How to Stage a House to Sell

In today's economy selling a home is a very competitive market. One must take all of the necessary steps possible to insure that their home is a "cut above" other similar homes in the same price range. How your home is staged to prospective buyers can make a difference in how those potential buyers react to your property.

Things You'll Need

• Paint (if necessary)
• Storage space
• Extra furnishings

Instructions

If you Still Live in the Home

1. Pack all of your personal collections and remove them into storage. Do the same with children's toys if you have them scattered around.

2. Paint the walls if necessary. Warm neutral colors are best. You may love the green in your living room, but if a buyer doesn't they will see it as work that must be immediately done. Trim all woodwork in a nice bright white color. This will make the rooms appear brighter and airier.

3. Remove all evidence of pets from the home when a buyer is coming to view it. Some people don't like pets in the house and they will fear that pet odors or damage will linger behind you. Make sure there is no pet "accidents" visible on any carpeting. If there are smokers in the home, refrain from smoking indoors and air the home out. Some people are allergic to cigarette smoke and this will kill the sell.

4. Check all of the outside landscaping. Keep the lawn cut and manicured all of the time. You never know when a prospective buyer will do a drive by. Paint the trim work if necessary and keep the front entrance clean, clear and attractive. Curb appeal is half the battle in getting a buyer to even stop in. if the yard is a mess, they will keep on driving.

5. Spray the home with a mild scented airfreshener just before the buyers arrive. Don't use anything overpowering, as some people have allergies. A soft lavender or vanilla scent is always inviting. Pull the curtains open and let the sunlight in too. Just make sure the windows are sparkling clean.

If the Home is Vacant

1. Make sure that every room is sparkling clean for every buyer's walk through. Don't leave any clutter that you haven't moved yet laying around. Paint the walls a warm neutral color and trim them out with white where possible. You can use many of the tips mentioned in section one for the vacant house staging as well.

2. Leave a few pieces of furniture behind or stage them into the house on a showing day. You can also rent furniture by the day, week or month if this is more convenient. An empty home seems very cold and impersonal and buyers may not be able to visualize what certain rooms are for or what they would look like furnished.

3. Add a few decorative pictures on a wall and make sure all the windows still have curtains at them, just have the curtains open.Vases of flowers or a plant or two sitting on a small table are also very inviting. If the home has a patio or deck, leave a couple of chairs and a small table sitting on them.

4. Walk through your property with a "buyer's eye." If something like a loose knob or broken pane of glass jumps out at you, the buyer will see it too. Walk around the exterior of the home. Pull any stray weeds and pick up any litter that has blown in. Do this each and every time just before a viewing to insure that your house is the very best it can be.