Staging Your Home for Sale
People are busy. They want a home that's in "move-in" condition. It's a proven fact that potential buyers have no imagination, and tend to overestimate the cost of re-carpeting, painting, and repairs. If a buyer is spending $300,000 on a home, an extra $20,000 won't be very much and, in fact, probably won't affect their monthly payments on their mortgage. However a seller has to work a long time at a job to earn that much.
So what does it take to enhance your home for sale?
Start with the outside. It takes less than 60 seconds for someone to decide whether they like a home, so first impressions are critical. Buy a couple of flower-pots to flank the doorway. Tidy up the yard. Make any obvious repairs.
Then look at the foyer and the first room you walk into and make them special. Think about creating multiple first impressions throughout the home.
Most of us know the basics of real estate staging: Clean everything -- obsessively. Get rid of clutter - You want the prospective buyer to be imagining the home as theirs. Clutter not only detracts from the house, but is a distraction that turns their mind away from imagining living there. Eliminate personal items - Pretend you're a spy. Would you be able to tell anything about the people who live in your home? If so, remove it or change it.
Now you're ready to give your home an edge over what's on the market.
You want to neutralize the home to maximize its appeal to the greatest number of buyers. Look at the decorating in your home. Is it specifically your taste or would most people like it? Warm, neutral colors will appeal to the most number of buyers.
Bathrooms and Bedrooms should look like hotel rooms. You want people to linger and if these rooms are too personal, people won't stay in them. In the bathroom, put away all personal items. Even the medicine cabinet should be cleaned out. People will open cabinets and closets. In bedroom (and other) closets remove approximately half of the clothing; organize the remainder by color; put all clothes on consistent hangers; fold clothes neatly as if displaying them in a store.
Create a sense of space and beauty by editing the furnishings. Everyone wants more space. Remove any furniture that tightens spaces. If a couch or chair makes you turn your body as you walk by, or just makes a passage look small, get rid of it.
You want to create an environment that is inviting, and helps the buyer imagine using the home. Set up a small games table, or leave a book on a reading chair with a warm throw.
Remember that the focus is on the architectural features and selling points of the home, and not the contents. Use furniture, artwork and accessories to direct the eye away from something negative, or toward those features you want to highlight - a great view, stunning fireplace, beautiful built-in cabinets.
Finally, don't go overboard and make the house looked "staged" or too perfect. Try to balance showcasing a house with keeping some of its lived-in warmth. Now leave it up to your realtor to do the rest. And enjoy that new-found money!
Related Tags: real estate, selling, home staging
Val Sharp is the Founder and President of the Canadian Redesigners Association and a board member of IRIS (http://www.weredesign.com) in the US. One of the first instructors of redesign and home staging in Canada, she has been training people in starting their own home staging and interior redesign business for five years.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Qualifying Equals More Sales and More Income
In my experience in the new home sales industry and the opinion of the top producers across virtuall - Questions From Home Sellers
Home sellers have been contacting me about selling their homes with the question: "Should - Top 10 Reasons You Can Sell More Real Estate With A Podcast
A lucrative career in real estate used to mean shaking a lot of hands and praying for favorable mark - How Important is a Real Estate Appraisal?
A real estate appraisal is necessary any time you buy or sell any kind of real estate. The purpose - Window Treatments Can Help Sell Your Home - Let a Home Stager Show You How
New window treatments can make a world of difference when selling your home. They can add value and - Sell Land Contract Agreements for Cash To Professional Note Buyers
You can sell land contract agreements to a professional note buyer for a lump sum of money. Many peo - How To Prepare For An Open House
To further maximize exposure, your Realtor may recommend you hold one or two types of open houses as - Selling With A Real Estate Representative
Selecting a RealtorFinding the right real estate representative takes some time and care. A good pla - Home Selling Tips - Tips On Selling Your Own Home And Preparing Your Home For Sale
Top Ways to Boost Your Homes ValueSelling your home is a major life event; buyers and agents will co - Selling Your Home - Exterior Ideas
When listing your home for sale, it must be in the best shape possible. This may mean spending some
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Great Curb Appeal: Your First Line Of Defense For Selling Your Home
Trying to sell your home without "Great Curb Appeal" is an uphill struggle. Without pristine curb a - Dependable Recumbent Bicycle Dealers
Recumbent bikes place the cyclist in a laid-back, easy chair riding or reclined posture. Unlike conv - Free Home Staging Tips that Make Your Home Sell Faster
A 2006 Chicago Tribune article cites a National Association of Realtors (NAR) study validating the i - Prospecting for Real Estate Clients is Not a Short-term Activity
Have you ever mailed a prospecting letter to 100 or even 500 homeowners in your neighborhood, waited - Putting Your Best Foot Forward When Selling Your Home
As the real estate market cools off, it is important to focus on the fundamentals if you want to sel - Home Loan Finances
You can take a loan from banks or lending companies. Banks and such companies have their set criteri - Selling Your Gilbert Home in a Tough Market
Selling Your Gilbert Home When No One Is Making An OfferThis may seem like a terrible time to have y - Real Estate Market for Sellers in 2007
For much of this decade, sellers have sat in the cat seat when it comes to the real estate market. A - Staging, Selling Your Home For More Money
In the middle-of-the-road housing market, homes are remaining for sale longer than they did about on - Trying to Sell a Home with Little or No Equity
Many homeowners are sweating finances these days. For a variety of reason they are in over the head