If you're contemplating selling your home, you'll want to align the proper professionals to ensure your home is in the best shape possible and attractive to a wide range of potential buyers. This may include enlisting contractors for small renos, landscapers for superb curb appeal, realtors to properly value your home for the current market and a design professional to get your home's interior ready for not only professional photographs to list with but also for potential buyers to connect with. That last one is otherwise known as staging your home. Which means the interior (and sometimes exterior) is arranged in a way that appeals to the average home-buyer.
The images here showcase a BEFORE and AFTER of a staged area of a home I recently completed. All the items used in the staging were items the owner already had but weren't being utilized. After some de-cluttering and arrangement of accessories, the space looks more put-together and less overwhelming. It gives the space a defined purpose (rather than a space where dust and misc items collect) and provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance. This is just one example of what can be accomplished with staging a home. When it comes to selling your home, staging it is one of the best investments you can make. And I'm here to share my top tips of staging your home to sell!
The following FIVE steps will help prepare and stage your home to sell quickly and for top dollar. But, if you're looking for even greater assistance, be sure to reach out to your favorite designer!
[1] De-clutter & Organize! Clutter distracts potential buyers. Prevent the opportunity for someone to miss any part of your home by keeping it neat, tidy and clutter-free! Plus, keeping things organized and stored in a designated space highlights your home as having great storage, not lacking any. As well, reducing the amount of items in your home gives the impression of a more spacious home which is ideal when you're trying to sell!
[2] Remove excess or oversized furniture. Nearly everyone loves an oversized comfy couch to snuggle into. But if that oversized couch fills up your entire main living space, potential buyers won't be able to accurately gauge the scale of your home's interiors and in fact it will make your space feel smaller! Place extra or oversized furniture in storage and get help from a professional to plan each space for optimal furniture placement and circulation.
[3] Ensure minor repairs and maintenance are taken care of. You may not notice a burnt out basement lightbulb as much as a set of discerning eyes. Or, perhaps you've been meaning to fix that leaky tap but life has been busy and the repair has taken a back seat. Well, now is the time to ensure your home's maintenance and list of repairs are prioritized. Otherwise, you risk giving the impression that your home may be neglected.
[4] Refresh your home's walls with paint touch-ups or a fresh neutral coat of paint. Not only do you cover up minor aesthetic flaws by applying a fresh coat of paint, but you can also brighten up your home's interiors with the application of a light neutral color, while simultaneously toning down any loud, obnoxious and possibly offensive colors a buyer just may not be able to see past. An interior designer can suggest the best paint color for your home with a color consultation.
[5] Clean is green ($$$$). It's not anyone's favorite task, but keeping your home clean and at the ready for any potential showings will speak volumes. No one wants to see your breakfast dishes piled in the sink or your pet's fur collecting in the corner of a room (in fact, any signs of pets should be removed if possible). Along with your home's maintenance, keeping a clean home is incredibly important, and...it's FREE! Just set some extra time aside each day to touch-up any areas in need of a quick clean. Staying on top of it may sound tedious, but it speaks volumes to a buyer and assures him/her that your home has been well-cared for.
If you're planning to sell your home soon, it can seem like an overwhelming process. However, enlisting help from qualified professionals such as a Realtor or Interior Designer will drastically simplify the process and will not only give your home an advantage over the competition but help the 'For Sale' sign in your yard turn to 'SOLD'!
If you have any questions about the tips above, please reach out! The return on investment often means thousands more in selling price and your home selling in less time as well. A win-win if you're ready to make a move. And really, who can't pass that up these days?
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