Staging Your Home to Sell Faster ….. Tips to Impress Home Buyers

You’ve probably heard the terms staging and showcasing.  These are real estate buzz words for preparing a house for sale in the real estate market.  From my years of experience as a realtor, I know the importance of first impressions.  Making a good first impression may garner you a quick offer…. and that’s one reason why it’s in your best interest to prepare your house for sale and showcase its finest features.

Preparing and staging the home are done in phases. The preparation phase includes cleaning, dusting, de-cluttering and painting, which you can do a month or two in advance of the sale of the home. Closer to home viewings, the staging phase is finalized. You don’t need to hire a professional decorator to stage your home for sale. A home in good condition will receive a fair price and sell itself. Sellers that stage their properties stand out in a competitive real estate market.

Here are some tricks on home staging and decorating from top decorators that you can do yourself:

1. You’ll spend the initial phase of preparing your home for sale by cleaning up, to help set the stage for homebuyers to view your home. No clutter, no mess and tidy rooms are the goal in any home presentation. Buyers walk into your home and imagine immediately where they would place their furniture and possessions. If your home is disorganized and untidy, this impression will stay with the potential home buyer.
2. Sellers should also make sure that each room is filled with cozy furniture. The seller may need to rent or borrow furniture pieces for buyer viewing. Staging a home with attractive furniture will help sell the home more quickly. Take pictures from all angles in each and every room in your home. Photograph bathrooms, closets, bedrooms, kitchen counters, pantry and outside gardening. A picture can truly show you what the home really looks like when presented. Clean and tidy is your goal. The staged presentation of your home will look divine after a deep cleaning and the organization of each room.
3. Apply fresh paint.  The number one item to attract homebuyers is a freshly painted home. Although you may dread the thought of painting, it is the number one item to attract and interest homebuyers as they view your home. Painting your home will help gain interest and possibly a higher sales offer your home.   Research decorating magazines or the internet for top staging colors to paint. You want your home to be seen as modern, fresh and as clean as possible. Be sure to dust each light fixture and use the highest wattage recommended for your light fixtures. The little details you are addressing will be noticed and make your home more pleasing to potential buyers.
4. Decorating tips for less than $30:  You can present a home in an appealing way by adding a few inexpensive presentation items. Here are some inexpensive staging ideas: Place a vase in the entrance hall of your home, tie a colorful ribbon around it and place flowers in the vase. Splurge on new dish towels for the kitchen and bathroom. When a potential buyer is expected, prepare a baking pan, add five teaspoons of vanilla extract and bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The alluring smell will waft through the home and entice buyers.
5. Be sure that your outside landscaping is crisp and clean. Instead of buying expensive trees and shrubs, plan on buying a few outside house plants with flowers and place them near the entrance of the home. Buy a new welcome mat. Have each room as well lit as possible.
6. If you have pets, try to have them placed away from the house. Home buyers prefer quiet when they wish to evaluate a house.