Before going to stage our home for the masses, we have to be able to detach ourselves away from the emotional pull that are home gives us. This is a product you are trying to sell. You’re not selling your own emotional attachment to your home but a peaceful scenario for the next homeowner. Here are five tips to selling a house from an actual home stager.
#1. Detachment.
It’s difficult to look at our own homes objectively. We become blind to the little idiosyncrasies, problems, and mistakes that we’ve lived with for years but home buyers will pick up on them immediately! It’s important to take the suggestions of a professional stager and not to take anything personally. You have to stage for the unknown buyer and that means staging your home for the masses, not one particular demographic.
Have trusted friends, family, or a real estate agent go through your home making notes on things that need to be corrected, changed, updated, fixed, or repairs. You’ll want to neutralize the space with a simple neutral color palette and movable color in the form of accent pillows and accessories.
#2. Depersonalization.
You’ll need to remove anything and everything that is personalized in the home including family photos, framed certificates and diplomas, trophies, collections, and memorabilia. You want the potential buyer to see themselves in the home not you. You’ll also want to pack away any religious or political items so that you can appeal to all buyers, not just those that fall in line with your values.
#3. De-clutter
Since you are moving anyway, pack up at least half of the items in closets, cupboards, drawers, cabinets, and any other storage space. You want buyers to feel that there is plenty of space for them to move in and you want the buyers to see the house, not your stuff. Try not to store things in the garage as buyers will see this as less space because these items came out of the house itself.
#4. Cleaning.
Now is the time to do a serious deep cleaning. Buyers want to walk in a house and see it absolutely pristine from top to bottom. This isn’t just vacuuming, this is professional carpet cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, sanitizing, and cleaning everything from the blinds to ceiling fans, baseboards and window and door tracks. You’ll also need to focus on the outside with pressure washing the deck, pavers, driveway, and trimming flowerbeds and doing some serious landscaping.
#5. Attention to details.
Buyers look at everything and little things really can make a difference. A clean, minimalist approach can work but a staged home doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is removed. You don’t have to spend a lot of money but you do want things to be in their place, clean, even, symmetrical, warm, and inviting. Taking everything out and then putting a few things back, you can find out where the arrangement looks the best. Take a look at some staged homes on Pinterest and home and garden websites to get inspiration and ideas for your particular layout.
Related: Should I Replace the Carpet Before Selling My Home?
We want to help get your home sold and even though these times are a little uncertain and shaky, buyers still are on the hunt for the perfect house. Let’s help you get an offer quickly and help you move on with your life. Call us today for information on what your home is currently worth and how to stage it for today’s buyers.