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What is Home Staging, and How Can it Help You Sell?
You have decided to sell your home, and now there are potential buyers coming over to view it with a realtor, or perhaps you are preparing for your first open house. You want your home to look its best, without making it look too set-up. After all, you are still living there. How do you juggle between keeping your home a livable environment and presenting it as a showcase for potential buyers?
It’s called staging, and it is usually fairly easy and inexpensive to do. Staging moves past the typical cleaning, organizing, painting and repairs that most owners do to prepare for a sale. It requires using props to create a certain effect in each room. Essentially, it shows buyers all of the potential your home has. As a seller, you want to call attention to the best features of your home, and staging can help you to accomplish that.
For example, do you have picture windows with a scenic view? Perhaps you could trade darker, heavier shades for lighter ones that really bring out the lighting potential and maximize the effect of the windows. Beautiful hardwood cabinets can be returned to their original sheen with a few squirts of orange oil. A basket of fruit, a vase of flowers, and the use of mirrors or throw rugs can greatly alter the look of a room, and usually for very little money.
Sometimes, the most effective staging does not involve adding more to the home, but taking stuff away. All clutter should be removed and packed up. Knick-knacks should be arranged in groups of one, three, or five items. Extra blankets on furniture, overstuffed shelves, or bulging closets should be minimized. If a room feels small, try removing some of the furniture. Less is more, especially when trying to sell your home. Potential buyers want to imagine their own things furnishing the house; this can be a difficult thing to do if too much of your own stuff is in the way.
Staging shouldn’t be done only on the inside of your home. Trimming back bushes and trees, adding in some better lighting, and creating a stone walkway can entirely change the look of a front yard and entryway, giving even the blandest home a lot of curb appeal. Planting a flowerbed or bringing out some patio furniture can change a boring backyard into a place that will encourage potential buyers to imagine themselves hosting barbecues and relaxing with friends on a summer evening.
Just be careful; it can be easy to go too far with staging. Don’t. Remember that you are selling a home, not a showcase. It should both look and feel lived in.
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Nice post, I will these points into consideration for my daily life, especially as a real estate practitioner. The job can be so dynamic (I guess most are) that you really need to be on your toes at all times. I’ll share this with my friends as well, thanks!