Most of us do not have thousands of dollars to spend on professional staging when it comes time to sell our home. However, that does not mean that we should not do the research, find tips and tricks and do a phone staging to present our home in a more attractive manner to buyers. There are a lot of little ways you can stage or set up your home to make the most impact to potential buyers here are five of my favorites.
#1. Keep it simple.
When you are planning to sell your house is not the time for any large projects. You do not need to do a big kitchen remodel, or bathroom remodels if the home doesn’t really need it. These elaborate remodels are very expensive and usually do not give you the return on your investment. It’s important to work with what you have by simply addressing things up, retouching a few items, and making your home as attractive as possible. Plus, you may be tempted to cut corners with big projects and use mediocre or below average materials, which buyers will immediately spot and be turned off from.
#2. Paint can be your best friend.
Paint is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to transform a room. Many people are using grays right now with white trim and while that’s an attractive look it may not be for everyone. Softer, warmer colors like an apricot, taupe or beige work really well in most rooms. Stay away from bright or dark colors in smaller rooms like bathrooms or offices.
#3. Use accent pieces.
My wife is really good at this. A blanket, throw or a few accent pillows here or there really adds a professional touch. You don’t have to change out your entire furniture set but with the addition of a few accent pillows or a throw, it can really change the look and feel and comfort level of a room.
#4. Remove personal items.
Buyers don’t want to see large photos of your family or grandma Jean hanging over the fireplace. Try to take your personality out of the space. Make sure dirty laundry and dirty dishes are not visible, put personal items, collections, jewelry and medications out of sight, and keep things simple and neutral. Walkthrough each room and see if you can tell who actually lives there. If not, you’re probably doing okay.
#5. Pack up half of your items.
This is actually one of my favorite tips. Your planning on moving anyway; all of your items will need to go in boxes eventually. Take the time now to pack up half of the items you’re simply not going to use until you get your new house. This could be seasonal items, half of your wardrobe in closets and in drawers, linen closets, co-closets, pantries and other storage places. This will make the room seem bigger and will make buyers feel that there is plenty of space for their items. Now, one caveat to this is to not put everything in the garage. Buyers will see dozens of boxes in the garage and realized that this was in the house at one time. It may subconsciously make them think that there is not enough room in the house. It’s best to rent a Pod or other storage container that can be stored off-site.
More: 8 Steps to Adding Curb Appeal to Your Home
I work primarily out of Lewiston NY and the surrounding areas. Feel free to call my office at any time for market reports, putting out how much your home is worth what if you’re considering buying or selling throughout the Lewiston NY real estate market.
Call me today at 716-256-0510 – Matthew Kennedy
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