When it’s time to sell your home, preparing the home for sale is one of the most important parts of the process. There are professional home staging companies who can help you set up the home in the most appealing way but if you don’t want to go to the expense of this, there are ways to do it on your own.
Clean The Home
Making sure the home is clean seems like a no-brainer, but first impressions can make or break a possible deal on the home. Get the carpets professionally cleaned, particularly if you have pets, are smokers, or if there are stains on the carpets. Make sure the dust bunnies are banished by vacuuming and dusting. Keeping the bathrooms and kitchen clean and shiny is critical since these can quickly turn off potential buyers if they are dirty.
Declutter & Personalize
Put away all your personal photographs and knick knacks. Less is definitely more when listing your home. You’ll be moving soon anyway, so pack these things away and store them in the garage or basement. Buyers like to envision their own belongings in the home and it’s easier to do this if the home is tidy and free from distracting clutter.
Remove Excess Furniture
If the rooms are over-filled with furniture and other items, remove as much as is feasible. Creating more space will make the rooms seem larger and more open. Consider renting a storage unit for the surplus furniture if you don’t have an alternate space in the basement or garage.
Don’t Neglect Outside
The first thing potential buyers see is the exterior of the home and the yard. Make sure the windows and siding are clean, the flower beds weeded and the lawn is freshly cut. Plant some colorful seasonal flowers to brighten up the yard and sweep or wash the walkways. If it’s winter, make sure there is no ice or snow on the sidewalks and driveway creating a slip and fall hazard.
To Stage Or Not To Stage?
Staging the home doesn’t have to mean you remove everything from the home and bring in new, generic, non-descript furniture. Most times, you can use some of your own furniture and belongings, but less of it. Touching up any dings in the walls and repairing any obvious damages also go a long way in helping with staging.
Why Does It Matter
You may believe that how your furniture and belongings look doesn’t matter. The buyer, after all, isn’t buying those things. But staging the home in a less personal way makes it easier for potential buyers to visualize the home as their own. Staged homes also often generate quick sales at better prices.
The goal is to ensure the sale of the home, in the shortest amount of time possible. Keeping the
home “show ready” can be cumbersome and tiring, especially if the home sits on the market for a while. Staging the home to appeal to a wider audience can make all the difference and get you on to your next home before you know it.
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