Are you planning to sell your house? If so, you’ll want to stage it for a quick sale. Research shows that staged homes spend between 33 to 50 percent less time on the market.
Staging your home before a sale can make it more appealing to potential buyers, helping you get the best price possible. However, Keep in mind that staging your home doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. In fact, with a little bit of effort, you can do it yourself.
So read on to learn more about how to stage your home for a quick sale:
What Is Home Staging?
Home staging is the process of preparing a home for sale. It’s a decorating method intended to draw attention to your home’s most prominent features and helps buyers imagine themselves living there. It usually involves decluttering, removing personal items, and repairing damaged parts to make the house look its best.
Staging a home can help to improve its appearance, making it more appealing to interested buyers. As a result, your home is more likely to sell quicker.
According to a National Association of Realtors report, over 49 percent of buyers’ agents believe that staging a house affects how the buyers view it. Additionally, 23 percent of the agents believe that staging a house helps buyers visualize themselves living there. Do it right, and you should have no problem selling your home as soon as possible.
How To Stage A Home For Sale
Are you wondering how to stage your home for sale? The home staging process can be quite challenging if you don’t know where to start.
But with a few pointers, you can break down the process into a few simple steps. Follow the below steps for the best home staging tips:
Clean Your Home Thoroughly
This is probably one of the most essential steps in the home staging process. You need to ensure that your home is sparkling clean. A dirty and messy house is likely to put off buyers, leaving your home in the market for too long.
Cleaning your home doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. You can do most of the cleaning yourself if you’re on a budget. However, if you need help, consider hiring a professional cleaner.
Cleaning your home involves more than just sweeping and mopping the floors. You need to clean all of your home’s surfaces, including the walls, ceilings, windows, and doors. And don’t forget to dust and wipe down the inside parts of your cabinets and closets.
Declutter Your Home
When staging your home for sale, it’s vital to declutter as much as possible. Prospective buyers should be able to imagine themselves living in your home, not feel overwhelmed by your belongings.
Clutter can be distracting for buyers. It can also make your home look smaller than it is. Decluttering means getting rid of any unnecessary items you have in your house.
Start by getting rid of any bulky furniture or appliances. Rent a storage unit if you need to store some of your belongings until you find a new home. Then go through every room in your house and get rid of anything that doesn’t serve a purpose.
This includes clothes, toys, paperwork, and extra furnishings, taking up too much of your space. However, you don’t need to get rid of everything. Just remove the clutter that isn’t adding value to your home. Donate or sell any unwanted items online or at a garage sale.
If there are some sentimental items you can’t part with such as personal photos, consider storing them away in a box. You can always take them out once you’ve moved into your new home.
Depersonalize Your Space
Once you’ve decluttered, you need to remove any personal items from your home. This includes family photos, religious items, and collectibles. You want buyers to imagine themselves living in your home,
Unfortunately, it’s hard for them to do that if they’re constantly reminded that the house is yours. Remember to remove all your children’s drawings from the surface of your fridge. Most sellers often forget to do this, resulting in their homes taking too long to sell.
You can store your personal items in a storage unit or take them with you to your new home. Just make sure they’re out of sight when interested buyers are visiting.
Repair And Paint Your Walls
If your walls are stained, damaged, or peeling, it’s important to repair and paint them before listing your home for sale. Damaged walls can be a major turnoff for buyers. They may even cause buyers to walk away from the deal altogether.
It’s also important to choose the right paint color. You want your walls to reflect light and create an inviting atmosphere for buyers. Pale colors will work best – avoid dark colors as they can make your home feel small and cramped.
If you don’t know much about painting your home’s walls, consult a professional painter. They can help you choose the right color and repair any damage your walls may have.
Make Your Home Look Bright And Airy
One of the best ways to make your home look appealing to buyers is by making it bright and airy. This means removing all the clutter from your home and letting in as much light as possible. When having showings or open houses it’s a good idea to have all the lights on so that it helps the space look more welcoming.
You can do this by opening your windows and curtains, using light-colored furniture and décor items, and installing bright light fixtures. If your home is in dire need of a makeover, consider staging it with some rented furniture.
This will give it an instant facelift and make it look more spacious. It’s also a budget-friendly option for sellers who don’t have the time or money to renovate their homes.
Add Some Curb Appeal
Your home’s curb appeal is the first thing interested buyers will see when they drive up to your house. So it’s essential to make a good impression right from the start.
You can do this by power washing your home’s exterior, painting the front door, and adding some potted plants. You should also make sure your front yard is well-manicured, and your gutters are clean.
If you have any broken windows, now is the time to fix them. These small details will add up and make a big difference in how buyers perceive your home. Remember, if you can attract the attention of buyers at first glance, there is a high chance that you can convert them into the next owner of your home.
Reorganize Your Furniture
If your furniture is crammed into every corner of your home, it’s time to reorganize it. You want potential buyers to be able to walk through your home without feeling claustrophobic.
You can do this by moving your furniture away from the walls and creating open spaces in each room. This will make your home feel more spacious and inviting. If you have a lot of extra furniture, consider decluttering and getting rid of what you don’t need.
You can also rearrange your furniture to highlight your home’s best features. For example, if you have a beautiful view from your living room, arrange your furniture so that buyers can see it when they walk in.
Choose Neutral Colors
If you’re thinking about repainting your walls and staging your furniture, always choose neutral colors. This will appeal to the widest range of buyers and increase the chances of selling your home quickly.
Avoid bright or bold colors, as they may not be to everyone’s taste. Stick with a light neutral palette as white, beige, and grey. These colors are timeless and will never go out of style.
If you’re unsure which colors to use in your home, you can consult a professional stager for advice. They’ll know what works best for attracting potential buyers.
Stage The Rooms That Count
Not all rooms in your house are created equal. Some rooms are more important than others when it comes to the selling process.
You don’t need to stage every room in your house – just those that count. The most important rooms to stage are the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. These are the rooms where potential buyers will spend the most time, so you want them to look their best.
This will save you time and money while significantly impacting potential buyers’ decisions.
Do A Sniff Test
Before placing your home on the market, it’s essential to do a sniff test. This will help you identify any bad smells that may be off-putting to most buyers. An inviting home smell will assist in making a great first impression.
If you smell cigarette smoke, pet urine, or rotten food, take the time to remove sink odors as well as clean and deodorize your home before staging it. You can use air fresheners or scented candles to get rid of any unpleasant smells.
The goal is for potential buyers to walk into your home and feel like they can imagine themselves living there. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to staging your home for a quick sale.
Freshen Up And Upgrade Your Kitchen And Bathrooms
Your kitchen and bathrooms are two of the most important rooms in your home. If they’re outdated or in need of major repairs, it’s worth investing some time and money into freshening them up before you put your home on the market.
You can do this by painting the walls, replacing old fixtures, and upgrading your appliances. These small changes will go a long way in making your home more appealing to a potential buyer.
Consult a professional home stager or real estate agent if you’re unsure where to start. They can give you some tips on how to stage your home for a quick sale.
Keep Everything Minimal
With home staging, minimalism is key. This means removing excess furniture and personal belongings.
A new buyer should be able to imagine themselves living in your home, not you. By decluttering and removing personal belongings, you’ll make this process much easier for them.
If you have a lot of valuable possessions, consider storing them away until your home is sold. You don’t want to risk losing them or having them damaged during showings.
What Is The Cost of Staging Your Home?
The home staging cost will vary depending on the size of your home and the extent of the work that needs to be done.
If you’re on a tight budget, there are some ways you can stage your residence without spending a lot of money. For example, you can declutter and reorganize your own furniture for free.
You can also ask friends or family members to help you with staging tasks like painting or moving furniture. If you’re willing to invest some money into home staging, you can expect to spend anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. While it may seem like a lot of work, home staging is worth it if it means selling the house quickly and for top dollar.
Benefits Of Home Staging
Home staging before listing it can be pretty challenging. However, it comes with many benefits. Some of these benefits include:
- Increased chances of selling your home quickly
- More money in your pocket at closing time
- A higher asking price for your home
- Helps your listing stand out
- Attracts a wider range of buyers
- It helps your home feel inspirational
If you’re thinking about selling your house, staging it is definitely something you should consider. By following these home staging tips, you’ll be well on your way to selling your home within no time.
Over 50 percent of seller agents stated that a house’s time on the market was significantly decreased because of home staging. Additionally, 25 percent of the agents stated that the home staging process increases the offer price by up to five percent.
Stage Your Home For Quick Sale Today
Selling your house doesn’t have to be a long and drawn-out process. By following the above simple home staging tips, you can sell your home quickly and for top dollar. Just remember to declutter, repair any damage, add some curb appeal, and make your home look bright and airy. With a few staging efforts, you can have your house sold in no time.