When you put your house on the market, you want it to sell as soon as possible. That means that you need to put your best foot forward. If you do it right, it could be your staging that seals the deal on your home sale.
46% of buyers are more willing to walk through a home they viewed online if it’s staged according to the National Association of Realtors. You can have the best house in the city, but if it’s cluttered and uninviting, it’s going to be very difficult for interested buyers to look through the mess and see its potential.
1. TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
If a neighboring yard isn’t quite up to standards, making your home exterior look unkept, consider a diplomatic offer to help clean it up. You can’t force your neighbors to clear away brush and take care of the leaves just because you’re selling your home, but you can put in some time to help them straighten up their yard.
2. CHECK OUT YOUR OWN EXTERIOR.
Curb appeal is one of the fastest ways to sell a home. Many buyers have already decided how they feel about the house before they even set foot inside. Power wash the driveway and take the time to wash the front of the house so that your house will put forth the best possible first impression. Make sure you’ve taken care of sweeping the porch and driveway, raking up leaves, and mowing the lawn.
Add some colorful flowers in pots out front, add exterior lights, and consider a new mailbox and house numbers. If you really want to make a great first impression, consider a do-it-yourself outdoor deck redo that will spruce things up.
3. MAKE SURE YOUR KITCHEN LOOKS AMAZING!
Many buyers want to see the kitchen first. That means that you need to update the light fixtures, perform a minor backsplash tile remodel to get it looking new and fresh, and update your cabinets. Old, outdated cabinets don’t have to be replaced completely: a new paint job can go a long way toward sprucing things up in your kitchen. Apply stainless steel stick-on covering to old appliances to make them look updated and new.
4. SET THE STAGE IN THE BATHROOM.
It’s easier to freshen things up in this room than in any other room of the house. Paint, caulk any potentially leaky areas, and get rid of any mildew that’s built up in the room. Replace your medicine cabinet, if necessary. Put in a shiny new toilet seat.
When you know you have interested buyers coming by to take a look at the house, display the matching towels that you normally only put out when you have company. Buy new ones if you need to. They don’t have to be expensive, just pretty! Remember that you don’t have to use them, so it doesn’t matter how well they will last over time.
5. KEEP YOUR BEDROOM GENDER-NEUTRAL.
Get rid of any features that are too gender-specific, whether it’s those frilly pink curtains or the ultra-masculine shaving table you just had to have. Choose a neutral paint color for the walls, especially if you’ve previously matched it to a decorating scheme that is no longer appropriate. Make sure to add inexpensive window treatments to the room to help it look more inviting.
6. LIVEN UP YOUR LIVING ROOM.
Speaking of window treatments you could use some in your living room. You can also update your old fireplace with a light paint job. Do it brick-by-brick using a rag brush for the best effect. You can give the brass grate new life with a cheap can of spray paint, making the room look as though it was built yesterday even if it’s been standing for decades.
Remove most of your personal photos, no matter how professional the décor: your goal is to help people imagine themselves in your home.
7. SHOW OFF CLOSET AND STORAGE SPACE.
You want to make it look as though there’s plenty of room in all of your closets. Clean out anything that you won’t actually need during the showing, then organize what’s left. Buyers will definitely be sticking their heads in your closets to judge whether or not there’s enough available storage, so make sure they like what they see!
Buyers are more sophisticated than ever, and they’re spending more time looking at the home before they buy. So give them something amazing to look at! 37% of sellers’ agents believe staged homes increases the dollar value buyers are willing to offer by 1-5%.