Home Staging

One of the most important things you can do to sell your home quickly and for the highest possible price is to “stage” it. Basically, there are five steps to home staging.

• Cleaning
• Getting rid of clutter
• Depersonalizing
• Decorating and accessorizing
• Maintaining

Cleaning

When I say, “cleaning” I don’t mean your ordinary, weekly house cleaning. I mean a deep cleansing in which you make every surface, every window, every nook and cranny sparkle and shine. You should clean windows, ceiling fans, curtains and blinds, carpet…in short, everything. Homeowners should also strive to eliminate any unpleasant odors and if possible, have someone else care for their pets until the house is sold.

Getting Rid of Clutter

You are going to be moving shortly anyway so it’s in your best interests to go ahead and start getting rid of the things you'll never need again and boxing up the things you can live without for a couple of months. They should clean out about 50% of the things in their closets, most of the knickknacks displayed around the home and enough furniture that the rooms look open and inviting. Countertops should be clean and uncluttered. Even the cabinets and drawers should contain only a few items, because prospective buyers will be opening doors and drawers and they will want to see a lot of space.

Depersonalizing

It is important to remove most of your family photographs and personal collections. Buyers are trying to envision themselves living in every home they tour and it’s very hard for them to do that when faced with the seller’s personal items. Every room of the house should have a general appeal for the majority of buyers. Leaving personal collections for the buyer to see distracts the buyer; forcing the buyer to take time focusing on your things rather than the house.

Decorating and accessorizing

You may feel you can’t spend much money to update your house, but there are many improvements you can make that won’t cost a lot of money and that will bring you a much higher sales price. A fresh coat of paint doesn’t cost very much but will add a lot of impact. New window treatments, fresh flowers, green plants and pretty accessories all pack a punch without breaking the wallet.

Maintaining

You must commit to keeping your home spotless as long as it’s on the market. The very day someone leaves a dirty towel on the bathroom floor will be the day a prospective buyer walks through. Granted it’s not easy to keep a home so clean while someone is living there but the payoff will be a quicker sale at a higher price. Your extra effort now will have you moving in a much shorter time. Keep the outside as clean and neatly maintained as the inside. If you can’t keep the lawn mowed you should hire someone to do it. Trash cans should be kept out of sight. A nice potted plant, a clean doormat, and a front door wreath make the home seem inviting.

Home staging can be done on many different levels, from a thorough cleaning to a complete remodeling. The more you  do to stage your home, the better your chances of securing a quick sale.