Why You Should Get a Market Appraisal On Your Property
February 27, 20198 Tips for Staging Your Home Before You Sell
When you set about selling you home, no doubt you want the quickest time frame and best price possible. Whether you are working with an agent or private selling, one of the most effective ways to achieve a quick sell at asking price (or above!) is to stage your home well. What is staging your home for sale? Essentially, it is presenting your house in a way that appeals to potential buyers and highlights the property’s best assets.
Property investment is becoming increasingly popular, so prospective buyers are not just looking for themselves, but taking a critical look at the market for the best bang for their investment dollar. Staging your home will showcase the potential and put your place at the top of their list.
Here are 8 tips for staging your home before you sell.
1. First impressions
From the moment your prospective buyer steps out of their car, they begin making a judgement on your home. Ensure your driveway is swept and free of weeds, and the path leading up to the house is equally weed-free and clear of debris. Spend a little time and money on the garden too, perhaps re-mulching, adding some colourful plants and trimming up any established trees and shrubs. At the front door, ensure there is a clean doormat to welcome guests and add some eye-catching potted plants to the space to make it feel more homely and cared for. 2. Declutter
You can’t showcase the positive attributes of your home if you can’t see them! Open, clear space is much more inviting to look at than that filled with ‘stuff’. Preparing your house for sale is the perfect opportunity to cull items around your home you no longer need too. Put things away into drawers or cupboards and clear up any piles of paperwork that often accumulate on kitchen benches or the home office. Kids toys also have the tendency to spread around the house, so gather them all up into one or two appropriate spaces. If you have things that you just can’t part with for good, ask a friend or family member if you can temporarily borrow a little storage space. 3. Make your house sparkle
Get cleaning! Prospective buyers want to know the house has been looked after, so make sure it is cleaned from top to bottom. A clean house also feels much nicer to walk into and smells better, whereas visible dirt can be distracting. As a minimum, vacuum and mop the floors, clean the bathrooms and dust every surface. Washing windows is a good ideas as well, and make sure your kitchen appliances are shining.
From the moment your prospective buyer steps out of their car, they begin making a judgement on your home. Ensure your driveway is swept and free of weeds, and the path leading up to the house is equally weed-free and clear of debris. Spend a little time and money on the garden too, perhaps re-mulching, adding some colourful plants and trimming up any established trees and shrubs. At the front door, ensure there is a clean doormat to welcome guests and add some eye-catching potted plants to the space to make it feel more homely and cared for. 2. Declutter
You can’t showcase the positive attributes of your home if you can’t see them! Open, clear space is much more inviting to look at than that filled with ‘stuff’. Preparing your house for sale is the perfect opportunity to cull items around your home you no longer need too. Put things away into drawers or cupboards and clear up any piles of paperwork that often accumulate on kitchen benches or the home office. Kids toys also have the tendency to spread around the house, so gather them all up into one or two appropriate spaces. If you have things that you just can’t part with for good, ask a friend or family member if you can temporarily borrow a little storage space. 3. Make your house sparkle
Get cleaning! Prospective buyers want to know the house has been looked after, so make sure it is cleaned from top to bottom. A clean house also feels much nicer to walk into and smells better, whereas visible dirt can be distracting. As a minimum, vacuum and mop the floors, clean the bathrooms and dust every surface. Washing windows is a good ideas as well, and make sure your kitchen appliances are shining.
4. Clever adornments
Now that you have decluttered and cleaned, it is time to strategically place homely items around the place to offer a lived-in feel. Vases of cut flowers look wonderful, but can become costly. Instead, seek out some lovely indoor plants to place on the dining room table, kitchen bench or as a feature in some of the rooms. Neatly placed throw rugs or cushions offer subtle colour and personality, as does a few colourful toys in play areas. Another nice touch is a bowl of colourful fruits in the living area, or a tray of freshly-baked cookies available for visitors to indulge in as they soak in the surrounds. 5. Play with furniture placement
Take a step back and critically look at your furniture and its placement in each room. Is there another way to arrange the couch and cabinet? In bedrooms, can the tallboy and desk be shifted to make better use of wall space? The aim is to make each room feel larger. You may need to look at swapping out some pieces that just don’t work, or replacing them altogether. Adding in a large mirror for the living area can do wonders for perceived spaciousness. If you are going to invest in any new pieces, it is a good idea to calculate your borrowing power and always take into account your proposed new dwelling. While you want to make your place look as good as possible to attract a better price, there is no point overcapitalising or ending up with furniture you don’t want to keep in the process.
Now that you have decluttered and cleaned, it is time to strategically place homely items around the place to offer a lived-in feel. Vases of cut flowers look wonderful, but can become costly. Instead, seek out some lovely indoor plants to place on the dining room table, kitchen bench or as a feature in some of the rooms. Neatly placed throw rugs or cushions offer subtle colour and personality, as does a few colourful toys in play areas. Another nice touch is a bowl of colourful fruits in the living area, or a tray of freshly-baked cookies available for visitors to indulge in as they soak in the surrounds. 5. Play with furniture placement
Take a step back and critically look at your furniture and its placement in each room. Is there another way to arrange the couch and cabinet? In bedrooms, can the tallboy and desk be shifted to make better use of wall space? The aim is to make each room feel larger. You may need to look at swapping out some pieces that just don’t work, or replacing them altogether. Adding in a large mirror for the living area can do wonders for perceived spaciousness. If you are going to invest in any new pieces, it is a good idea to calculate your borrowing power and always take into account your proposed new dwelling. While you want to make your place look as good as possible to attract a better price, there is no point overcapitalising or ending up with furniture you don’t want to keep in the process.
6. Clean up after your pet
Most families nowadays include a beloved pet, but make sure Fido doesn’t put off potential buyers. If your dog or cat spends any time indoors, have floor rugs steam cleaned and always run the vacuum over before a home open. Take any pet bedding outside well before viewing time and open up the doors and windows to flush out any lingering odour. Chew toys should also be removed from the house and put away somewhere inconspicuous. The pet itself also needs to be considered at viewing time - if your furry friend is likely to cause any problem, ask a friend or family member to take him for a few hours. 7. Control their gaze
There will always be areas of the house you would prefer people don’t look, such as a crack in the wall or chipped floorboard. Instead of blatantly trying to cover them up (which will, at some point, backfire), use specific items to draw the eye to areas you do wish to show off. This could be a colourful vase by a window with a great view, or a painting above the staircase to invite interest upstairs.
Most families nowadays include a beloved pet, but make sure Fido doesn’t put off potential buyers. If your dog or cat spends any time indoors, have floor rugs steam cleaned and always run the vacuum over before a home open. Take any pet bedding outside well before viewing time and open up the doors and windows to flush out any lingering odour. Chew toys should also be removed from the house and put away somewhere inconspicuous. The pet itself also needs to be considered at viewing time - if your furry friend is likely to cause any problem, ask a friend or family member to take him for a few hours. 7. Control their gaze
There will always be areas of the house you would prefer people don’t look, such as a crack in the wall or chipped floorboard. Instead of blatantly trying to cover them up (which will, at some point, backfire), use specific items to draw the eye to areas you do wish to show off. This could be a colourful vase by a window with a great view, or a painting above the staircase to invite interest upstairs.
8. Don’t forget the backyard
A great backyard is a great drawcard for any buyer, whether they plan to live there themselves or not. Stage the outdoors too by ensuring any furniture is clean and mended, the gardens and lawns are well-manicured, and any play equipment is cobweb-free and in good working order.
A great backyard is a great drawcard for any buyer, whether they plan to live there themselves or not. Stage the outdoors too by ensuring any furniture is clean and mended, the gardens and lawns are well-manicured, and any play equipment is cobweb-free and in good working order.
Author’s Bio
Alex Morrison has been a SEO Expert for over 10 years. In this time he has worked with a range of businesses giving him an in depth understanding of many different industries including home improvement, business support and health care. He has used his knowledge and experience to work for clients as diverse as Cosh Living, Listed and Sold and Me Bank to help them reach their business goals.
Alex Morrison has been a SEO Expert for over 10 years. In this time he has worked with a range of businesses giving him an in depth understanding of many different industries including home improvement, business support and health care. He has used his knowledge and experience to work for clients as diverse as Cosh Living, Listed and Sold and Me Bank to help them reach their business goals.
