Home Staging Tips

1. Boost Curb Appeal

This is something common in home staging, and with very good reason. Many people thinking of touring your home will do a quick drive-by first, often deciding on the spot if it is even worth a look inside. Make sure your home is ready to lure in onlookers by:
○ Power wash siding and walkways
○ Hang easy-to-read house numbers
○ Plant blooming flowers and fresh greenery
○ Mow the lawn, and reseed or add fresh sod as needed
○ Wash front windows
○ Repaint or stain the porch floor as needed

2. Stage the Right Rooms

Not all rooms are should be considered equal when it comes to home staging. You want to focus your efforts on the rooms that have the biggest potential to influence buyers’ decisions. The rooms that hold the most significance for buyers are the living room, master bedroom, master bathroom, and kitchen. 

3. De-personalize the Space

One of the primary goals of home staging is to help prospective buyers visualize the space as their own. The fastest way to accomplish this is to set the space as blank of a canvas as you can. You want the home to have style and charm, but it should be free of personal touches that suggest this home belongs to the seller, not the buyer.

Start by removing any personal photos, making sure to take down both framed photos on walls and surfaces and anything that’s hanging on your fridge. Keep clothes stored away and out of sight, and clear bathroom counters of personal items, like toothbrushes and contact solution. Remove anything overtly religious as well. De-personalizing your home is extremely useful for helping buyers better connect with the property.

4. Storage Space Sells

Potential buyers love homes that contain tons of storage space. Since potential buyers will open your closets, it’s a good idea to clear out unnecessary clutter, and organize your shelves to show off how much storage you really have. Additionally, it gives you a chance to start packing, as you will definitely be moving if you follow all of these home staging tips!

5. Inspect Your Floors

At the very least, give all your floors a thorough cleaning (and steam clean carpets), but you should also consider having wood floors refinished if they are in poor shape. If you don’t want to invest in refinishing floors, the strategic placement of area rugs can go a long way to help you sell the property.

6. Use Neutral Colours

Bright colours on walls help people express their personality in their homes, but they can be a major turn-off for buyers. When you’re staging your home to sell, one of the very best things you can do is paint over any glaring colours with neutrals, like grey, white, and beige. Bold colours can distract from a room’s assets, and like photos and clothing, are signifiers of the homes past rather than its future. Buyers might want bright colours themselves, but a neutral home gives them the option envision what they want.

7. The More Lighting the Better

Dark rooms are downers. Brighten up by letting as much light shine in the house as possible. Open the blinds on all of the windows, which in addition to letting in more light will also make rooms appear larger than they are. Turn on all the lights in your house for showings, including lamps and closet lights. This will help make your home more welcoming, and also saves buyers from having to stumble around figuring out which switches turn on which lights.

8. Stage Extra Rooms Wisely

If you have been using a spare bedroom as a dumping ground for odd pieces of furniture and boxes of junk, it’s time to clean up and utilize that space to help you sell the property. Each room should have a clearly defined purpose, so think about what potential buyers might like to see. An office? A guest room? An entertainment room? Whether you buy inexpensive furnishings, rent them, or borrow some from friends, staging extra rooms will help you sell your home faster and for more money.

9. Patch & Repair

Home staging is a good time to tackle the tiny nicks, scratches, holes, and other imperfections that may signal neglect to buyers. Start with a  foam eraser or scrubber and go room to room removing any scuffs from the walls. If you notice areas where previously applied paint has chipped, then you may need to do some paint touch-ups as well.

10. Beware of Pet Odours

If you have pets, get all rugs steam cleaned and be extra vigilant about vacuuming and washing surfaces. Also, be sure to keep any extra-loved pet toys and doggie bones hidden when tours are scheduled. You can also use a lint roller to rid some of the furniture of any shedding animal hairs. You may also consider using an air and furniture freshener, such as Febreeze.