Perspective home buyers form an opinion about the home you’re selling in about 15 seconds. And, the clock starts ticking at the curb. So, how do you tilt the playing field in your favor? …. BY STAGING YOUR HOME!
Generally speaking, staging means making your home as appealing as possible as quickly as possible to the broadest clientele you can.
The driving idea behind staging is to let people imagine themselves living in your home, leading the good life. It’s not about you and your stuff and your taste.
1. Get some emotional distance from your home.
- Picture yourself handing over the keys to the new owners.
- Say goodbye to every room.
- Don’t look backwards – look forward to the future.
2. Start where the buyer starts…at the curb – Great curb appeal brings prospect inside.
- Pressure wash sidewalks, exterior, driveway, decks, walkways
- Scrub or paint front door
- Mow the lawn, rake the leaves
- Trim your bushes
3. De-Personalize
- Minimize personal photos, so buyer can envision their own touches in your home
4. De-Clutter
- Remember that you live in your home one way and sell it another
- If you don’t need it, donate it or throw it away
- Consider re-moving books from bookcases
- Pack up knick-knacks and collections
- Clean off everything on kitchen counters
- The rule of thumb: eliminate at least 50% of accessories in each room. Then, turn the excessive inventory into cash.
5. Re-arrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets – Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Pay attention to details. An organized house speaks volumes.
- Organize spice jars
- Neatly stack dishes
- Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way
- Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction
- Line up shoes
6. Rent a Storage Unit – Almost every home shows better with less furniture, investigate storage pods that can easily be delivered to your new home
- Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways.
- Remove extra leaves from your dining table to make the room appear larger
- Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around
7. Remove/Replace Favorite Items - If you want to take window treatments and fixtures with you, remove and replace them now. If a buyer never sees it, they won’t want it.
8. Buy, Borrow or Rent what you need - If your furniture shows the effect of raising five kids, think about storing or getting rid of your existing furniture. If you have an empty room you can “suggest” it’s use. A rocker, table lamp and a pile of books in an otherwise bare room gives it the feel of a cozy study, etc.
9. Make Minor Repairs - It’s not ok for door handles to fall off, even if you have learned to ignore it.
- Patch holes in walls
- Replace cracked floor or counter tiles
- Fix leaky faucets
- Fix doors that don’t close properly and kitchen drawers that jam
- Consider painting all walls neutral
- Replace burned-out light bulbs
- If you’ve considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!
10. Make the House Sparkle
- Wash windows inside and out. No other small improvement will give you more bang than this
- Clean out cobwebs
- Re-caulk tubs, showers, tubs and sinks
- Polish chrome faucets and mirrors
- Clean out refrigerator
- Vacuum daily
- Wax floors
- Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures
- Replace worn rugs
- Bleach dingy grout
- Hang out fresh towels. Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon or raffia
- Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors a no-no.
11. Let in Some Air – Open the windows for about 10 minutes, nothing worse than walking into a stuffy smelling home.
12. Let in Some Light – It might be mood lighting to you, but if you’re trying to sell your home, keep it light and bright. Open drapes, blinds and turn on lights where necessary.
13. Don't Forget Fresh Flowers
14. Scrutinize – Does your house look like a show home?
- Step back and look at your home with the eye of a highly critical buyer
- Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the home welcome you.
- Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your home will look to a buyer
- Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense
- Make sure window coverings hang level
- Tune into the room’s statement and emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz?
- Does it look like nobody lives in this house?
If you need help with any of the above steps or all of them call Team Ziegler for complementary staging services, 704-575-4788.