nice added touch, and make sure the outside entrance to your home is appealing. If the door is painted, it should look fresh. If aluminum, it should be dirt and fingerprint free. You have to make them WANT to walk into your home!
Indoor Scoop!
Once inside, make sure your home is clean and organized. Clutter is a huge turn off. Take down the family photos and make sure the bookshelves are organized. A few nicely displayed books and touches of simple knicknacks or vases of flowers are nice.
If you have beautiful wood floors but your area rugs are stained...roll up the rugs! You want to showcase those gorgeous floors!
How about the walls? Are they stained with grimy fingerprints or do they just look tired? If so, give the walls a fresh coat of paint or at the very least, wash the prints off!
Do your kitchen counters display every kitchen gadget available? If so. hide them!! You want your counters to look spacious, not cluttered with stuff that you only use "sometimes". If you have a center island, make it stand out by putting a vibrant bowl of fresh fruit, a vase of flowers or a pretty candle in the middle of it....
How about those refrigerator magnets and all those other things that make it to your fridge door? Take everything off the front of the refrigerator!!
If needed, rearrange furniture to make the rooms appear bigger and add touches of green, like houseplants. Plants warm a room, as do candles. Adding some up-lights behind or in your plants will add a cozy touch, especially at night.
Colorful throw pillows displayed on sofas and chairs will add flair to solid fabrics.
If you have a fireplace, light it... and make sure the mantle is uncluttered. You want their eyes to focus on the fire and how nice it's going to feel on chilly nights
When people look in your bathroom the last thing they want to see is your toothbrush, deodorant or hairbrush on the countertop. They don' want to see your pajamas, underpants or wet towel on the bathroom floor either. In fact, the bathroom should not have anything personal on the counter tops, but a lit scented candle and maybe a small vase of flowers is always nice. Make sure everything is sparkling and that it smells good!
Bedrooms should be clutter free as well, and don't throw everything in the closet because they're going to look there too! Make sure the bed is made and tossing a few throw pillows on it for added decoration won't hurt! The bureau tops should be empty of personal items. All family pictures should be taken down. Again, some sort of plant or fresh flowers and a candle is inviting.
All in all, when you're staging your home, you should de-personalize it, but at the same time, give it character and bring attention to anything unique that your home has to offer. People need to see the house for what it will be to them, not as your home.
Hope this helps anyone with their home on the market....and good luck!
