seller tips

How to stage your home

In a buyer’s market, the seller needs every advantage he can get. Home staging is an excellent way to highlight the property’s strengths. You can hire professional home stagers, or you can implement the following home staging tips yourself before your next open house.

Make the buyer imagine himself in your home. It is important he feels comfortable and not distracted. You can do that by:
■depersonalizing the home by removing family photos, kid’s toys, toiletries, etc.
■painting in neutral colors. Buyers can imagine putting their own color palettes on the walls.
■remove excess furniture and clutter. So less is more; too much furniture will make the home feel and appear small.

Buyers are looking for the most amount of house for the least amount of money. To give the impression the property is upscale and luxurious, you can:
■clean every inch of the house like the several thousand dollars depends on it — because it does.
■replace outdated fixtures such as cabinet hardware, ceiling fans or old faucets with sophisticated and updated versions — they are noticed.
■improve the lighting in your house with energy efficient bulbs for a warm and inviting atmosphere. Aim for a total of 100 watts for every 50 square feet. Mix up your lighting options, ambient (general or overhead), task (pendant, under cabinet or reading) or accent (table and wall).
■complete any unfinished projects. A house with a to-do-list is a quick turn off for buyers.
■purchase slip covers, some new bed covers and color-coordinated towels. These purchases can really dress up your existing furnishings and they go with you after the move.
■decorate with fresh flowers and candles. The smell of a home during an open house is almost as important as the way it looks.

Copyright © 2011 by first tuesday Realty Publications, Inc.