There are many steps involved in the process of selling a home, each carrying a level of importance. From deciding to sell to fixing up small repairs to choosing the right agent, there’s a lengthy to-do list that will hopefully end in a great sale.
Though it might not seem like the most important aspect of the home-selling process, staging your home correctly can be a game-changer. When potential buyers step into your home for the first time, the staging of the home makes a significant impact on their first impression.
How someone feels upon entering your home is something that you can control—curating an experience and creating an appeal to as many potential buyers as possible.
What is home staging?
Home staging is the method of organizing and decorating your house to look as appealing as possible for potential buyers. It’s meant to highlight the best and most impressive aspects of your home, set the mood, and help buyers imagine themselves living in the space.
Tips for home staging
Here are a few ways to help you stage your home to its full potential.
Clean, declutter, and de-personalize
This might seem obvious, but the first steps to home staging are to really go through and clean up your space.
First, declutter. Though most homeowners accumulate a lot of “stuff” over the years (and there’s nothing wrong with that!), it doesn’t exactly help during home staging. One of the best things you can do, right away, is pair down your things to the basics and pack up the rest to be saved in storage. Not only will this clean up some spots naturally, but it will make your space appear bigger.
In the same vein, it’s important to de-personalize your space. Take down the personal touches that make your house a home to you specifically, because you’re trying to market it as a space that others can imagine for themselves. Remove any stylized décor, hide personal items like toothbrushes, take down religious signs or relics, put pet supplies in the garage, and clear your fridge from photos, calendars, and announcements. You want a blank canvas.
Once you’ve decluttered and de-personalized, go in for the clean. You want your house to be as spotless as possible, especially in spots you might not always reach. Baseboards, blinds, walls, refrigerator, bathtub grout—every detail counts and shows that the property has been cared for.
Add touches of freshness
Freshness can be added in a few ways: a few simple flowers, plants (real ones are nice, but faux can have the same effect without the mess, effort, or price tag), open windows, and neutralized odors all work.
When it comes to fragrance, you want to eliminate any existing odors that pop up from trash, pets, or kids. Scented plug-ins are great, as well as candles, as long as the smells are subtle rather than overpowering.
Prioritize staging spaces
Though cleaning everywhere is important, you don’t have to waste time and effort by staging the entire house perfectly. The rooms that carry the most weight are the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen. These are spaces that are most likely to influence a potential buyer.
Let light shine
Lighting is key when staging your home, as it brightens up moods, is welcoming, and can allow spaces to look larger. Open all the window shades and blinds to allow as much natural lighting into a space as possible. During showings, be sure to leave all the lights on, including lamps, hallways, and closets.
Play with furniture layouts
You want to maximize your space and create areas that are as open and walkable as possible. In addition to making your home more accessible, this also gives potential buyers space to visualize their own furniture and décor. Rearrange your space and play around with different layouts until you find one that maximizes your living room, dining room, and master bedroom areas.
If you have big, bulky furniture that significantly decreases the available space in a room—or pieces that are damaged or mismatched—consider temporarily moving it into storage.
Stick with neutrals
Color is a personal preference and an expression of personality. When selling and staging a home, neutral colors tend to perform better than bright and bold ones. It’s another way to de-personalize the space.
Though more cost-intensive, it can be worth it to paint walls within the neutral color family, such as white, beige, and gray. This can draw attention to the space rather than the seller’s personality.
Ready to Sell?
Is the time right? If you’re interested in taking the next steps and diving into the home-selling process, connect with the team at Sopris Realty today. Contact us online or give us a call at 970-945-7677.