Stage your home before selling!

STAGE RIGHT
TAKE A BUYER’S POINT OF VIEW

Try to look at each home as a buyer would. That means looking at the room from the doorway and using that as a frame to show off the most appealing parts of the room. Many times, prospective buyers won’t venture beyond the doorway, so it’s important to entice them to enter the room. Take steps to make the room look as clean, neat and spacious as possible. Remove excess furniture and keep floors free of any stacks of clutter.

DECLUTTER
It sounds obvious but decluttering is the single biggest aspect of staging – and one that is free of charge. Every surface, including countertops in kitchens and bathrooms, should be as clear as possible. Stow toiletries under the sink, and pack up personal photographs so buyers don’t get distracted by looking at your pictures.
GET RID OF THE UGLY
If furniture, fixture and appliance colors or window treatments are outdated, threadbare or otherwise unappealing, consider replacing them with low-cost temporary fixes.

CLEAN
The home has to be super clean. “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell” says that deep-cleaning carpets, upholstery and window treatments are important to both improve the home’s appearance and remove lingering odors.
LIGHTEN UP
Each room should be light and bright. Clean windows and tie curtains back to let the light shine into the room. Lighten dark colors on the walls with inexpensive paint in neutral, light colors like white, off-white or light taupe. Paint can also be used to cover worn or outdated cabinets. And some inexpensive new drawer pulls and cabinet handles from your local hardware or home supply store for a fresh new look for less than $30.

GO SHOPPING IN THE HOME
Sometimes it is a good idea to move items from one room to another. One room may be stuffed with furniture, while another room could benefit from a great piece that can be a focal point.

ACCESSORIZE
All-neutral rooms can be a bit boring, so have pillows and small accents like candles to cheer up the room. Green is a favorite, as it coordinates with most other colors without clashing.

LOOK FOR CURB APPEAL
The outside of the home is just as important as the inside. Clean up the yard. Trim hedges and weed flowerbeds. Remove dead plants. Repair cracks in cement or asphalt, and power wash driveways and sidewalks.

Most of these activities take some effort but most require very little money and often make a big difference when it comes to the length of time the home sits on the market. ML