Home Staging 101: 5 Easy Tips Any Homeowner Can Do
Staging your house is an important part of selling it. Although it might sound like something you could easily skip, staging your home is crucial because it allows buyers to see your home as a clean slate. If you are using a full service real estate agent, they will likely include staging in your package. If you aren't, use these tips to help you stage your home properly:
1. Pack Personal Items
One of the most important things you should do when staging your home is eliminate your personal items. Pack away anything that is considered personal, such as family photos and heirlooms. You might also want to pack away excess clothing, blankets, and other items to eliminate clutter and depersonalize your home. Remember, you want prospective buyers to envision themselves in your home. When it's full of your personal belongings, it's hard for them to do so. So pack them up and store them in your basement, attic, or outside of the home.
2. Neutralize Rooms
Another helpful tip for staging your home is to make it gender-neutral. Perhaps you have bright paint colors, decorations, or decals in specific rooms. If you do, repaint and remove those items. It might be hard seeing your nursery become a spare room, but it will help you sell your home. So remove anything that is gender specific and repaint your home with neutral colors such as white or tan.
3. Organize Closets
Most buyers are looking for a home that will easily fit them, their family, and their items. One easy way to make your home appear larger and more functional is to clean out, declutter, and organize the closets. Remove excess clothing, shoes, and accessories—just keep the bare minimum in there.
4. Light Up The Home
Another helpful tip for staging your home is to focus on lighting. Your home should, ideally, be light and bright. The reason behind this is simple: good lighting makes a space appear bigger—and that's good for prospective buyers. You can make your home lighter by adding lamps, opening windows, or repainting. Whatever you do, just make sure it is light and bright and not dark.
5. Clean
Finally, make sure you clean your home thoroughly. No one wants to buy a home that is dirty or smelly, so take some time to get it really clean. In addition, consider lighting some scented candles or using an air freshening spray on the day you host your open house. A clean, good smelling home will definitely sell faster than one that is dirty and dingy.
Staging your home might seem like a waste of time, but it can really make a difference when it comes to selling your home. If you don't want to stage your home yourself, consider using a full service real estate agent.
