Home Staging Tips

Posted By:
Michelle
7/18/2011
2:28:23 PM

Home Staging Tips

Discover Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast
Whether you're moving because of a corporate relocation, or another pressing reason, it's common to want to sell your home quickly and get top dollar for it. If that's the boat you're in, since it's a buyers' market, you'll want to make every effort to capture the buyer's interest right away – and that starts with staging your home from the inside out.

Though we're moving experts, and not home selling experts, we've found plenty of real estate experts who know how to sell a home. Take a look at these home staging tips and get on track to sell your home fast for the best possible price.

Disassociate yourself from your home. Take the emotion out and treat it like any other product that needs to be sold. I know you love your cat figurines, think your rooster collection is to die for, and love your orange and purple bathroom, but the people looking at your house may not, and that's ok…don't take it personally.
De-personalize your home. Take down all family photos and heirlooms and create a space that buyers can imagine their own photos hanging in.
Pack up the extras. Good flow speaks volumes to a potential buyer, so move out any unnecessary furniture and rearrange existing furniture to make the most of the space. The buyers need to be able to picture their furniture fitting into the room, so the more space they see, the better. If there's no room in the garage to store the extra stuff, consider on-site storage or moving in into a storage facility until you're ready to move.
No more clutter. Just the essentials, please. The last place a buyer wants to live is in a disorganized, chaotic mess, and if there's stuff everywhere, that's all they'll be able to imagine. So go room by room and toss or donate all items you haven't used in a year or more. Then take books off the bookshelves, pack up your knick knacks and clear the counter tops.
Clean out closets and cabinets. You'll avoid getting overwhelmed if you'll take this one space at a time. Hang your clothes all facing the same way, line-up your shoes and remove clutter that takes up valuable space. Large roomy closets and spacious cabinets are a home buyers dream.
Pay attention to where your eye is drawn when you walk into a room. If you notice chipped paint or nail holes, fill and paint them. Then have someone who doesn't live in the home walk through to catch any needed repairs you may have missed.
Check cupboard doors. This is an easy fix that can make a big difference. Make sure there are none that stick or won't close.
Neutralize the walls. You may love your orange and purple walls, but they're not for everyone. If you have bold paint colors or murals on the wall, consider neutralizing the colors for a fresher look. As painful as it might be to paint over your masterpiece, it's worth it if potential buyers can picture their own stuff in the room.
Create curb appeal. Depending on the season, mow the grass, rake the leaves, or shovel the snow. Keep the sidewalks and porch cleared off and scrub the front door, porch, and railings. Once it is cleaned, evaluate and decide if it is necessary to do a little touch up painting.
CLEAN, clean, clean, and then clean again. A clean home leaves the impression that the house was well taken care of. The result? A comforted buyer. So make the beds, dust the shelves, base boards and ceiling fans, clean the windows and let the light shine in.
Deodorize. Especially if you've had pets or stinky teenagers living in your house. While you may be accustomed to the smell of a litter box or sweaty socks, potential buyers may not be. Though the kids can stay, it's not a bad idea to let your pets visit friends or family while you're trying to sell. And it may even help to bake a fresh batch of cookies and/or fresh flowers to get the house smelling like a home.