It's every home seller's dream to list their home and then a few days later hear those magic words, "You have multiple offers!"
Luckily, there are steps you can take to make this dream a reality! Not only can you start making home improvements that will increase your property value, but you can also take advantage of the benefits of home staging to attract buyers!
The Benefits of Home Staging:
If you're not totally sold on the benefits of home staging, it's well worth the investment! While we go into more depth on the subject in our post on the 5 benefits of home staging, here's the short version:
Home staging helps your buyer imagine themselves living in the home.
Home staging can make your home appear larger.
Home staging can increase showings and open house turnouts.
Home staging can help your home sell faster.
Home staging keeps buyer's engaged for 8x longer than non-staged homes.
But, for those of you already sold on the value of home staging for making your home a magnet for potential buyers, let's talk about the specific home staging tactics you can use to create a buying frenzy!
The Best Home Staging Tips:
1. Do A Deep Clean:
Yup, that's right. Start by deep cleaning and that includes everything from the baseboards to the blinds. People are going to be looking at things you may not have noticed for ... years! So, deep clean it all and get your home sparkling!
2. Declutter Everything:
Nothing is off limits when someone is touring your home and thinking about buying it. They'll open cabinets and look behind things. They'll walk every room of the house. There's nowhere to stash the junk anymore. It's time to just get rid of it.
And, if you're not sure that you can get rid of enough, consider renting a small storage unit to move out anything that is cluttering the space or making the home seem too personal.
Now, with those two basics out of the way, let's look at specific things you can do to make your home irresistible to buyers!
3. Start Outside:
You may not be thinking about your curb appeal these days - but your potential buyer is! In fact, it's the first thing they'll be thinking about when they walk up and the last thing they see after they tour the house! So, get out there and spend some quality time sprucing up the front and backyards. Here are some things you can do:
Power wash the exterior, driveway and walkways
Clean windows, screens and shutters
Clean gutters
Trim bushes, trees, and anything overgrown
Touch up any damaged areas, such as chipped paint, missing landscaping, broken fencing, etc.
With a little TLC, you'll get that home back to its former glory. Now that it's nice and clean, consider adding some home staging touches to really help your buyer imagine living there. Is there a small deck area? Put some comfortable seating where they can relax. Also, consider adding some planters with greenery to warm it up. If there's a pool, put some lounge chairs with folded towels like you'll see at resorts.
4. Stage the Entryway:
Now that they're wowed by the exterior, you'll want to set up the entryway to welcome them in and make them feel like home. Position furniture to make the entryway look spacious.
If there's enough room, put a console table against a wall with some seating where someone might sit to take shoes on and off. Decorate the console table with things that show how the space might be used, such as a tall vase, lamps, and design books. Roll out a nice rug, too, and visitors will feel like you've rolled out the red carpet.
5. Stage Living Areas:
The living areas and family rooms might be where families spend the most time when they are home, so really spend some time setting up these spaces to show how a buyer might use them in real life. Arrange furniture in a way that would make conversation natural, but don't pack them with furniture. Choose pieces that will still leave plenty of space to walk around and make the spaces seem large and bright.
Use neutral art to compliment the space, but not distract from the home. Place a few items on the mantel, too, such as candlesticks and smaller pieces of art. And, keep all tones neutral and inviting, such as beige and gray. If you incorporate color, keep to softer greens and blues as these have been shown to attract the most potential buyers.
6. Stage The Kitchen:
The kitchen is the room where people stay and talk the most, so take special care to make the kitchen look its best! Put away any appliances that are left out on the counters and that includes knives, coffee makers and things you use daily.
Then, purge cabinets of as much as you can. People will look!
Now, stage the area by setting tables with place settings. Add vases with fresh flowers or bowls with fresh fruit. Set up a cookbook on a cookbook stand by the stove with a new, clean pan on the oven that looks ready to use. Light a lightly scented candle on the island or a counter to warm up the space.
7. Stage the Dining Area:
If you have a separate dining area, set the table like you would for a guest. Consider a centerpiece in the middle of the table and ensure that the chairs are in good condition and look attractive. Think about the shape of the table and if it maximizes the dining area.
Maybe you always had a rectangle table, because that's what your family needed, but bringing in a circular table is really best for showing off the room! Now is your chance to bring in the dishes and details you always wanted to see in the space, but may not have been practical for your lifestyle.
8. Stage The Bathrooms:
You want the bathrooms to bring the luxury. Make each bathroom inviting, but particularly the bathroom in the owner's suite. Set out fresh, rolled towels, candles, and toiletries in calming colors and beautiful containers.
9. Stage The Bedrooms & Closets:
Think back to the best hotel you've ever stayed in. Picture that perfectly made bed, the subtle styling on the desk and the artfully placed decor like lamps and books.
Look at each bedroom space as an opportunity to tell a story about how the room could be used. If you're able to remove all of your own furniture, then set up spaces in each room to show the possibilities, such as a home office, a baby nursery, a guest bedroom, etc.
For closets, pack away as much of your belongings as possible and just hang a few items in each space to show what kind of clothing can go there. Pick clothes in a similar color palette as the rest of the home that are in good condition and would appeal to potential buyers. Use matching hangers to create a cohesive look.
10. Stage The Garage:
Don't forget this space! This is not the time to pack your garage with all of the things you've removed from the house. Stage the garage with the same care as you have the rest of the home. Remove as much as possible, clean it thoroughly and then organize it to show how any built-ins, tool benches or wall hooks could be used.
This may seem like a lot, but don't forget that you can easily hire professional home stagers that can do all of this for you!
Of course, you'll still need to clean and declutter, but with hired stagers, they'll be able to bring in all of the rented furniture and decor needed to make your home look its best.
Your realtor should have some suggestions for who they recommend in your area. If you're still looking for the right realtor, read our post on what to look for or give us a call if you're in the Sacramento area at 916.524.9733!
And, if you're prepping to move, stay organized! Use our 45 best moving tips for how to have the smoothest, most efficient move yet.
We hope these tips help with the staging and selling of your home.
Thanks for reading!