Home Staging Tips

Home staging tips to sell your home faster. Highlight your home’s strengths, downplay its weaknesses, and appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers with these home-staging tips. When you’re putting your house on the market, preparation and presentation can be the keys to boosting your home’s value and selling it quickly. The exterior is the very first impression that buyers will have of your property. If they don’t like what they see, they will walk away without finding out what the interior has to offer. Make sure your exterior leaves a lasting impression by consistently maintaining the lawn and landscaping. A power-washing any siding, and giving shutters a fresh coat of paint. Don’t hesitate to add accessories like a doormat or wreath on the entranceway to add an extra welcoming touch. If you don’t have a green thumb, it may be a good idea to reach out to a landscaping company for some suggestions. Boost curb appeal.

Home Staging Tips # 1: Depersonalize Your Design.

Staging your home is different than any other interior design scenario in that this is one occasion where you want to be careful with how much of your personal style shines through in the space. Many different groups of people will be viewing your home – from couples looking for a starter home to established families looking to downsize. It’s inevitable that everyone will have different opinions on design. Remove personal photograph. This is an important tip about buying old homes, as often the decor may only reflect your nostalgic design style. In order to appeal to as many of these groups as possible, aim for a neutral appeal. Put away statement decorations and family photos, opt for traditional furniture, and choose traditional colors over trendy ones.

Home Staging Tips # 2: No Empty Walls – Add Visual Interest.

Don’t Leave Walls Having art on your walls is a great way to add color and visual interest to any room. Art adds a layer of depth to a space and can set the mood and tone of the room. In the same vain, when staging it can be tempting to remove all design elements from your home while starting to pack. Put a few things away, but don’t go overboard. Buyers like picturing themselves in a home that looks lived in. Help maintain that homey feel by selecting a few of your most classic wall hangings and leaving them up until the home is under contract. For the greatest visual impact, choose wall hangings that play off of colors already present in the room, hang pictures so they’re visually within four to six inches of nearby furniture and, if you’re using multiple pieces, maintain a consistency in the theme.

Home Staging Tips # 3: Arrange Furniture, Create a Flow.

The layout of your furniture is important. First, a proper furniture layout is welcoming and inviting. It also tell visitors to your house the purpose of each room. Lastly, it creates a great traffic flow for your open house visitors. You can create effective furniture layout by using grouping. First, envision the way the space should be used. Group the furniture in ways that would make sense for the intended use. Then, make sure that there are clean and direct pathways through the room. You want potential buyers to be able to envision themselves living in your home and one of the quickest ways to do that is by creating a cozy seating area that’s fit for conversation.

 Home Staging Tips # 4: Use Paint to Maximize Space.

One of the easiest, and cheapest ways to improve the look and feel of your home is to paint. Giving your floors a coat of paint makes them appear brand new. If the colors on your walls don’t look fresh anymore, it is time to repaint. Avoid dark colored ceiling or accent walls. Keep textures in mind when choosing paint colors. If you do find yourself needing to make a room appear bigger, the right paint color will do the job. Paint the space that you need to enlarge the same color as the room that is adjacent to it. The matching colors will help potential buyer’s eyes flow seamlessly from one room into the next and make both rooms seem like one big space. The shade you choose also makes a difference. While bold colors succeed in making a statement, they tend to make rooms feel smaller and more closed off. When you’re trying to create the illusion of more space, opt for lighter colors that will reflect the sunlight. Before painting, be sure to try a few sample colors. Put a small square of each wall. Then, check on them throughout the day to see how they look in varying amounts of light.

Home Staging Tips # 5: Add Extra Lighting for Brighter Look.

In visual merchandising, lighting is an important element, because good lighting sells. Show off views and lights. Lighting can make all the difference between a good showing and a bad one. It is important to make the room feel bright and airy when you are putting the staging together. Draw those blinds, and let the light in! You want to ensure that potential buyers can actually see all aspects of your home. Opt for more lighting whenever possible. Natural light is a huge plus where potential buyers are concerned. Whenever you have a scheduled showing during the daytime hours, pull back the curtains and open up the shades to let the sunlight fill the room. In terms of artificial lighting, there needs to be enough to make your home feel cozy during night showings. Pick up a few floor lamps to shine light into any dark corners and routinely check light bulbs and make replacements as needed.

Home Staging Tips # 6: Give Every Room a Purpose.

Define each space. Many families have an extra room that is just used for storage or, if the house is small, a room that serves multiple functions. While that particular use of space may suit your needs perfectly, it comes off as confusing to possible buyers. Each space in your house should have a singular, clear purpose. For instance, with just a desk and a few bookcases, a messy storage area can be transformed into a home office. Or, a single bed and dresser can pull together a quick guest room. Once you’ve decided what function of the space will be, take time to de-clutter. Clean out any ancillary belongings and leave the use of the space easy to guess with just a glance.

Home Staging Tips # 7: Make Every Space Inviting.

Sellers like to assume that buyers will stick to the main rooms of the house during the showing. When they need to get out of the house for a showing in a hurry, they’ll throw unfolded laundry and other items into a closet, hoping they won’t be seen by prying eyes. In reality, potential buyers will look everywhere. Since they’re trying to visualize themselves living in the property, they want to gather as much information as possible about the home. They’re not afraid to look in closets, crawlspaces, or storage areas. Closets are essential to home buyers and should be clean and organized before a viewing. Make sure these spaces are as presentable as possible. A good rule of thumb to follow is: If you wouldn’t feel comfortable showing this area to a guest, it’s not organized enough.

Home Staging Tips # 8: Organize Personal Items with Storage.

De-clutter, de-personalize, and cut down some furniture to stage your home. Less is more. Chances are that you’ll still be living in your home while going through the showing process. You don’t want personal items like toys, mail, or pet items to be cluttering up your property when potential buyers are taking a look. The easiest way to clear up your home in a hurry is by investing in proper storage. Put a chest at the foot of the bed or line shelves with cute baskets to create a cohesive look while hiding your belongings from view. If you have quite a few items that need storing, rent a storage pod for the time that your home is on the market. Those storage pods also do double-duty since, once the home is sold, you can have it shipped to your new address instead of renting a moving van.

Home Staging Tips # 9: Fresh Touches Impress Home Buyers.

If you really want to go all out when staging your home, bring in some fresh touches. A new coat of paint to keep things looking new or a vase of fresh flowers proudly displayed on the kitchen table is all it takes. Buyers will pick up on the extra effort to make your property feel homey and it might just be that small detail that gets your house to stand out among the crowd. Staging your home doesn’t have to mean a huge interior design overhaul. Like a date or a job interview, it just means sprucing up enough to make a good first impression. The tips in the list above are quick fixes that will make a world of difference in how potential buyers view your property. Follow them if you want your home to be the hottest property on the market

Home Staging Tips # 10: Keep the Pets Away.

Pets are family. But they’re your family—not your prospective buyer’s. You may be accustomed to the scent and mounds of fur they bring with them, but one whiff of Snowball and that winning first impression could disappear. When selling a home with pets, at the very least, you should remove them from your home when you are showing the property for sale. All the cute things your dog does will not help you sell your home.

Make Your Bathroom Inviting.

Transform bedrooms into a hotel rooms. Bathrooms, especially the master bathroom, are one of the most important areas of the home and renovating them often has higher return on your investment than fixing up other rooms. So, it’s important to make sure that your bathroom is in good shape. Take care of any leaks, major issues like mold, and update the fixtures (if they are outdated), before the open house. You can also add accessories like fluffy towels and decorative pieces to make the space more inviting. You can also take a look at hotel bathrooms for inspiration.

Boost the Appeal of Your Master Bedroom.

The master bedroom is very important since it’s where your buyers tend to really imagine themselves in a home. So, when it comes to staging your house’s master bedroom, it’s important to make it an appealing space for potential buyers. It should attract a broad range of buyers and not be overly feminine or masculine. The colors on the walls should be neutral and relaxing. Think about how high-end hotels usually style their rooms to make their customers feel excited about spending the night.

Create a Minimalist Kitchen

A kitchen is often the heart of the home, but it shouldn’t look lived-in when you’re trying to sell it. Remove everything from the counters and the dining table, including food and appliances. But definitely display a bowl of lemons somewhere. “For some reason, lemons resonate with buyers. Another tip: Your kitchen will smell great for hours if you rub a cut lemon inside of the sink.

Decorate Your Couch With Oversize Pillow

Big pillows create volume in a room. But avoid throw pillow with loud patterns. Monochromatic shades such as green, pink, yellow, and orange work best. Home goods offers a large selection of affordable pillows.

Make Budget-Friendly Updates to Flooring.

Updating flooring is a quick staging win as well. If budget is an issue when it comes to flooring, there are plenty of options to save. When it comes to old carpeting in the home, it is worth to peel back a corner and check the condition of the floor underneath. Often times, our clients refinish hardwood floor underneath old, outdated carpets. You can also go to retailers and showrooms to check out your options. Nowadays, there are tons of choices out there that are budget-friendly and still look very lovely. You can use vinyl as an inexpensive option or substitute with plywood, bamboo, etc. for hardwood floor.

Get Minimal – Less is More.

The phrase “less is more” may seem overused, but it is very true when it comes to staging your home for sale. There is a strong emphasis on de cluttering in staging, because by having too many unnecessary items in a house it blocks and distracts the buyers from really seeing the home. These items are fine when you are living in your home, because they add to the ambience and your enjoyment, but if they are not necessary when the home is on the market, it’s best to remove them.

Take Care of The Garage Too.

On that same note, don’t forget your garage! Clear out any stuff that you won’t need for the next few months and pack it away neatly in a storage unit if you can.

Outdoor Area Home Staging Tips

 Boost Curb Appeal.

The exterior of your home makes the first in-person impression on buyers. Many people drive by a home with no intention to see the inside unless they’re impressed with the outside. Stage your outdoor areas for buyers by power washing walkways and siding, hanging house numbers that are easy to read, mowing the lawn every weekend, planting colorful flowers, cleaning windows and re-staining decks.

Create a Welcoming Entrance.

Make a great first impression. Whether you have a large porch or a simple stoop, create a welcoming entrance for potential buyers. Place a clean and inviting doormat, put potted plants around and make sure any outdoor furniture is in perfect condition. Illuminate your front walkway and door. Motion sensor lighting is a nice touch.

Make the Inside Sparkle.

If cleaning the inside of your house to model home standards will take too much time or effort, hire someone to take care of this task. Making sure your interior sparkles and will be comfortable for guests (your potential buyers) is critical. Imagine that the person you’d most like to make a good impression on is coming into your home. Clean beyond that expectation.

Focus on Your Floors.

Flooring is an expensive home remodel project. Help a buyer see that there won’t be much energy or money spent to enjoy nice floors in your home. At the minimum, steam clean carpets and give all flooring a deep clean. Wood floors should be either refinished, treated or waxed.

Clear Away Clutter – It’s a Must.

Model homes are attractive for a reason. They’re minimally decorated and don’t contain a lot of clutter. The house stands out, not the stuff. This is what you should aim for when you clean away clutter to attract a buyer. Staging your home to sell means that you should remove anything you haven’t used in three months (ideally clear away more than that). Put it into storage or in a family member’s garage. Clear floors, cupboards, closets, pantries, drawers and any other spaces where buyers will look. Get rid of anything even remotely unsightly. Try to keep only items that are neutral or classic in style lying or set out.

Rearrange Furniture.

Staging your furniture to create conversation spaces and open areas is ideal. Symmetrical arrangements typically work well. You’ll want to pull all furniture away from the walls. Put any old, worn furnishings into storage. If you find that much or all your furniture should be stored away off of the property, you can hire a staging company to fill in missing key pieces like armchairs, sofas and dining tables.

Go with Gender Neutral Décor.

Many buyers paint their entire interior with garden neutral colors before they sell. Some simply choose to have neutral furniture, artwork and accessories staged in their home. You don’t have to go with all white or beige to stay neutral. Choose colors for paint and furnishings that don’t make too much of a statement in any way.

Balance Clean with Lived-in.

Buyers want to imagine what it would be like living in your home. While they want to envision your house as a clean and healthy space, it doesn’t need to appear sterile. A lived-in look helps people feel the warmth that’s possible, but don’t think buyers want to see a family’s weekday mess. Place a simple bowl of fruit on the counter or bunch of flowers in a vase to create warmth.

Set the Dining Room Table.

Dining room tables can tend to look bare, cold and uninviting. Keep your dining room table set with pretty chine, crystal, napkins and silverware. It doesn’t have to be formal, even vintage place settings can create a beautiful aesthetic.

Open Your Closets.

Don’t over stuff drawers and closets. You’re going to have to purge your closets and stage them as if they were in a boutique. Fold and hang closes neatly, create order with shoes and accessories, and store away anything that’s bulging out or falling over. Tidy everything up and keep closet doors open so buyers don’t have to think twice about peaking inside. We understand that staging a home is no simple task, but the benefits usually far outweigh the time, effort, and expense. What about you? Let us know if you have any special home staging secrets by sharing in a comment.

Use Mirror or Reflective Arts to Add More Light and Depth to a Room

Placing a mirror on a mantle or leaning against a wall can instantly add light and depth to any room. However, mirrors can also be statement pieces that can work as affordable focal points for a room. When Real Estate Agents  talk about staging your home, they’re referring to a method of preparing a property for sale on the real estate marketplace.

Make a Good First Impression by Staging Your Front Yard

This timeless expression is applicable to selling your home. A buyer’s decision making process doesn’t start once they are in the property, it started 100 meters before that. As such any remedial work or improvement that can be made to the entrance of the property will pay dividends.

This can be as simple as weeding the path leading to the front door to a new coat of paint on the door itself or investing in some lovely front yard flower bed ideas. Try and clean any windows you can, especially the one at the front of the property. As summer continues new flowers or a hanging basket can give a positive impression, their aroma can also create a good first impression.’

Final Thoughts

Home staging is an extremely important part of marketing a home for sale because it helps potential buyers see its full potential and envision themselves in it. Staging a house is one of the easiest and best ways to add value. The tips above can help you make changes to your home that automatically attract more buyers and increase your chances to get higher offers. Home staging incorporates a vast array of different services, from basic de cluttering to a complete interior makeover. These, you can tackle yourself, perhaps with the advice of your realtor, although professional home staggers will make the process smoother, quicker and, potentially, more successful. Prices for home staging can vary depending on the scope of the work that needs to be undertaken, however there is a lot you can do to increase the marketability of your property – and this is what we’re looking into here. 1% listing fee real estate agent in Los Angeles and Orange County – Faruk Bhuiyan. If you’re thinking to sell your home, call Faruk Bhuiyan now at (562) 213-8892 for details.