Staging a Home
Staging a home before selling it is a wise decision. When prospective buyers view your home, it's imperative for them to imagine themselves living there. To do that, you need to remove the signs of yourself and your family, leaving it clutter-free and neutral.
- Look at your home as if seeing it for the very first time. Make the repairs you may have been putting off. It may cost a few hundred dollars, but it is money well spent, especially if it will result in thousands being added to the selling price.
- Look at the outside of your home. Keep the grass mowed, the flower beds weeded and garbage picked up. Make sure the house numbers are easy to read, and make touch-ups to any unsightly areas. Clean the outside windows.
- Walk room to room with a critical eye. Look for non-functioning light bulbs, leaky faucets and drawers that stick. Replace or repair small issues.
- Sweep and clean the floors daily, especially if you have pets. Litter boxes should have baking soda, and even remove them totally, if possible. Vacuum carpets daily.
- Kitchens and bathrooms need to be spotless. Keep the counters cleaned and the sinks empty. Put away groceries, and keep fresh flowers out on the table.
- Remove clutter and personal photographs. Since you want buyers to imagine their lives in your home, it helps to neutralize space. Be ruthless with your possessions. You may love your collection of porcelain birds, but potential buyers might not. Donate anything you won’t be moving with to charity.
- Clean out medicine chests and closets. Buyers will look into every nook and cranny, so it will benefit you to remove what you can. Take out anything that could possibly cause a negative emotional response in your buyers.
- Add details. Mirrors make a room look bigger and bowls of fresh fruit or plants add warmth.