How to Stage Your Home
Thanks to an influx of home-decorating and renovation shows, potential buyers expect to see picture-perfect homes during their home search. How does one achieve this? By staging your home.
Staging a home is the process of strategically arranging furniture and décor to make it look “showroom ready” when selling, taking the time and effort to stage your home can make a big difference when selling – it can help you sell your home faster and potentially for more money.
If you’re thinking about staging you home but don’t know where to start, follow these tips:
Declutter
When prepping your home for sale, the first thing you should do is get rid of clutter. Few things will turn away a potential buyer quicker than a cluttered, messy home. Storage space is a huge selling point, make the most of yours by removing unused items from closets, drawers, cabinets, and even your garage. Stash out of season clothing and items elsewhere while your home is on the market o maximize storage space. If necessary, see if you can keep your items at a friend or family member’s home, or consider renting a storage unit.
A clean, clutter-free home looks bigger and more appealing than one that’s stuffed to the brim with, well, stuff.
Deep Clean
Now that the clutter is gone, it’s time to do a deep cleaning. From baseboards to fixtures, from appliances to windows, everything should be spotless and gleaming. If you don’t feel it’s clean enough, it probably isn’t. Potential buyers will inspect your home with kid gloves, so make your entire home sparkles, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms.
Don’t have time to deep clean your home to perfection, or can’t stand the thought of cleaning? Consider hiring a professional to do the dirty work.
Let in the Light
Lighting is so important when it comes to staging a home. Potential home buyers love light, especially natural light. Let in the (sun)light bu opening all the curtains and blinds in every window in your home. For rooms that don’t get a lot of sunlight, make sure the light fixtures are clean and replace all the light bulbs. Instead of LED or fluorescents opt for traditional white bulbs as they emulate an actual daylight effect.
Arrange the Furniture
A good rule of thumb is to remove about half your furniture when staging your home. Less furniture will make your home look bigger and more appealing to buyers, as well as allow them to envision their belongings in the home. If your current furniture and décor is lacking appeal or is just outdated, or if you’re lucky enough to have moved your furniture out of the hose, consider renting furniture décor for home staging purposes.
If you’re stumped on how to arrange the furniture, try a design technique known as “floating.” Position all furniture away from the walls and anchor the space with a large area rug, creating a cozy, intimate space for family gatherings.
Add Some Flair
Once your home is staged, complete the look by adding some finishing touches to give it that extra something special. Potential buyers love to see fresh flowers in vases, a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter, and folded towels in the bathroom. It may not seem like much, but the little things really do make a difference!
If you need more advice on how to prepare your home for selling or mortgage advice in general, look no further than Pacor Mortgage. Give us a call today at 773-881-7744, or visit our website to learn more. Follow us on Facebook for helpful finance and home tips!
