Are you planning to sell your house now or in the near future? Before you put your property on the market considering staging your home to have it appeal to potential buyers and give you a better bottom line when selling.
Staging is a common term in today's marketplace among Realtors and professionals. As a homeowner, you should become more aware of the power of staging and how you can increase the appeal and feel of your home when selling.
In short, what staging means is it's all about appearances. It's looking at your home from an objective point of view
In today's marketplace, there are even professionals you can hire to stage your home for resale. But, that's expensive and for many of us it just isn't in the budget. But not to fear as these tips and pointers will help you do it yourself and be frugal at the same time.
So how do you go about staging your house for sale to get the best results? Here are 6 ways to do so frugally or on a more limited budget:
GET LESS PERSONAL: It's where you call home so naturally it has emotions attached and personal items all around. But when you are selling, it's time to get less personal. Instead of seeing your memories, a buyer should be able to visualize creating their own memories there. It would be a professional home stager's goal to make your home show like a model. So your first step should be to try to "de-personalize" your home. It's not expensive and can be done with a few totes or cardboard boxes and packing tape. You remove personal items like family photos, religious items and things that have sentimental value rather than add to decor. You should also remove items you plan on taking instead of conveying in the sale, like a chandelier that's a family heirloom and the like. It's best to get that packed away too so a prospective buyer won't make the assumption that it's included with the sale. This first step of staging costs very little but can make a big difference.
CONQUER YOUR CLUTTER: The next step in staging your house would be to conquer all your clutter areas. Totes or cardboard boxes can also be your friend when removing excess items that distract when a possible buyer is viewing your house. Take a look around and consider removing the excess, like items from countertops in kitchens and baths. If your collections, be they books, cd's or collectibles, are in clear view they can detract from a buyer's ability to visualize their belongings becoming a part of your house. While you might have attachments to these things, it's best to put as much of it away as you can. You want someone who is considering buying your house to be able to see themselves living there with their stuff fitting in. This is another very inexpensive staging step.
GET IT OUT OF THE CLOSET: Once you have conquered all the clutter that's in clear view, next you should take a look at closets and cabinets. After all, potential buyers will more than likely take a look at your closets and cabinets. So you will also want to rid them of excess stuff. For example, shoes and clothes you haven't worn in years that just take up space. Pack them away or consider donating them to get them out of the house. When staging your house , closets and cabinets show best neat and organized.
GO OFF THE WALL: Next, you should take assessment objectively of how the house would show when you look at it's walls, trim and doors. You should consider painting those areas that don't show well with a clean, neutral color paint. The investment in paint pays off because buyers like to view properties that are clean and fresh. Paint is not a big expense and it can drastically increase a buyer's feel when they tour your house.
CLEAN UP YOUR ACT: Cleaning the house is also a critical part of staging. There is nothing more appealing to buyers than a house that is tidy, shiny and smells good. Little things can make a difference here. Consider things like washing the windows, cleaning things like ceiling fans, door tracks and window sills as well as straightening up and sweeping out areas like utility room and garage. Once you list your house, you will want to keep everything as showing ready as possible anyhow so giving it a good sprucing up gives you a definite leg up. It's also important to be conscious of things like household smells, pet odors and cat litter boxes. Home fragrancing can make a big impression so consider using things like air fresheners, candle or other home fragrance that is inviting but doesn't overpower. Smells like cinnamon, apples and baked goods in the air always make a house more inviting.
KICK IT ON YOUR CURB: As the last element of staging your house for sale, you do not want to overlook the house's exterior. Curb appeal is equally as important as staging the inside of your house. After all, it's the exterior that makes the first impression. The desired affect is one that makes a potential buyer want to come in and look around. So, take a look at the outside of your house and yard and see what you can do to make a better impression. Be sure your yard is mowed and neat. Keep sidewalks and driveway debris free. You might also want to consider cleaning problem areas on the exterior of your home or having them pressure cleaned. You don't have to go to the expense of adding more landscaping. But you will want to make sure that bushes and trees are trimmed and what foliage you do have is green and looks good. A superb inexpensive way to dress up your landscaping is mulch. Putting down mulch always gives a neat and finished impression.
Hopefully these tips and pointers have inspired the do-it-yourself stager in you! It's time to get to work staging your house and getting it ready to sell.
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