11 Tips on Staging Your Home for a Quick Sale
It may look like home buyers need a lot of time to make a decision, but they usually know the property is right the minute they see it. This may seem intimidating, but you can use it to your advantage. By staging your home in a way that catches the eye of the buyer, you will get your house sold faster and for more money.
While professional staging is recommended, if you can’t afford it or you simply want to do it on your own, you can stage your house for a quick sale with a few good tips.
If you do not believe us, believe the numbers. According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 80% of buyers’ agents claimed home staging makes it easier to visualize the property as a future home.
Priority Number 1: Declutter
People usually move from their homes because they lack space. So, buyers will want to look at the house and feel like it has enough room for their stuff. When they walk into the house, they won’t want to see any distractions. Clean floors and walls will allow them to see their condition and imagine their furniture and personal items there.
To establish where to begin, try taking a photo of each room and really analyze the pictures. Establish whether you are focused on the things or on the room itself. Ideally, the room itself should be their priority. It shouldn’t feel like a “lived-in” house, so you’ll need to remove all the distractions.
Start with the hallway because it is typically the narrowest room that gets easily overwhelmed. Sort through shoes, coats, and accessories, and pack what you don’t need. For the rest of the stuff, find good storage solutions. Remove piles of posts and other papers. Throw them away, pack them, or get a letter holder to make them look tidier.
As for the living room, bedroom, and guest room, get rid of excess furniture so that the rooms feel more spacious. Remove oversized pieces and those that are covering the floors too much. Keep the essentials. For example, in the living room, those would be a small couch, a coffee table, and an armchair. In the bedroom, the essentials are just your bed and nightstands.
Decluttering the kitchen is crucial, especially if you keep a lot of appliances and gadgets on show. The smaller appliances, like your toaster and blender, should be in the cupboards. Buyers often open drawers and cupboards, so they should be organized neatly, and the number of pans, cutlery, plates, etc., minimized. The bathroom should look like it is effortlessly easy to clean. So, throw away old toiletries, and invest in towel storage.
Depersonalize Your Space
Depersonalizing the place goes hand in hand with decluttering. We’ve already mentioned that the buyers need to imagine themselves in your home and that it shouldn’t feel “lived-in.” This means getting rid of all or most of the things that say that place is not their house.
Yes, your kid’s drawings and your wedding photos might be endearing, but you’ll want to take them down before viewings. This goes for the rest of the sentimental items, such as travel souvenirs and old toys. This gives you a great opportunity to go through these items and decide what to store in “memory boxes.”
Thoroughly Clean Your Home
Now that you have removed the excess things, it will be easier to clean everything up. The buyers will observe their potential new home more attentively than you do. You may not notice a dusty shelf or a carpet stain, but they definitely will.
The kitchen and the bathroom are the most important rooms, so they need to be spotless. Make the appliances and cabinets in the kitchen shiny. Clean all the bathroom fixtures, including the toilet, bathtub, shower doors, and taps. Use grout cleaner and ensure there is no sign of mold and mustiness on the floor and metal finishes.
Deep clean the furniture you decide to keep, especially if you have suede armchairs and sofas, as they can get shabby and dirty quickly. Also deep clean the carpets, rugs, and all the floors.
Because every house has its specific smell the owners have grown accustomed to, make sure to air out the space, and use stuff like white vinegar, lemon, and vanilla extract for cleaning.
Paint in Neutral Colors
If the walls haven’t been painted for a long time, potential buyers will surely notice. This is extremely important — walls that haven’t been painted in a while will make the space look dirty regardless of your cleaning efforts, and they will set the backdrop for the rest of your home staging.
When we say a fresh coat of paint, we don’t mean any paint. Just as with decluttering and depersonalizing, your main goal is to make the place look spacious and not “lived-in.” Be aware that you are trying to attract buyers of different profiles, so avoid colors that can be gender or style specific.
Neutral tones are the safest road to take, and you can use the same bucket for each room. This will make the eyes shift naturally from one space to the next, making the interior look larger. Light colors create an illusion of more space by reflecting the sunlight. White, cream, light gray, and similar tones work the best.
Update the Furniture
You are already selling the place, so it is hardly likely that you want to invest in new furniture pieces. However, even small investments can make a big difference when it comes to first impressions.
For example, a worn-out old mattress is a major turnoff, even if they are not planning on keeping it after they move in. Now, when you compare king and queen mattresses, you will notice the latter comes cheaper. They are both excellent options for your bedroom, and both can accommodate two sleepers. Whichever you choose, make sure it provides enough support and comfort.
You can also rejuvenate wooden furniture, such as cabinets, tables, and nightstands, if you don’t want to invest in new pieces. After a thorough cleaning, you can use petroleum jelly to fix flaws such as white rings from liquids on the finish. Small cracks and chips can be cured with wax or epoxy putty. If the color has faded, you can apply a gel stain over the old finish to return it to its previous glory. A wipe-on wood finish can restore the shine. Also, for a more thorough restoration, you can sand and refinish the furniture pieces.
Take On Small Remodeling Projects
You don’t have to break the bank to remodel some of the critical points of your house. Some projects even don’t require hiring a contractor and can be fun family tasks.
Real estate agents often say that “kitchens sell houses,” and this is not far from being true. However, a large-scale remodeling could cost you up to $45,000. Instead of throwing that money away, make small improvements. You can use the tips we gave you for rejuvenating wood furniture for the cabinets, and you can also repaint them. Furthermore, you can make an impactful change by replacing the cabinet handles.
Other simple interior updates include replacing outlet covers, doorknobs, curtain rods, and light fixtures. Attractive metal outlet covers and switch plates can cost as little as $5 a piece, but they look expensive.
Paper shades, cheap vertical plastic blinds, or horizontal aluminum blinds will make the interior look tasteless and uninviting despite all your efforts. So choose wooden blinds, plantation shutters, or drapes (in neutral tones) to get a better price.
Also, replacing the bathroom’s outdated faucets and other fixtures can make the space look more high-end.
Maximize Natural Light
Natural light makes everything better. It is a mood booster and a free design element. Open the shades and curtains for the viewings (make sure the windows are clean). If the weather is pleasant, you can even open the window. This way, you will also let in some fresh air to help remove the typical scents of the house.
If the space is small, use the mirror trick to create an illusion of spaciousness. Place one or more mirrors across the window to reflect the light.
If the room is still dark, make it appear brighter by turning on a few light sources of different intensities and in different positions (ceiling fixtures, task lights, floor lamps, and so on).
Neutralize the Design
Most properties already have predispositions for certain styles due to their architecture. However, most of them can be toned down to fit into the universal likeability goal you’re pursuing here.
Avoid prominent features that will lead someone to associate the design with industrial, Scandinavian, shabby chic, etc.
Go with neutral furniture pieces and accessories. For example, you can create an impersonal but spa-like bathroom with white towels. A white duvet cover over the bed will make the bedroom appear like a hotel room. Neutral-toned drapes falling in excess on the ground will be dramatic but effective.
Neutralize the Decor
The finishing touches may not appear like a big deal when staging a home, but they can make or break the sale. After you’ve finished removing your photographs, souvenirs, drawings, and other details, the place may look too sterile.
Fix that by adding a few neutral decorative pieces. When choosing them, make sure they appeal to a broader audience. Avoid those that can be associated with religion, politics, etc. Also, don’t hang large art pieces, especially in a small room, as they can make it look even smaller. Pick pieces that compliment the other colors of the room and do not overpower them.
Use decorative throw pillows to transform old pieces of furniture. You are allowed a pop of color or two with these details, but don’t go overboard.
Know the Home’s Strengths and Use Them
Every house has that one thing that can be a crucial selling point. If you know what your property’s best feature is, leverage it to the max.
That can be a fireplace which, when the furniture is properly arranged, can be a focal point.
If you have a patio, pergola, pool, or similar outdoor space, stage it with neutral outdoor furniture so that you don’t distract from the star piece.
Pay Attention to the Exterior
We’ve said a lot about first impressions, but don’t forget that the very first impression the potential buyers will get happens before they step into the house. If the exterior of the home does not impress, there is always the risk buyers will be turned off before stepping inside.
Some basic tree and shrub pruning and trimming can instantly improve curb appeal. Your main goal here is for them to enhance and accent your house and not hide it.
If you have a lot of buyers coming frequently, always keep your lawn freshly mowed and trimmed. Make your front yard look more vivid by planting some color. Flowering plants are an affordable, effective, and quick way to make your house look more inviting. On a more expensive note, it would be a good idea to give the exterior a fresh coat of paint. If this project is too complicated for your current situation, you can paint only the trim.
Be aware the buyers will pay attention to the roof because it is a huge expense item. Make sure the roof and the gutters are clean, with no clogs, algae growth, or branches. Pressure-wash the walkway, driveway, and patio. Make the porch inviting with neutral furniture, a few flower pots, and the like. Just like with the interior, don’t forget to declutter. Bikes, toys, trash cans, and cars belong in the garage, and yard ornaments can be distracting.
Final Home Staging Tips
Finally, finish up both the interior and the exterior to create an inviting home. For the exterior, this can mean repainting the mailbox, installing a new doorbell, and adding a new doormat (avoid silly messages and cutesy designs). As for the interior, finish up with some fresh flowers in every room.
Also, prospective buyers love to see a glimpse of what their hosting experience would look like in the house, so pay extra attention to staging the dining room. Set up some plates, placemats, and napkins. Group decorative items such as candles and bowls in odd numbers, or choose a large centerpiece, such as a lavish bouquet.
