Guest Blogger: Easy & Inexpensive Ways to Stage your Home

Guest Blog #119, Entry #584, July 11, 2011

When I first started Stagetecture, home staging was the root of its beginnings. When considering to put your home on the market, you must embrace the idea of having your home staged to emphasize the amenities of your home, and appeal to buyers.

Home staging can help sell your home

Today, my Guest Blogger gives tips to help you stage your home, without spending a fortune. These steps will help you think like a homebuyer, so in turn you can sell your home quicker!

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In this competitive real estate market, it’s essential to do all you can to sell your home. However, taking these steps to improve the look and feel of your home doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

Think Like a Buyer

It’s important to remember that a buyer is going to be interested in the details of how your home looks, both inside and out. Start with the outside when it comes to staging your home to sell. First consider the landscaping. Does the lawn need to be mowed, or are there weeds that need to be plucked? Could you add plants to your flowerbeds or spare pots for some extra color?

Next, inspect for dirt and cobwebs, cleaning away grime that has built up over time. Borrow a power washer to spruce up your siding and shutters, and take time to clean the windows to allow a maximum amount of light into your home. Clear away dirt, leaves and grass from your front door, and lay out new welcome mats. These steps are inexpensive, but can make a good impression on a potential buyer.

Let in natural light for buyers to see your home

The Best Light

Showing your home in its best light requires using any existing natural light to your advantage. Once the outside of the windows are clean, take time to wipe away dirt and grime from the inside of the windows as well. Open any curtains or blinds to let in as much free, natural light as possible. This will also help you to see what needs to happen next.

Clean Up and Declutter

The presence of natural light will help you notice the dirt and grime built up around your home due to the realities of everyday life. Thinking like a buyer again, go through your home and deep clean, including carpets, closets and the pantry, trim, and upholstery. While going through these nooks and crannies in your home, use the opportunity to clean out the “junk” that’s built up over the years. Pack up what you want to move with you, then load the rest up to give to an area charity.

Think about how potential buyers will go through your home, including what doors they may open and the details they’ll want to see. This will help you clean and organize what’s left of your possessions, setting them up as neat and tidy as possible!

Declutter and keep things tidy

Sights, Sounds and Smells Matter

Once the clutter is out of the way, you can use the remaining important pieces of furniture and artwork to appeal to potential buyers who look at your home. If the paint colors are too personal to your tastes, consider painting your interiors a more neutral shade, accessorizing with throw pillows, prints, and candles. Set up each room in this way to help your potential buyers “see” themselves living in the space.

Keep an eye for detail when preparing for an open house, making sure the towels in the bathroom match and are hung properly, that toys are put away, and that your home smells pleasant. Consider baking cookies or bread beforehand, or put reed infusers in well-placed areas for a pleasant aroma throughout your staged home.

These tips cost very little but can vastly improve the look and feel of your home for potential buyers. This can add up to a quick and painless sale of your staged home in this competitive housing market.

Kelly Wilson is a busy mom and freelance writer. Contact Tiffany Home Design, an expert in Portland home staging for more strategies to stage your home to sell.

For more home staging ideas on Stagetecture, click here.