Staging a house for sale has become a must-do activity for most sellers. According to industry analysis, staged homes usually sell sooner and for more cash than the unstaged homes. While there is a wide range of options for real estate staging tips out there, what you settle on is to be determined by your budget and needs as you put the buyers in mind. For any seller, the below 8 tips can be employed for staging to increase the home selling value.
Related: How to Sell Your House: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
1. Clean
Potential buyers are always attracted to new appliances in the home. If you cannot buy new ones, make the existing ones spotless. No buyer wants to see splattered food sauce, drink spills, or piles of crumbs in their potential home. Similarly, be sure that the bathroom sparkles and the sinks drain properly- the goal here is to make everything appear new.
2. Depersonalize
Remove your family photos, refrigerator art, and any other pictures that will make the buyer envision himself/herself in your home. Put away the toys and any other item that is evocative or highly personal in the house to be sold.
3. Rearrange Your Furniture
Rearrange your furniture but avoid damaging the furniture and the floor. For instance, you can use furniture sliders to help move your furniture. Sliders are small pads, made from rubber and plastic, placed beneath the furniture legs to allow smooth sliding. Some home sellers prefer shoving a blanket underneath the furniture. Another staging tip would be moving the furniture, either to other rooms or closer to other furniture or far from other furniture. If this is not a DIY activity for you, you can always contact the local furniture removal services in your area.
4. Do Away with Odor
Moist bathrooms, wet rugs, pets’ sleeping areas, and many other items may make the home smell. Your smelling senses are possibly immune to the aromas as you are used to staying in the house. Therefore, a neighbor or friend can help you out here.
Give the home some inviting aroma like baking some cinnamon-coated apples or burn vanilla-scented candles. You can as well grind lemon in the garbage pit/container to remove any present odors. Spraying to deodorize your home, might give the house a cheap, institutional bathroom smell, which you probably don’t want to settle for. Also, don’t forget to take out the trash.
5. Define Rooms
Ensure that every room and every space within the house for sale has a defined purpose. This maximizes the square footage of the home. If yours is a finished attic, you can make it an office. A basement can be turned into an entertainment room and a junk room made into a guest bedroom. Sometimes, the buyer may not want to use the rooms for those purposes. Still, it’s important for the buyer to see that every part of the home is usable.
6. Flooring
Who enjoys dirty and stained floors or carpet, especially when the dirt is someone else’s? Though costly, choose floors that will add value and style to the home. The flooring should be of minimal-maintenance and be able to provide high long-term value. Also, consider the floors that are perfect for buyers having different allergies. In other words, the type of floor you choose should be appealing to almost everyone.
7. Exterior
Since this is where buyers get the first impression of your property, ensure it does not chase the potential buyers away. The hedges, lawn, and even trees should be well pruned and maintained for increased curb appeal. Wash the windows to brighten them. If possible, power wash the exteriors to make it look freshly painted.
Related: Add Value to Your Home with an Exterior Makeover
8. Final Touches
Just before opening the house for selling, take your real estate staging efforts a bit further with some last-minute touches. This makes the home warm. Final touches include: adding fresh flowers in the flower beds, allowing the entrance of fresh air in the house, and putting some elegantly folded towels in the bathrooms.
Summary
With that in mind, you should avoid over-doing it when it comes to increasing the value of your home. Even if you don’t mind spending on staging a house for sale tips, be sure not to put too much money in the process. Focus on the best features of the home. Always remember that there is a slight difference between what makes the property usable and what sells it. Your real estate staging should be aimed at appealing to a wide range of buyers.
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This article has been contributed by Maryn Mcdonnel.