In the first twenty seconds of entering a home, a potential buyer will have made judgments about it and you. That’s why it’s pivotal that the home is set up in a way where they can easily imagine themselves fitting right in.
Staging homes is the best way to give a buyer the ability to see the potential they have with the space. Not everyone can imagine furniture layouts and color schemes in their head, so this is how you assist them!
By cleaning and setting up modern furnishings and decor, you’re offering up the best version of the house. Follow our three tips to add visual appeal and make your showings a success!
Staging Homes
Home staging is a marketing strategy with which you want to appeal to a mass audience. It’s less about specific tastes or styles and more about highlighting the house’s best qualities and downplaying its lesser attributes. Keep that in mind as you read through our tips.
Tip 1: Declutter
Clutter and mess negatively impact mental health. It causes stress and cortisol levels to rise. The last thing you want is a potential buyer walking through the home and equating it to negative thoughts and emotions.
Once the rooms are thoroughly cleaned, walk through each one and take out unnecessary items that are taking up too much room. That could mean cutting out over half of your book collection from your bookshelf or removing all the appliances from your countertops. Kitchen countertop space is valued real estate and needs to be the star of the show.
Bulky furniture may be making a bedroom or living room feel tighter than it needs to. If this is the case, take out any excess furniture and leave only essential pieces. You don’t want to leave your rooms empty, as it’s harder to sell a vacant house, but you don’t want it compacted either.
Take some time to remove any unsightly cords, and don’t forget about your closets. People do check out closets! It benefits you to leave space between hanging items and use storage racks instead of stacking clothing or shoes in piles.
Tip 2: Lighting
It seems like a simple thing, but, if your home is for sale by owner, the last thing you might be thinking about for an impromptu showing is making sure all of your lights or lamps are turned on. However, dark and low-lit rooms are a quick way to turn off a buyer as no one wants to live in a dungeon.
Open all of your blinds and curtains to allow for as much natural light as possible. Light dark spaces up with lamps and turn on your overhead lighting. Another way to help make your room feel brighter is to replace any dark curtains with light ones, and use reflective art and mirrors!
Tip 3: Update
While you may not want to renovate your entire house, you should make small home repairs to noticeable things. Consider doing some minor repairs and inexpensive improvements.
If there are leaky faucets, noisy bathroom fans, squeaky door hinges, or things of that nature, get them sorted out before walk-throughs. Replace outdated kitchen hardware to give a quick facelift to your kitchen.
Bold or dark paint colors can be off-putting. While painting is a bigger task than the other updates, it also offers a better return.
Start Staging
Now that we’ve given you our tips on staging homes you’re ready to go. Show your clean, well-lit, updated space, and watch as offers roll in!
Good luck with your home staging adventure! For more tips like these, continue reading our blog section.
