To stage your home means to utilize strategies directed at bringing the best elements of your house into the spotlight. It is quite like setting the stage for the top performers in theatre. The intention is to make the house look aesthetic and appealing to potential buyers. Home staging could involve cleaning, redecorating, and even purging. Home staging involves a certain level of neutralization and depersonalization. A staged property is like a clean canvas; potential buyers can utilize their imagination to paint a picture of what life would be like in that house.
Home staging is a skill. One can choose to DIY, or the real estate agent can do it. Professional home stagers can prepare a house for a fee. Even if a person is looking at selling a house sometime later in the future, he/she can take steps in the present to improve the presentation and value of the house. If you want to stage your home for a potential sale, read on for a few helpful tips and tricks.
First Impressions Matter!
Envision the house from the point of view of a prospective buyer when he/she first pulls up to the house. What do they see? This will be their first impression of the house. First impressions make a lasting impact and will greatly influence the ultimate purchase decision. Keeping this in mind, you need to enhance the curb appeal. One of the simplest and most effective ways of doing this is to add some greenery or to neaten up the trees and shrubs that are already present.
Driveways occupy a lot of space, so cover up the cracks (if any) in the driveway and reseal it. Add some edging with chiseled pavers. Paint the existing gate or replace it with a better one. Illuminating the way with landscape lighting is an easy way of giving the outdoor space a facelift. The entrance needs to look welcoming. If the house has a porch with some space, make it look inviting with two or three lightweight chairs and a few potted flowering plants. The front door might look better with a fresh coat of paint and a fresh new mat. If required, give the exterior of the house a fresh coat of paint.
The Key to a Prospective Buyer’s Heart
The way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, or so they say. Along those lines, the key to a prospective buyer’s heart is through the kitchen. The kitchen should look clean, fresh, bright, and full of possibilities. A renovated and updated kitchen will add to the value of the house.
Consider hiring professional cleaners for the kitchen. Give it a new coat of paint if required. The countertops need to be clear. Swap the old, stained, and corroded faucet with a sleek, new, and modern one. Make it evident that the kitchen has ample storage space by decluttering and organizing. A factor that could be overlooked while staging the kitchen is the way it smells. The kitchen needs to be free of odors and must smell fresh.
Furniture Can Add or Detract From the Appeal
Remember that staging a house is about enabling the buyer’s imagination to roam free. If the house is packed with furniture, and cluttered with too many possessions, the buyer won’t be able to look beyond these easily. The prospective buyers will see it as someone else’s house rather than daydream about how they would make it their own. Clear away any framed pictures. Pare down furniture and declutter all surfaces. This will also make the house look bigger. Note that the prospective buyers should be able to move around the house without any obstructions.
The best features of the house should be visible in all of their glory. Some furniture pieces can add to the appeal of the house. Consider alternate furniture arrangements and adding some mirrors to make the house look spacious.
Attention to Detail
Look around the house from the perspective of a potential buyer. Sometimes it is the small things that capture the heart or turn it away completely. At times, the cumulative effect of minute things influences the final decision positively or negatively. Is there a flickering light? Replace it. Are the drapes looking old? Change them. Is the shower head leaking? Get a new one.
The house should be thoroughly clean. Refresh the paint if it is peeling. Fix any cracks in the walls or ceiling. If the house has carpets and they are stained, consider removing them or replacing them with hardwood floors.
By beautifully staging your home, you can get the best possible price for it. The purpose of staging a home is to sell it. Therefore, a lot of the activities involved in staging are focused on converting it into a house from a home. This is done so that someone can envision it as their dream home and seal the deal as the first step towards fulfilling their dream.
Written by Moriah West.