The Perfect Way to Stage Your Home

Home staging can make or break potential buyers’ interest in your home. Although challenging, home staging is one of the most valuable marketing strategies and allows home buyers to envision themselves living in this picture-perfect home. Transforming the house can lead to helping sell a house quickly according to research in 2017 from the National Association of Realtors which states that 39% of sellers’ agents reported that staging a home reduces days on the market. In that same study, the NAR found that 29% of seller's agents said the sales prices for staged homes were between 1% and 5% higher than that of unstaged homes. With these stated benefits, it’s clear that choosing to stage a house is the right decision.

What is Home Staging?

Home staging is the process of preparing the interior, and sometimes the exterior, of the home so that it is market ready in an attempt to sell the home faster. This real estate marketing strategy helps potential buyers visualize themselves living in the

home. The challenging aspect is trying to appeal to a diverse audience, not styling the home to one specific aesthetic. Home staging can be done by the homeowner themselves, a homeowner working with a real estate agent, or even a professional home stager. This process could become costly and may include downsizing or refreshing your personal belongings or renting new furniture and decor altogether.

1. Clean

One of the most important steps when staging a home is decluttering and cleaning. A clean house can emphasize the size of the home. While tidying up, try to eliminate any personal belongings from visible areas. Do not try to hide these knick-knacks within the home, potential buyers usually take in-depth searches around the homes they are viewing, if possible, remove these belonging from the property. The removal of the

items can also help to make the spaces appear roomier as well. Once the house is clutter-free, deep clean the home. A neat space communicates to the buyers that you take care of your home. Try to make sure all appliances are spotless. Open windows around the house to give it a breath of fresh air, and avoid the use of air fresheners or scented candles as they may lead to allergies. If you have pets, remove any hair from furniture and carpets, in some cases, professional help may be required.

2. Wallpaper & Paint

Now that you have a clean space, it’s time to spruce up your home. Chances are, a potential buyer won’t like your wallpaper. It is best to remove it, painting over wallpaper may look tacky and hint at more work for a buyer to tend to later. When picking the color to paint a room, a safe choice is a neutral color, this

helps in opening up smaller spaces and makes it appear clean, Softer tones can also help furniture pop. Dark paint colors can be trendy for kitchens and bathrooms but can be off-putting to some buyers. White walls are optimal giving the illusion of a blank slate and allowing buyers to imagine their own color scheme.

3. Lighting

Bright rooms tend to be more attractive to the general audience. Lighting is an essential part of staging a home. Before a showing make sure to open your blinds or pull back your curtains to take advantage of your home's natural lighting. Like neutral-colored walls, this helps make your home appear brighter and more inviting. To maximize natural lighting, clean

your window to allow the sun to shine in. If you’d like, you can choose to amplify the artificial light available in the home. Create a sense of consistency by utilizing light bulbs that share similar wattage and color temperature throughout the house. To add a bit of luxury, consider wall-mounted lighting in favor of table lamps. If you still have any dark corners, try to fill them with tall lamps to brighten the space.

4. Furniture

The key with furniture is to make sure it fits the size of the room. If it is too big, it might make the room appear small. A good rule to follow is to remove about half your furniture, helping your space look bigger. Make sure that your furniture is clean, neat, and nice. Throw pillows can be a nice touch to add a pop of

color. If your furniture is not up to that standard, there is also the option to rent new pieces while putting your furniture in storage. Try to arrange furniture to help make the room feel spacious, with a technique called “floating” which places your coaches, chairs, and tables away from the walls while anchoring the space with a rug that creates a sense of coziness and makes the space more intimate. If there are empty spaces, try adding a potted plant to help make it less sparse.

5. Exterior

One of the first things a buyer will see is the front door. In this area, a little staging will go a long way and make a big impact. If there’s room, consider adding potted plants, or a small seating area, ambiance lighting can also enhance the space. The term

“curb appeal” refers to how nice your home looks on the outside at first glance. Improve your curb appeal with tasks like power washing the house and walkways, trimming overgrown greenery, mowing the lawn, planting flowers in shades that complement your home’s color palette, and updating your house numbers to make sure they’re visible.

Final Touches

Now that the hard part is over, just before an open house or showing, add some finishing touches. Small accents like fresh flowers in vases, a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter, or a couple of folded towels in the bathroom will help make your home seem warm and welcoming. Leave extras in a nearby closet so that they’re on hand if a potential buyer is stopping by.