In a hot market like this one where there’s a lot of properties for sale and even more buyers, it’s important to take special care in presenting your home for sale so that it stands out amongst the rest. That’s where home staging comes in.
Home staging has one main goal – to help potential buyers imagine living their lives in your home. It aims to help accentuate your home’s most prominent and prized features and in return makes it a hot commodity to sell. If done right, you’ll have no problem selling your home in no time.
So what are some things to keep in mind when staging your home?
Don’t make it personal.
The goal here is to help those buyers imagine living life in your home. It makes it a bit more challenging to do so when you have pictures up of you and your family. The home should be stylish and inviting but without the personal touches that could sway the buyer from thinking, “this is my future home” to “this home is occupied.”
Some key things to look out for include photos, clothes, personal hygiene products, religious items etc.
Be the best maid.
You clean your home but it’s time to take cleaning to a whole new level. You’re about to channel your inner Mr. (or Mrs!) Clean.
No one likes to walk into a home and see it as a mess. This means taking extra care in dusting, scrubbing the floors, cleaning the grout in the shower, wiping down those fans, Windexing the windows… truly embrace the shine.
A clean home doesn’t just signify that it’s clean. It shows the future buyers that you are homeowners who take care of your home and you’re selling it to them in good shape.
Keep it neutral.
Each person’s style is different but whenever you decide to sell your home, it’s important to opt for a neutral colour palette and layout. Keeping it neutral allows for each buyer to picture their own style being spread throughout each room. This tip doesn’t just apply to the staging but the overall paint job on the home as well. If you’re willing to invest the time and money into painting the house before it gets sold, it could go a long way.
Take care of those repairs.
Things like holes in the wall, gaps in your flooring, scuffs on the floor boards, loose door knobs… these are all things that seem small but can be a huge deterrent for buyers who are looking at your home. These simple fixes could be the difference between getting an offer and getting the door slammed in your face (figuratively of course!) Taking the time to make these fixes signals to your potential buyers that you haven’t neglected your home over the years and you put a lot of TLC into it.
Let there be light.
Well lit rooms seem larger and brighter which always sell better than dark or dim rooms. Open up those blinds. If it’s the summertime, open up those windows. Remove anything that may be blocking the natural light from coming through. Replace those light bulbs. Anything you can do to make the rooms in your home brighter, the better.
There you have it – 5 ways to help you stage your home for sale. Of course, you could always hire someone to come in and stage the home for you (ie. bring in additional furniture pieces, add some nice accents, make the space smell nice) but these are things you can do personally that will go the extra mile.
Have questions about selling or staging your home? Give us a call.
