The Dos and Don’ts of Staging Your Home
Are you getting ready to sell your house, know you need to stage your home, but aren’t sure where to start? Staging a home alone can be intimidating, so we will look at a few dos and don’ts of home staging to get you started in the right direction. If you’re working with a real estate agent, be sure to talk to them, and they will be able to give you personalized advice.
The Dos:
Do Deep Clean Your Entire House. One of the most important steps when staging your home is to give it the deepest “spring cleaning” you’ve ever given it. For some, this means hiring professional cleaners, but you don’t need professionals. Clean all surfaces (including baseboards) and dust your light bulbs. That’s right. Getting that dust off your lightbulbs can actually make your room brighter. Shampooing your carpets may also be a necessary task. Buyers can feel when a house isn’t entirely clean; let them feel the cleanliness of your home from the start!
Do Declutter and Move Stuff Out. This point may not apply to you if you’re already an extreme minimalist. But if you have anything above the bare minimum, you may need to declutter or move things out of the house. Buyers can quickly become overwhelmed by large amounts of things. Plus, extra furniture and other items can make the place feel smaller than it is, which may also turn buyers off of the house. Overall, less is more when it comes to staging your home. You may love having a living room packed with furniture, but it isn’t recommended when selling your house.
Do Focus on Curb Appeal. First impressions mean everything, and the first part of your home buyers see is the outside. If you have a front yard, spruce it up. If you have a front porch, you may need to clean the furniture and put out a new welcome mat. Whether you have money to spend on new landscaping or not, you must make your house appealing from the outside.
Do Focus on Lighting. Lighting can either draw attention to the good parts of the house or the not-so-great aspects of the house. Utilize natural lighting by opening curtains and blinds during showings, and be sure your lightbulbs are dusted and replaced if they aren’t bright enough. Ensuring your house has the best lighting possible may mean swapping some old, dated lighting fixtures for newer fixtures.
The Don’ts:
Don’t Leave an Easy Fix Broken. If there’s a leaky faucet that’s been on your list to fix for months or another similarly easy fix, go ahead and take care of it before listing your house. Buyers will notice all the little repairs, which may add up to be more work than the home is worth. But, on the other hand, if the repair doesn’t cost much money or time, fix it.
Don’t Invest in Big Projects. While you may think that renovating the kitchen is a great idea, your real estate professional may believe it's unnecessary to get the best price for your house. So don’t invest in big projects unless a professional tells you to. You may spend more money than you would get for the upgrades.
Don’t Display Personal Items. Selling a house often means parting with a home, and this process begins when you stage your home. For example, personal items like children’s drawings and religious representations may turn off potential buyers. So, if you have any personal items displayed in your home, it's time to take them down.
Don’t Go Bold with Colors and Patterns. While you may love bold colors and patterns, you must consider pleasing as many buyers as possible when staging your home. Avoid bright colors and bold patterns when choosing paint, wallpapers, furniture, and other major focus points in the house.
How you go about staging your home is up to you. It may be worth paying a staging company to come in, use rented furniture, and do all the mental work for you. But if that isn’t a good option, follow these general guidelines and get specific advice from a local real estate agent who can help you sell your house faster and for more money.
