Home staging is the process of changing a home’s appearance to make it more appealing to buyers. Homeowners have to unemotionally prepare the home as a product for sale. The goal is to get buyers to pictures themselves living in the home. Staging a home often increases its sale price while decreasing the number of days spent on the market. Fortunately, home staging can be done as a do-it-yourself project by following a few steps.
Declutter
Staging a home requires extreme decluttering. The purpose is to show buyers that the house has plenty of space. To start, homeowners can sell or donate everything they aren’t taking when they move. Items the homeowner wants to keep should go to off-site storage. Nothing should be piled in a garage, an unused room, a closet, or a shed since buyers would see the clutter. Decluttering should include removing all personal items like family photos and religious materials to help buyers imagine the space as their own. Removing at least half the contents of cabinets and closets helps buyers see how ample the storage space is. Getting about half of the furniture out each room also makes the house appear roomy.
Deep Clean
A thorough cleaning gives the impression the house has been well-kept. Pet odors and animal dander repel buyers. Deep cleaning eliminates evidence a pet has lived in the house. (The pet should be staying at a kennel or a loved one’s house while the owner’s home is for sale.) Cleaning light fixtures help the home look bright and inviting for homebuyers.
Be Neutral and Traditional
Homes should be staged to appeal to most buyers. Walls painted in neutral colors and rooms with traditional furniture help buyers see the home as theirs. Homeowners who have eclectic decor may opt to put their furniture in storage in favor of renting traditional pieces.
Remember the Exterior
Interior work is for naught if homebuyers don’t enter the home due to a lack of curb appeal. The yard and porch also should be decluttered. The grass needs to be cut and other foliage should be trimmed. Stained driveways can be power washed. Homeowners could add a welcome mat, furniture, and potted flowers to the porch to make it appear to be an extension of the living space.