From the day that your house goes on the market to the day it closes, your property needs to be in "Selling Shape".
Whether you decide to hire a professional home stager or do it yourself, you and your family will have to cope with
some inconveniences and make the transition to thinking about your house as a property and not a home. This can
be frustrating if you're still living in your house, but the effort is well worth it.
According to the Home Staging Institute:
• Homes that are staged sell 73% faster than those that are not staged drastically reducing the
Days on Market (DOM)
• 95% of buyer’s agents agree that home staging has at least some effect on a buyer’s view of a
home
• The average cost of home staging ranges from $500 to $5,000, depending on the size and
extent of the staging required
So how can we work together to get your property into selling shape? Let's just follow some simple rules.
FIRST. FIX IT.
Anything that is in your house that is in disrepair and can be easily fixed should be addressed before the
home goes up for sale. We'll want to pay particular attention to the front exterior and the most important
rooms in the house: living room/great room, kitchen and primary bedroom. Having a property that looks well
maintained is a huge advantage with motivated buyers.
NEXT. CLEAN IT.
Clean, clean and more clean. From the inside out, a clean listing is a happy listing. This principle is about
generally cleanliness but it also requires you to de-clutter your house as much as possible. If it's smaller than a
grapefruit, it needs to be put away. Get rid of or pack away anything that isn't essential.
Everything else that is small but cannot be packed should be put away in a drawer or cabinet during showing
appointments. This also applies to things that are accumulated on a regular basis like the mail, or dirty clothes.
And remember, it's not good enough to just put things away. Potential buyers will and do open closets and
drawers throughout the house when they're looking at your home. Be sure to keep personal items that you
do not want on display in drawers that are clearly your personal furniture. The more organized you can be,
the better.
LAST. STAGE IT.
Making your house appear as attractive as possible is
largely about allowing potential buyers the opportunity to
imagine their lives in your property. Home staging is essentially the process of using design principles and tricks that
emphasize space. Creating the appearance of openness and
space is key to getting your property sold. Remember,
you're not selling your stuff!
FURNITURE:
Great staging, either DIY or by a professional, includes
choosing furniture that shows the room in its best light.
Minimize the amount of furniture you have in each room. If
it's staying in the house, it needs to be in good shape and be visually appealing.
DÉCOR:
It's time to remove anything that could be considered distracting decoration from your home. Importantly,
this includes any personal items like family photos or mementos. Any décor that does stay up and visible in
your home should be as neutral as possible.
A good rule to follow? Limit the number of items on top of any surface to 3.
If you have hanging mirrors in the house, these can be positioned to emphasize and reflect key areas in the
home like a nice sunny window.
BEWARE OF ODORS
It's not just the stinky stuff you need to pay attention to. There are obvious problem points in a home that can
produce bad smells like the garbage cans and the disposal, but you should consider any strong smell a bad
one. Don't rely on potpourri or air fresheners to mask unpleasant odors. These can be just as offensive to
some buyers. Instead, be sure to open your windows when possible to keep fresh air circulating in the house.
The only exception to the strong smells rule is chocolate. Baking sweet chocolate treats before showing
appointments or open houses can help potential buyers feel at home when viewing your house.