Many sellers think they are taking all the right steps when getting ready to list their homes. They research and hire a great REALTOR (hopefully from Slate Realty), they declutter and organize their home, they use professional listing pictures and they put it on the market. But most forget about one crucial step: staging. Properly staging your home is one of the best ways to make buyers fall in love with your home and showing them all of the possibilities space offers.
When staging your home, it's best to keep it simple and practical. You definitely want to make sure space is decluttered, with only a few key pieces of furniture. For homes that are empty, this may mean moving some of your furniture back into your home, or possibly borrowing furniture from friends or family for a short time. For homes that sellers are still living in, this may mean renting a storage unit and moving some items there to help declutter your home. Yes, this can be a bit of a hassle, but trust me, it's worth it when your home sells quickly and for at, or over, list price.
The idea is to showcase the size of the space and the options with space. You don't always want to put pieces of furniture in a place that would make sense. Maybe, put a couch in the middle of the room to show just how large space is (i.e. large enough that you can even break up the room). Sometimes just a few chairs sitting close together is enough to make the room feel warm and inviting and show what a great gathering space it would make. As for bedrooms, I almost always suggest leaving a bed (or at least a bed frame with a blanket and some pillows) in a small bedroom. You don't know how many times I've heard buyers say, “This bedroom is so small, I bet it can't even fit a full-size bed," when I know a queen size bed would fit easily with nightstands on either side. However, when a bedroom is empty, it can be hard for the average person to interpret size. Properly staging a bedroom will show buyers the size and space options. Have a sunroom or a nice patio? Use some chairs to showcase the great outdoor space or great sunroom with an outdoor view.
In addition to pieces of furniture, some rugs and décor can always add a nice touch. Have beautiful hardwoods? Add a few colorful rugs. Not too large though, you don't want to completely cover those floors, just add an attraction to showcase them. Add a bold rug in the entryway. It will look beautiful and also keep the floors in the rest of the home free from dirt off buyers' shoes. Add a few pictures to the walls; again, nothing too large, just big enough that a nail will hold it. You certainly don't want to go around adding anchors to walls that will leave big holes when removing. Add a few vases, maybe even with fresh flowers, to counter or tabletops.
Finally, give the space a good cleaning and open up the blinds or drapes to let lots of natural light in.
With these staging tips, your home should be a show stopper!!