Do you want to sell your home faster and for more money? “Staging” your home – keeping it appealing to potential buyers – can dramatically cut market time and boost selling price by thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars.
Many people hire professionals to turn their homes into showpieces. Others prefer to do it themselves. Whatever you decide, keep in mind a few basics:
Clean all the glass, paint the trim and front door, trim the bushes, and replace your old welcome mat. More than eight out of ten people make up their minds before even entering your home. So, if you want to turn “drive-bys” into viewers, those simple tasks can go a long way to increasing “curb appeal.”
Pack away all clutter. Whatever you don’t use daily, store it. No knickknacks, or personal photos! Throw out, sell, or give away what you never use – it will save you time when you move, and it will make your house look bigger and well cared for.
Apply fresh paint to walls – preferably light, warm, neutral colors. These appeal to most people.
The living room should be well lit and uncluttered, with a magazine on the arm of a chair or coffee table, and have a stereo playing soothing instrumental music at low volume.
Your kitchen will have maximum appeal if the countertops are cleared. Also, make sure floors are spotless, cabinet doors are smudge free, and appliances are clean and in good working order. Organize the insides of cabinets, and clear out those extra plastic food storage containers and supermarket bags.
The bathroom is another make-or-break room. Obviously, everything must be clean – no mold, no rotten grout. Faucets and toilets must not drip or run. There should be no dirty laundry. Medicine cabinets should be uncluttered and well organized. Brand-new, fluffy towels should be hanging from the racks and should match the décor.
Make all the beds in the bedrooms, and get rid of extra closet clutter. Store extra clothing so your closets look neat and spacious. Remove items from dresser tops and night stands. Pick up toys in children’s rooms.
What is your goal in doing all this? You want to keep the buyers in the home for as long as possible. The more positive things they see, the more they want to keep looking. And as long as they keep looking, the more invested they feel their time has been and the better the chances for a sale.
By the way, you will not be there while your home is being shown. If you are, the buyers will feel they are intruding and they won’t stay long. You handle the appearance of your home. Your real estate agent will handle showings.
Just ask us for a referral to a local experienced stager. There are several in Litchfield County that are terrific.
Want more tips on staging your home? Try this web site
