When you’re selling your home, it’s essential to make sure that it looks its best. Potential buyers will be visiting your home, and you want them to feel like it’s the perfect place for them. One way to do this is by staging your home — making it look as though it’s already been furnished and decorated. This can be done relatively cheaply, and it can make a big difference in how your home is perceived.
There are a few key things to keep in mind when staging your home:
1. Make sure everything is clean and tidy
This means decluttering every room and getting rid of any unnecessary items. Buyers will be looking for spacious and clean rooms, so make sure your home looks as big and clean as possible. By doing so, visitors won’t be distracted by items they don’t need.
If you still have items you want to keep, it’s a good idea to store them in a garage or basement. This will help ensure that your home looks as clean and spacious as possible for the staging process.
2. Light it properly
Make sure your home is well-lit, but try not to overdo it; too many lamps or bright overhead lights can distract buyers. You certainly want to make the best impression possible, but don’t do anything that might take away from a buyer’s experience of your home.
A well-lit home is also crucial for setting a mood. If buyers walk into a dark house, they might feel as though something is “off.” For instance, if the living room is too dim, buyers might think nobody spends much time there. However, if the living room is bright and well-lit, they might think that it’s because the owners are always there.
3. Add a few touches of color
A bit of bright color can go a long way! You want to add enough so that your home looks inviting, but not so much that it seems overwhelming or distracting. Try painting a wall in one room or adding a bright throw rug. And don’t be afraid to incorporate some plants; they make a house look much homier.
Placing indoor plants in strategic areas all over the house can add a pop of color without seeming too loud. This will allow you to make the home seem livelier without making it seem as though you’ve over-decorated.
4. Fix up the backyard, too
Your home’s backyard (if you have one) is an important selling point, and the effort you put into it can make a big difference. Make sure that your yard still looks like it could be lived in; if there are pieces of old furniture strewn about, take them out. If clutter or junk is lying around, clean it up. You want the buyer to imagine being able to relax in your yard, so do what you can to make it inviting!
If your backyard is looking a bit abandoned, you might want to hire landscaping professionals to breathe new life into it before accepting potential buyers. This way, when they visit, it will seem like an inviting place to sit and relax.
5. Rearrange the furniture
A potential buyer’s first impression of your house will be based on what they see as soon as they walk through the door, so it makes sense that you want to set an excellent first impression for them! Try moving furniture around for better flow or to make your home appear more prominent.
If you have a smaller home, it can be a good idea to remove all the furniture from one or two rooms to make it look less crowded. If you have a large house, it might be better to move furniture around so that the rooms feel more spacious.
6. Show it off
A great way to show your house at its best is to take professional photos of it! These can then be posted online for buyers who are browsing websites like Zillow, allowing you to reach a far wider audience than you might be able to by hosting open houses.
You could also post good pictures on your social media accounts, which will help you get the word out! People tend to be inspired by images of other people’s homes, so showing off your house on Facebook or Instagram can get other people excited about it, too.
Just remember that staging your home doesn’t have to cost a lot of money! You’ll want to declutter, clean, and freshen up the look of your home before you put it on the market to make the best impression possible. And if you’re willing to put in some time, you can easily stage your home without breaking the bank.
Best of luck, and happy staging!
