How to Stage a Home for Sale

Staging your home for sale will not only help sell it quicker but also bring top dollar. Professional stager fees can range on the average of $500.00 to $3000.00 depending on area of the country and amount of work needed with the home. If you cannot invest in a professional you can still do some basic staging techniques to help your home sell.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Cleaning products
• storage
• possible furniture rental
• possible paint or repairs

1. A spotlessly clean house sells faster. Clean. Make sure the house is spotlessly clean, including steam cleaning carpets. In fact, here is an area that you may want to hire a professional cleaning service to make sure the windows, tile and grout, and all other aspects of the home reflect the best quality.
2. Less is more. De-clutter. Any magazines, newspapers, more than three objects on a table or surface should be removed. Kitchen and bathrooms should show as much counter space as possible. Remove any area or throw rugs since they tend to make the floors look smaller. Personal family pictures and even too much artwork can turn off other families from imagining themselves living in this home. Our personal treasures are great, but unfortunately they do not sell homes.
3. A neutral color scheme is appealing to buyers Neutralize. You do not have to go through the home and paint every room white, but bold colors can turn off potential buyers. Attempt to bring each room to the look of a clean empty canvas. If your home reflects soft neutral colors, it will have a calming effect on buyers and help them mentally place their own belongings in the space.
4. Paint and repair Fit it up. Is there anything in your home that need repair? Scratches in the wall, broken tiles, or leaking facets can lead buyers to think that there could be more problems elsewhere.
5. Arranging furniture can make or break a room Furniture placement. Arrange furniture to maximize size and appeal. Avoid placing every piece against the walls. Remove oversized pieces that can make the room feel crowded. This is a good time to consult feng shui rules to assist in furniture placement and attractive traffic patterns.
6. Great curb appeal is just as important Curb appeal. Make sure that your lawn is cut and edged. And shrubs are trimmed and weeded. This is the first impression of your home. If it looks rough, your buyers may not make it past the front door.

Tips & Warnings

• Now that you have the stage set for homebuyers, hold an open house. Allow plenty of natural light into the rooms while it’s being shown. Fresh cut flowers and baking cookies give off aromas and visuals that are attractive to buyers. Get feedback from your potential buyers. If you overlooked something they may be willing to tell you.
• Most sellers will realize up to $1000 for every $100 they spend on home staging. Whether the house sells quicker or at close to asking price, you will be recouping your investment. In some areas, staging homes is the norm. Your best bet is to hire a professional. But even of you do it yourself, it is certainly wise get the most out of every showing by setting the stage for a sale.