How to Stage your Home to Sell!

Steps to Stage Your Home

1.  Clean. Clean. Clean.  I can not stress enough how important it is to clean your home.  It is so easy to overlook things when you live in a home.  (I know. I'm guilty) Have a neutral friend that will tell you the truth to come in and make a list of things that need special attention.  Walls, windows, doors, baseboards.....these are all items that potential buyers look at and take note of.

Also, clean air filters, air vents and around the indoor system.  Potential buyers always look at your HVAC system, water heater, appliances.  Make sure those are clean. 

Organize and clean out closets. Buyers look in closets.  Make sure to clean out items you do not need. Is it winter?  Take out all  your summer clothes.  Is it summer?  Take out all of your winter clothes.  Clear out shoes you do not wear, purses, accessories you do not wear.

2. How does your home look from the curb?  Is your landscaping fresh? Does your home feel welcoming?  Clean landscaping up by trimming or removing any outgrown bushes and/or shrubs.  Plant colorful flowers and plants and fresh mulch.  Add colorful flowers to planters in and around the landscaping and add a few potted flowers to the front porch.  

How does your front door look?  Purchase a cheerful welcome mat. Add a colorful wreath to the front door.  Most importantly, if your paint is old and faded, refresh with a couple coats of paint.  Repair and/or replace door knobs. 

3. Remove clutter.  I know - I know......isn't that a lot like cleaning?  Yes.  It is.  However, I cannot stress enough the importance of decluttering.  Remove personal items.  Buyers like to imagine themselves in their new home.  Remove 90% of personal photos.  I love framed photos of my family.  I have to admit I may have over 100 framed photos throughout my home.  However, I'm not selling my home, either.  I am also very guilty of looking at families in photos at homes.  Do you want potential home buyers looking at your photos or looking at your home?  

Are you a collector of Baby Dolls, Miniature cars, Precious Moments and Mickey Mouse?  Box them up and put them in storage.  Any type of collection is important to the owner, however, those items are distracting and could be damaged easily by little visiting buyers. 

Don't forget the kitchen.  Any type of small appliance that is not used daily - put away in cabinets.  You want your counters clear of any clutter.  Buyers love kitchens and want counter space.  

4.  How do your bedrooms look?  To many - a bedroom is a sanctuary.  Present yours as such.  Fresh linens - or better yet - new linens work wonders.  If you can afford a new comforter and throw pillows, by all means, get those.  I even suggest throwing them on top of your old ones for viewings and then remove afterwards to keep fresh.  Add a new throw blanket at the end of the bed for color.

Buyers want to feel comfort in their new bedroom.  Think Peaceful. Think Spa like.

5. Bathrooms rank right up there with kitchens.  Make sure you declutter your bathroom, as well.  Clean out cabinets, drawers, medicine cabinets and linen closets.  Get rid of old and never used makeup, toiletries, medicines.  Organize what is left.

Clear off the counters.  The only thing that should be left on the bathroom counter is a decorative soap dispenser and possibly a towel. Again, think spa like.

Clean floors, baseboards, shower, tub, toilet.  Clean mirror. Everything should be sparkling clean.  

When showing, close toilet lid, put away toiletries in shower/tub.  Put away bath toys.  Hang freshly cleaned or (better yet) new towels.  

6. Invest in scented candles or scent warmers.  However, keep in mind, strong smells make people wonder what you are trying to hide.  Think of scents that remind you of "home".  I tend to find that homes that smell like freshly baked foods (cookies, pies, cakes) tend to make buyers smile. Vanilla is probably one of the most popular scents.  If you cannot invest in any new items, tumble a load of clothes with a fabric sheet.  Everyone loves the smell of fresh laundry.  Also, you can put fresh laundry sheets in closets, in air vents and under beds to freshen a stale home.

7. Fresh flowers give a home a finished look.  If you have flowers in your garden, go out and cut a few and put in a nice vase.  Many grocery stores have fresh bouquets for a great price - pick some up and arrange on your kitchen table or on a coffee table.  I have found that daisy type flowers tend to last longer and can be found in many varieties and colors.

For the kitchen, put out a bowl of fresh lemons ( 2 or 3 is just fine).  

 

8. Children's bedrooms are always the hardest to stage and keep clean.  However, it is so important to remember that not all people have children.  So, with that in mind, declutter children's rooms.  Do they have toys that they no longer play with or seldom play with?  Box them up and move them out. Check closets.  Arrange clothes in an organized fashion and get rid of anything that is no longer used.  Beds should be clean and made up for showings.  Clean bedding or new bedding is a must.  The rooms are still your children's rooms, so let them help you clean and give them the opportunity to help decide what stays or goes.  

A fresh coat of neutral paint will go a long way with buyers.

9. Remove any extra furniture.  Still have that baby bed in the children's room - only your child is 6?  Take it down and put it in storage, sell it, or donate it. The object is to make a room look large.  Unfortunately, the more furniture in a room, the smaller it will look.  Get advice from a friend or realtor to see what items can be moved out.
A room will need to make sense.  Do you have a bedroom that is being used as a walk in closet? Do you have a dining room that you are using as an office or game room?  Turn those rooms into what they were originally designed for.  You want to make your buyers understand how the rooms are laid out.  Again, this might be a good time to invite your Realtor over for advice.


When getting your home ready for potential buyers to tour, don't be overwhelmed.  Recruit the help of family and friends and definitely call on the help of experts.  Your Realtor knows what buyers are looking for and can help guide you in the path to get your home sold quickly!



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