Congratulations on deciding to sell your home. You’re probably anxious about your upcoming move and are ready to embrace your future. Before you anchor that beloved “For Sale” sign in the front yard, there are some things you can do to guarantee a more inspiring environment for potential buyers and possibly increase bids for higher values. Staging the house you’re selling is one of the most important things you can do in raising the ante on future offers. Staging a home means neutralizing the area so that it’s no longer personal to you and is welcoming to potential buyers. Here are some helpful hints for home staging.
De-Clutter the House
You’ll want to de-clutter your environment. De-clutter not only means eliminating anything you consider to be junk, but it also means reducing the amount of items that are visible during your open house or walk-throughs. Clean out closets and get rid of any clothes that you haven’t worn in a long time. If clothing items are seasonal and you don’t intend to wear them for a while, go ahead and pack them rather than leave them in the closet. Toys, crafts, and miscellaneous tidbits that have found a comfortable resting place seemingly unnoticed in your space should now be discarded, packed, or properly placed in subtle ways. De-cluttering also involves removing some of the furniture if necessary. Areas look smaller with bulky furnishings, so simplify if you can. Don’t be afraid to re-arrange furniture into conversational groupings away from the walls.
Remove Personal Items
Remove any personal items. Although you may adore the large canvas portrait of your household members above the fireplace mantle, potential buyers want to envision their pictures on the wall rather than feeling like they’re encroaching on your territory. You may be in love with your collection of skunk figurines on the shelves, but people walking through your environment may not appreciate skunks the way you do. Trophies, pictures, collectibles, and anything personal to you should now be put away for safe keeping until moving day.
Deep Clean the House With personal items removed and the space de-cluttered, it’s time for deep cleaning. Everything should sparkle and shine, free of dust build-up, stains, or unsightly grunge. Cleaning helps you determine where things just got a bit dirty, or where things might need to be repaired or replaced. If there are stains on the carpet, you may wish to have the carpets cleaned or replaced. Sellers do sometimes offer carpet allowances in their contracts, but buyers are more attracted to a move-in-ready environment than they are to a discount on their bottom line.
Fix It and Make It Neutral
If there are holes in the walls or magic marker sketches you can’t sponge off, painting the walls may be necessary. Try to arrange it so that walls, carpets, drapes, and other fixtures are in warm neutral colors. You might have found that bold burgundy feature wall to be attractive, but neutrals are more appealing to potential buyers. Keep blinds and windows open, adding light to the room and show off any scenic views. Remove any obstacles from sightlines. Make any necessary repairs to major items such as roofing, heating and air units, hot water heaters, or major appliances. These things could be discovered in the home inspection process and cause frustrating delays.
Pay Attention to the Outside
The outside of your house-for-sale is as important as the inside when it comes to staging. Potential buyers are attracted to curb appeal. Drivers by should find your house appealing. Staging the outside of your home includes fixing any broken fixtures such as porch planks or shutters, replacing any broken siding, painting, and landscaping. Clear your yard of overgrown shrubs, tall grass, bikes, toys, or lawn ornaments. Barbecue areas, patio furniture, and outside elements should be clean, tidy, and inviting.
Staging a home doesn’t need to be complicated. However, if you feel overwhelmed in your staging process, there are professional staging companies available for hire, or you can get helpful tips from Mark and Debra.
Moving is an exciting time of change. You can eliminate stress, increase value, and create an enjoyable experience by properly preparing your home for sale. Remove clutter, clean inside and out, make any necessary repairs, and create inviting curb appeal. Then, you can trust your real estate agents, Mark and Debra, to do the help sell your home. Give them a call today at 901-239-6041.
