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Home Staging - A Consideration When Selling by Bonnie P Carrier
Staging is preparing a home to be sold. It can be as simple as rearranging furniture or as involved as repairing, refurnishing and redecorating the entire house.
No matter what the scale is the end goal is the same, sell the house as quickly as possible for the best price.
Hire a Professional or DIY
Start by talking with your real estate agent, get his or her advice, their experience in the market will be of great value to you. If your realtor’s advice is to stage and you’re not sure how to proceed then hiring a professional stager is more than likely the way to go.
One of benefits to hiring a professional is their ability to make decisions knowledgeably and objectively. They know what furniture to display, which accessories will best complement the home’s décor and most important how to direct the eye to the homes strengths and away from its weaknesses.
For some home sellers a do-it-yourself approach can be an appealing alternative.
It's important before beginning this project to keep in mind that preparing a home for sale and staging a home is not always the same thing. For example, prior to listing your home you will more than likely go through and make small repairs. Staging on the other hand – all though repairs are important - involves things such as design, organization and overall appearance.
Below are several things to keep in mind if staging is something you’ve decided to tackle on your own.
- Be objective in making presentation decisions - put personal feelings aside.
- Get rid of the clutter, all clutter, special art, favorite collections, sports trophies, travel souvenirs, all clutter.
- Create an open feeling in every room.
- Make the house look like new - paint inside and out, if necessary, and replace carpets and floors to achieve your desired effect.
- Stage every space in and around the house. Patios, porches, entryways, and decks should all be furnished to demonstrate that each is usable living space.
- Replace or supplement existing furniture and accessories with rentals to achieve the desired appearance.
HomeStagingOnline.com has a comprehensive check list for home staging that can be printed out. This is a terrific tool which will help you keep track of what’s been done and things that still need attention. As anyone who has sold a home knows, it’s stressful enough so any help is appreciated.
Basics For Getting A Home Ready To Show
Listed below are several ideas from various staging sites that will help when it’s time to start showing your home.
Clearing out The Clutter
Having your home look picture perfect is an absolute must when it’s up
for sale. Your goal is to have it look and feel better than any in the immediate area.
Aside from the obvious day to day clutter, you’ll also need to tackle areas like closets, basements, garages and attics. Here’s were your going to need to be really tough on yourself, giving away or sending something to the trash is not as easy as you may think.
All of the areas that have been de-cluttered now need to be organized neatly, believe me buyers will open all closets, cabinets and drawers.
It might also be worth wild to rent a storage unit for items you are keeping but would be taking up valuable space in the home. Remember it this way, too many things give the idea there is not ample storage.
Get It Clean - Keep It Clean
A clean home is important any time but especially when selling a house. Buyers will notice grime in the littlest places and wonder what else has been neglected. If it’s in the budget have a professional cleaning company come in, then make sure to maintain the cleaning on a daily basis.
Even a half hour each day will make a world of difference.
- Wiping down counters and appliances
- Making sure beds are made
- Loose items are picked up and put away
Now I know this is probably going to add to an already stressful time but the effort will be worth it in the end.
Curb Appeal - Best Foot Forward
Set the stage for what buyers can expect on the inside by putting your homes best foot forward. I can tell you from personal experience, my husband and I have pasted on looking at a house just because the outside was not the least bit appealing.
A total revamp of the landscaping is not always necessary, simple cleanup may be all that’s needed.
- Leaves raked and disposed of
- Snow shoveled if it’s in the winter
- Clean front door - If you have a front porch keep the railings and steps clean
- Garbage and recycling are kept away from the front of the home
- Add hanging or potted plants, if weather permits
- A new mat at the front door will say “Welcome Home”
If there are areas of the yard that need more attention – a patchy lawn, dead trees or bushes – you may want to consult a landscaping company for an estimate. Remember buyers will ask for a reduction in price for repairs so anything you can do before hand will help.
Dressing The Home
Here is of course the last but equally important action. Your never sure when a showing will happen and even if you have one scheduled or an open house, you want to give the buyers a feeling of warmth and friendliness when they walk through the front door.
Give them the feeling they have arrived home.
Place floral arrangements in the foyer, dining room or kitchen table, just remember to use fresh flowers.
Put out clean, pretty towels in the bathrooms and kitchen. Light the fireplace and candles, just try not to use anything with to strong of a scent.
A plate of fresh baked cookies with pretty napkins on the kitchen counter would be welcome. Soft background music can help create a soothing environment and camouflage neighbor and traffic noise. But make sure the volume is very low.
About the author: Bonnie P. Carrier is the creator of Savvy Home Decorating - The Information Center. She is the mother to two grown daughters and two very spoiled Shelties - Sebastian & Oliver. www.savvy-home-decorating.com
This article is shareware. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice. Copyright © 2011 bonnie carrier.
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