Sell Your Home Faster and For More Money with Staging

Don’t overlook the importance of staging your home because it can be a mistake that costs you both time and money. Despite the statistics and research on the topic, some buyers feel they can get by without staging their home, and they leave it empty or don’t take steps to make it appealing to a buyer. These sellers typically find out the hard way this wasn’t the right decision.  According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 83% of buyers’ agents say staging a home makes it easier for a buyer to visualize it as their future home. Around one-fourth of buyer’s agents said staging a home increased the dollar value of offers anywhere from one to five percent, compared to homes not staged.  The following are some key things to keep in mind when it comes to staging a property.

Stage the Most Important Areas

Ideally, you’ll stage your entire home, but if that’s not feasible, go with the most important areas. According to NAR’s research, 47% of buyers said staging the living room was most important to them. That was followed by the master bedroom and then the kitchen.  Also important is the entryway and the initial areas someone will see when they walk into a home. If you’re worried about your budget, you might, for example, be able to skip some of the additional bedrooms if you’ve staged key areas. 

Remove Personal Elements

The more you can remove the personal elements of your home, the more potential buyers will be able to see themselves there. Some people think this means a home needs to be cold and sterile, and that’s not true. What is true is that you should take away the reminders that someone else lives there, including family photos, papers on the refrigerator, and clothing or personal items. You want to make the home seem warm and inviting, but at the same time entirely depersonalized. 

Don’t Underestimate the Value of Deep Cleaning

When we think about staging, we often think more about the furniture and décor, but a clean home is also essential. Either do the cleaning yourself or hire a company that specializes in moving-related deep cleans.  Those projects that you might usually ignore need to be done, from the floors and baseboards all the way up to the ceiling. 

Keep It Neutral

Some people may like a certain color while others won’t. Everyone has different preferences, and you can’t cater to all of them with your staging. What you can do is create a neutral palette that feels clean and calm.  If you have any bright walls that are unusual colors, when you’re staging your home, think about repainting them. Even if you have things like bright curtains or bold patterns, you might want to remove them when you’re staging. 

Create a Feeling of Freshness

A clean home with neutral colors is already going to feel fresh. Along with that, think about adding a few live flowers or plants in your home because that gives it a feeling of being fresh as well.  A fresh home is one without odors, so be sure to remove anything that could create an unpleasant odor. If you’ve ever had smokers in your home, or you have heavy lingering smells such as pet smells, you may need a deep clean of everything, including your air ducts.  What’s great about taking the time to do home staging and do it well is that you’re going to give yourself an appealing setup for your real estate photos. Those photos are what is going to serve as the primary form of marketing for your home, and then beyond that, when people come for a showing, they’ll be equally pleased with a well-staged property.  If you’re ready to find the perfect realtor® to help you on your journey contact EffectiveAgents.com now. Photo Credit: pexels-alex-qian-2343465