How to Stage Your Home When Selling

Professional home staging has become big business in recent years. Professional stagers can charge fees ranging from $500 for consultations to $5,000 for a full service staging. If your budget is too tight to fit a professional stager, there are a few simple ways that you can stage your house yourself.

Instructions

1. Remove clutter from your home. If possible, pack up everything that you are taking with you, aside from essentials like your clothes and furniture; rent a storage locker or store items in your basement or garage. Now is the time to pack up all your knickknacks, photos, souvenirs and fridge magnets.

2. Clean from top to bottom. If possible, hire professional cleaners to do this. Otherwise rally together friends and family and make a concerted effort to clean everything in the house. Don’t forget those dusty corners, baseboards and appliances. It is important to make sure that everything shines, including your windows.

3. Make minor repairs. Now is the time to patch holes, fix leaky faucets, replace light bulbs and any other of the little annoyances that you have gotten used to. Remember to also look at whether or not your interior needs a fresh coat of paint.

4. Get organized. Tidy up all of your cabinets and closets. Get everything off your counters, including everyday appliances like toasters. Organize your closets according to types of clothes, and then by color. You must also organize your kitchen and bathroom cabinets as buyers are likely to look in them. Of course, you still have to live in your house, so you may need a place to store your personal items. Purchase some decorative storage boxes or baskets that you can easily pull out for any essential everyday items.

5. Curb appeal. Take a look at the exterior of your house. Does it look clean? Are there bushes that are overgrown? Make sure that your grass is mowed. Consider planting some flowers or buying some potted plants to place on your patio to brighten up the house.

6. Now that you have cleaned and removed personal items, you need to show the interior space at its best. Open up all the blinds and curtains so that you are getting the maximum amount of light coming into your home. Put out some candles or plants, both will help bring pleasant aromas into your home, while at the same time being welcoming to buyers. Now is the time to decorate your home with a few knickknacks so that it doesn’t seem too bare. Don't put out anything personal since buyers want to envision themselves in this house--a few candles, a vase, a few pretty books or some throw pillows will work. If the walls are too empty, consider hanging up a picture. The decorating you do now should show off the space, not the items.