“Set the Stage” the A to E of Staging Your Home to Sell

Staging is the most important task that a seller should do. Buying a home is an emotional experience and you want your home to look its absolute best when a prospect walks in. Staging can also be an emotional process for sellers who often think their home is beautiful as is. Remember that it is not about living in it, it’s about selling it. Here are my tips on how to stage your home to sell:

 

A-Arrange furniture. Move furniture around to create open spaces. Pieces that are too big will make rooms smaller. Create open and conversational spaces. Avoid blocking hallways and

glass doors to porches or balconies.

 

B-Bring in the light. Take advantage of your home’s natural light. Open all curtains and blinds when showing the home. Invest in lamps and light fixtures for darker rooms. The amount of light in a home is very important to buyers.

 

C- Clean. Make your home spotless. Clean the appliances. Wipe the countertops. Get rid of grease or crumbs. If you can’t do it, hire someone to clean every week to keep everything in pristine condition.

 

D-Declutter. Donate or sell what you can live without. Furniture, accessories, extra rugs. Remember that “less is more.” Buyers want to see themselves in your home. De-personalize by minimizing family photos and keepsakes. Clutter distracts buyers from seeing the features of the house. Closet space and storage are important. Take half of the clothes out to make closets look bigger.

 

E- Eliminate odors. Buyers detect smells of smoke, pets and intense home cooking when they step into your home. Eliminate odors through carpet cleaning, and washing dirty laundry.

I learned an old trick of sprinkling baking soda over carpets and couches, let it sit for 15 minutes before vacuuming. For curtains and fabrics, make a spray of equal parts of water and vinegar, spray a day in advance for the vinegar smell to disappear. Clean the pet liter box regularly.

 

Staging your home to sell does not require spending a lot of money, but making smart decisions. Overall impression makes a difference when selling a property. If you are thinking about selling this Spring, give me a call and I will be glad to evaluate your home.