You want to sell your home and also you want to get a good price. It is quite difficult. Real estate market still does not give signs of spectacular recovery and therefore you have to prepare very well your house for sell. In fact, your home should look like a show home or a model house.
Staging Your Home
Effective decorating and staging it is your best chance to sell quickly your home and get the best price possible. This is in fact the first condition. You must not under any circumstances, to ignore the importance of house staging.
How can you do it?
A good idea is to visit show homes for ideas and tips. It is not also bad to take some pictures, which can help you later in your preparations. However, it is civilized and polite to ask permission first to do this. If not allowed, then there is nothing left for you to do but to take notes.
Start with House Curb Appeal
First check yourself if your house has curb appeal i.e. it is inviting, organized, clean and neat. You should practically to stand on the curb and to make a must to do list. Try to look at your house with the eyes of a buyer. Are you attracted to this house or you’re gone the next.
- Does the house outside look clean and neat?
- It is in need to be painted?
- Are the windows and front door clean and repaired? Maybe you can repaint your front door or it is necessary to be replaced.
- How are the shutters, window sills, rain spouts?
- How is your front or back yard? Is the lawn trimmed and without weeds, dried plants, broken branches or debris?
- How is your garden or patio? How is the patio furniture? Do you have potted flowers? It is unbelievable how can count in this equation, a neat patio and a few flower pots. However, be careful not to overdo.
Staging Means a Neat House
Staging means a neat house and a neat house means a spotless house. This is a fundamental rule when you want to sell a home. But of course each of us knows this. But you actually have outdone yourself, if you want to succeed with this process, especially if you own a pretty old house. It is known that it is quite difficult to make an older home to look clean and shiny like new home, but there is not impossible. If possible and necessary hire someone to help you.
If you don’t have any decorative mirrors in your home, now it is the right time to purchase some. Hang them in a way to reflect the most attractive areas of your home making in the same time the space to look larger. Shiny clean mirrors with attractive frames and clean, spotless windows are a must.
Scent is also extremely important. You can use some pleasant and discreet room fresheners. However as in other stages, do not overdo. A smell too strong no matter how nice it is will have an opposite effect to the one intended.
You should bake some cookies and make fresh coffee when you have an open house. Besides the pleasant smell of roasted coffee will have a beneficial effect on potential buyers.
Staging Means an Organized House
Perhaps, you have heard often the saying less is more and that it is so true in home decorating. Less furniture and accessories makes any living space seems larger, not to mention that less accessories and decorations give a good uncluttered feeling.
So it is a good idea to remove all your personal stuff such as plaques, cups, trophies, pictures, and so on. After all, your goal is to have potential homebuyers to feel like in their own home not like guests in your home.
Don’t forget to de-clutter and organize all your drawers, cabinets and closets. Often the potential homebuyers open them to look inside and clutter will make an unfavorable impression.
Staging Means an Inviting Home
Plants and flowers can make wonders. They make any room to look inviting and cheerful. I think you have noticed plants and flowers in many model houses, especially on book shelves and in the bathrooms. You should copy these ideas.
But since we’re talking about colours you should not forget accessories such as pillows, cushions, fresh towels, beddings or even a bright accent wall.
In fact, you should think always bright and light. Turn on all the lights. If it is winter a fireplace can have a great effect. In the hot weather you can place blooming flower pots on the fireplace mantel.
Turn on the TV’s or a radio for a comfy feeling in all rooms, but lower the volume.
Staging Means Neat
You should rent a storage space if you have too many personal items. However, in this way you can also prepare your moving to the new place.
Do not forget your garage that must be uncluttered and neat. Many homebuyers want to see if the garage has enough room for their cars. Your garage must be in fact, completely empty.
Do not forget your backyard. Staging an outside area to help the homebuyer imagination is also a very effective tool. An outside kitchen, a gazebo, a garden swing or a simple seating area with nice patio furniture can have a great effect.
However, in conclusion be always patient and you can have great results in selling your home.