If you are planning to sell your home, 2019 is your year. About 20% of Americans say they wish to purchase a home this year, with numbers expected to wildly swing in future years.
So for those who want to sell – with or without a realtor – time is of the essence.
If you want to sell your home this year you’ll need to make it look attractive for potential buyers. Start your year off right by following our tips for staging a home.
And the great news is that your staging doesn’t have to only be for selling your lovely abode. These tips also work for hosting and entertainment, too!
Tips for Staging a Home
One of the best things you can do to make your house look attractive is to rely on simplicity and natural beauty during staging. Read our tips for staging a home that aren’t to be missed!
Maximize Curb Appeal
Let’s be real: People judge your home the minute they drive up to it, and if you’re looking to sell in 2019, you’ve got to have great curb appeal.
Keep grass manicured and flowers planted, or consider green shrubbery for the off-season. Make sure that the lawn is clean and uniform, and that things like children’s toys stay confined to one area or out of sight.
Shutters should match and things should be as uniform as possible both inside and out. A genuine smile when you meet a prospective home buyer also counts as curb appeal!
Depersonalize Your Home
It might sound sad or melancholy for some, but removing all the clutter and personal objects from your home helps a potential buyer feel like the house could be part of their story.
Take family pictures and anything personalized or unique from your home. Trinkets, original art, and anything for the kids has to go. We know it’s sad, but your living room staging and the rest of the house will look much more polished. Home buyers want to see their own story, not other people’s!
Neutralize It
Make sure everything pops in its most boring, mundane shade of beige. Again, for the designer and individualist, this might feel like torture – but it’s a surefire way to stage your house to sell. It’s OK if you tell prospective buyers where you loved having an accent wall or talk about spaces you used to have your personal effects.
You have a right to help people with their vision, but your house will sell better if it looks like a model home and not a bold palace. This blog has some tips and tricks about the perfect types of staging.
But trust us on this one – boring is better.
You Can Never Be Too Clean
If you’re working hard to sell your house this year, make sure it is impeccably clean when you show it to prospective buyers. Lack of dust, no stains on walls, and very little furniture can go a long way to help sell a house that’s on the market.
Baseboards, air grilles, and fan blades should be spotless, and extra care should be taken to have clean bathrooms. Learn how to get rid of mold before you stage your home, too!
Airy and clean smelling homes sell better than musty ones, and you want to put your best foot forward for potential buyers and other interested parties.
Watch Your Furniture Size
Overstuffed and large-sized couches and chairs are beautiful and can be luxurious in a home, but watch out where you display them when you’re staging a house to sell. You always want your home to look bigger when it’s on the market, and family sized furniture might make the rooms look cramped.
Another rule of thumb is to remove half the furniture in your house.
In children’s rooms, also watch how many toys your kids have out and be strict on how they are displayed. If your house is priced to sell, it won’t be long before your family is in their forever home.
Keep It Bright
The more light you can have in your home, the better. Natural light makes everything look like it belongs and is known to be soothing and energizing. If that’s not an option for you, make sure your incandescent bulbs are clear or white light.
Avoid old looking yellow lamplight and work hard to brighten up the room with any natural light you can. Hallways flush with natural light add a practical quality to a home for sale, and halogens work well for under cabinet light to subtly lighten a room.
If you have one room that’s darker or feels dark, try painting it a bright color or adding white furniture.
Removing window treatments will also go a long way to making your house feel like a blank pallet for prospective buyers. Light can filter in more easily, and they won’t be distracted thinking about your style.
Play Upbeat Classical Music
This tip works well for entertaining, too, but upbeat classical music during an open house adds an air of sophistication to the home selling and staging process. When you speak to potential buyers, imagine yourself at a lively symphony and keep your voice lilting but firm.
There are many more useful ways to improve your living room staging, but natural light, neutral colors, soft music, and maximizing your curb appeal are all surefire ways to have success when selling your home.
Learn More About Realty and Staging
One of the ultimate keys to professional staging is to convey a sense of luxury to your buyer and the public. It doesn’t have to be over the top but should make your home feel desirable and aspirational. Check out some of our luxury tips for staging a home, too!
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10 Proven Tips to Get Your House Ready for a Quick Sell