Photo credit: Harvey Kalles
What is house staging? Think of flipping through a home decor magazine and seeing the visual displays of the rooms. These photos are done with specific layouts meant to be eye-catching, engaging, and evoke an ‘I want that’ emotion. This is what staging can do for your home when it comes time to sell it.
House staging is not always needed when putting your home for sale, especially in today’s seller’s market. However, staging a home can shorten the time it takes for your property to sell and increase the selling price, especially when you get the best agents working for you.
According to a recent report on home staging, 83% of buyer’s agents agreed a staged house makes it easier for potential buyers to envision themselves in that property.
Here are tips for staging your home.
Take Yourself Out of the Equation
Staging your home is different than decorating your home. In staging, the décor showcases a room. If you want buyers to see what you’d do with the space in your house, there’s no point in changing the existing décor and layout of your house. Instead, you want décor with clean, simple modern, non-specific designs that can broadly appeal to as many buyers as possible and serve as inspiration for the room’s potential.
Deep Clean
Scuff marks, dents, holes, rust, dust, and dirt can all show how much a house has been lived in. Giving your house a thorough clean shows buyers you are house proud and that there will likely be no surprises like mold or pests waiting for them once they move in.
Don’t Get Personal
Part of taking yourself out of the equation means removing family photos, vacation souvenirs, scattered children’s toys, and clothes left out in the open. Essentially you want to avoid anything that can make your home feel like the buyer is walking in on your house (even though they are). Personal items in rooms like bathrooms and bedrooms should be left off the counters and nightstands, as well.
Enchanting Aromas
One of the most prominent signs a home has occupants is an invisible one: odors. Full garbage cans, musty basements, and pet smells can all contribute to house odor. Use scented cleaning products to help wipe down your sinks, showers, and toilets.
Lighting candles or using scented oils can help mask any unpleasantness. Just be wary of over-doing the scents. Nobody likes to walk into a home feeling like they’ve entered the fragrance section of a department store.
Other Helpful Tips
Fresh, vibrant houseplants and flowers around the house
- New throw pillows and blankets to pull focus and distract from older furniture
- Make your house bright as possible. Replace any old and fading lightbulbs, open the blinds, and refresh white walls to create a vibrant open space.
- Installing a smart device such as a Google Nest in a visible place can make a house feel modern and tech-savvy.
- Shiny kitchen appliances like toasters and coffee makers can make a kitchen feel new.