Staging a home before selling it can make the difference between a quick sale and the house sitting on the market. Staging will increase the likelihood of a sale by making your home look more appealing. Here are seven of the most important benefits of staging and tips for good staging:
Curb Appeal
The saying, “You eat with your eyes first” also can be applied to home buying. Staging a home includes the outside of the home, and can include landscaping. An attractive home from the outside will lead to interest and get people curious to see the inside.
First Impressions
From when buyers walk onto the property to the first moment that they step inside, they already will have made a judgment about the home. You want them to have a good attitude for the rest of the visit, which is created by positive first moments. If buyers like what they see from the very start, they go inside with the right mindset that they already like it.
Emphasizing the Best Features
Whether you want to showcase the beautiful stone fireplace by keeping the rest of the furniture simple, or feature the built-in shelves by accessorizing them with knick knacks, staging is a good tool to draw the buyer’s attention to the features of the home that are unique.
Cleanliness/Decluttering
If your home is filled with personal belongings, that “stuff” is the first thing that the buyer will notice. Rather than marvel at the beautiful exposed brick wall, he or she will be distracted by your collection of vintage postcards hanging from it. In addition, by removing all the clutter and rearranging or adding some furniture, you can enable staging to make your house look larger. In addition, new furniture and decor can help to make an old, outdated home look newer and more updated.
Visualization
In order for buyers to consider purchasing a home, they need to be able to imagine living in it. “De-personalizing” your home helps the buyer visualize how he or she could make it his or her own. One example is family photos. If the home is filled with pictures of your family, it feels like someone else’s house, not the buyer’s own. You want the buyer to have the “I can see myself making a family dinner in the kitchen moment. Staging will neutralize the furniture and decor of your house to appeal to everyone.
Online Photos
Today, most buyers and agents use various websites to find and look at homes. It is important that the images posted of your home online look good, so that the buyer will be interested in a tour. For the reasons listed above, staging will make the online images look attractive.
Comparables
The higher the listing price, the greater the chance that competing homes for sale will be staged. Even if your house is comparable in other ways, such as similar square footage, for example, not being staged will be an immediate disadvantage against other homes. If it happens that competing homes are not staged, yours will stick out and look better than the rest. This will give your home the appearance of a better value.
Tips:
Start Packing
In order to bring in and have space for some new furniture and decor, it is important to start packing up your stuff. Plus, this is a great way to get a head start on moving.
Paint
In order to appeal to the highest number of potential buyers, select a neutral color pallet to make your space look bright and clean. While you may love your neon pink bedroom, most buyers would prefer a cream colored room that he or she could paint his or her favorite color.
Repairs
Buyers can get pretty picky about the small things, such as a squeaky door, so make sure all of your small repairs get fixed.
Furniture
Sometimes less is more. If there is too much furniture, your room could appear small and closed off. Minimize and rearrange your furniture to make the space look as big as possible.
Brighten
It is important that every room look bright and cheerful, so try adding lamps to dark rooms and replacing any old light bulbs.
Declutter Surfaces
Clear countertops and shelves look aesthetically pleasing to the buyer. Remove all of your trinkets and photos, and add just a few simple vases, plants, and books. For your bathroom, clear off the vanity buy putting things under the sink or in medicine cabinets. If you cannot hide your personal belongings, store them in color coded decorative baskets.
New Linens and Towels
New, fluffy, towels, bath mats, and bedspreads can make a space look clean and put together. Again, select neutral and bright colors.
Window Washing
Throughout the years, grime can build up on your windows. A good wash is an easy way to make your space look as bright as possible.
Greenery
Plants and flowers can help complete a space. They also add some color and can make your listing photos look better.