The decision to sell your home can be pretty daunting, and once you finally decide to put your home on the market, there are many details to take care of to turn your living space into a showplace. Try to remember what you were looking for when you were a home buyer. What caught your eye…and what turned you off?
Staging a home is more about the presentation of it as far as its overall appearance and design.—not so much the functionality or mechanical aspects like the roof or the plumbing( but those are important too!). In short, you need to look at your home through the eyes of a buyer.
Exterior / Entryway: You want to draw buyers in and make them want to come inside. A neatly maintained lawn and driveway is a simple way to attract buyers. Once inside, be sure your entryway is ready for guests. Keeping this area clean and clutter-free is essential in making a good first impression. In fact, once you put your home on the market, make your entire house a no-clutter zone.
Furniture: Make each room flow by grouping the furniture away from the walls. Try repositioning sofas and chairs into smaller conversational groups. This opens up the room, making it seem larger. Another furniture trick is to use pieces in places other than the room they were intended to be in. For example, a comfortable chair you have in the living room may also look great in a corner of the master bedroom to create a sitting area. Use your imagination here because this will help a potential buyer to picture their own furnishings throughout the house.
Lighting: The key here is to make your home seem warm and inviting. Depending on the time of year, you may be able to make use of natural light. In the shorter days of winter, that won’t always be an option so focus on three main types: ambient (general), task (under kitchen cabinets and reading) and accent lighting (tables and walls). Professional home stagers recommend using 100 watt lightbulbs per 50 square feet of space.
Neutral Décor: You need not paint every room in your home bland beige. Today’s new neutrals extend into warm ivories and tans to soft blues and greens. Neutral colors like these will instantly update a room and add to the welcoming feel you want to establish for a potential home buyer. Bring these colors into the accessories and wall décor as well.
The Kitchen: This is the crown jewel of any home. If you can splurge anywhere, this would be the place to do it. Many buyers will decide based on what they see—and don’t see—in your kitchen. If a major over haul is out of the question, consider giving it a fresh coat of paint or changing the hardware on your cabinets. Both of these are inexpensive things you can do yourself to update your kitchen.
Keep it Clean: Above all else, giving your home an intense cleaning and keeping it clean could be your biggest asset in the long run. Spending a little money now on a thorough carpet cleaning, de-cluttering each room and straightening out the garage will increase your curb appeal and get you the best price for your home.
