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Staging your home doesn’t have to be a costly venture; using what you already have or borrowing pieces here and there can dramatically improve your home’s style and appeal to potential buyers.
- De-clutter: Clutter in your home decreases equity. You want buyers to come in and admire your organizational skills and plentiful amount of storage space. You may want to consider removing items that are smaller than a breadbasket as well as personal photos. Ensure that you do not have furniture cluttered together or wall decor cluttered on the wall.
- Think space and flow: You are selling space in your home, not furniture, so apply the “rule of three”. You really only need three pieces of furniture to stage a room and those pieces should be appropriate to the room itself (such as not putting yard furniture in a living room). The same rule applies to decor items-you only need about three items to stage a mantle, dresser, etc.). Once you have staged your furniture and decor, make sure that there is plenty of space to move around the furniture.
- Warmth and comfort: Now that your home is staged and free of clutter, focus on making your house a home. Try and stick to neutral or light paint colors; if you do need to re-paint it can be done cheaply. You can find ‘mistake paint’ at home improvement stores for only $5 a gallon. Adding floor and table lamps where needed creates a warm glow and helps the buyer feel at home.
- Freshen up: Keep your home very clean and think about not using the kitchen right before a showing if possible. You want your home to shine and be free of any strong odors.