If you're thinking of selling your home, you want to ensure your space looks as appealing as possible to potential home buyers. But how do you do that without spending too much money? This is where home staging can be a cost-effective, and easy way to up the ante on a home sale.
Here's our 8 steps to successful home staging:
- Keep it Clean: Look at your home as though you’re seeing it for the first time. Is every room neat, spotlessly clean, dusted and uncluttered? Steam clean carpets and wax floors. Wash walls, heating and A/C vents and light fixtures. Pay special attention to your bathroom and kitchen - make sure that tile grout is mildew free and baseboards scrubbed. Clean the refrigerator and stove as well as the washer and dryer (inside and out).
- Lose the Clutter: Have a yard sale or take old furniture, clothing and knick-knacks to Goodwill. Organize shelves, put away items and purge your home of unnecessary items. Make sure that your kitchen and bathroom counters are free of small appliances and personal effects. Make your home seem more spacious by removing excess furniture to make rooms feel more open and replacing any items that are not appropriately sized for the room.
- De-Personalize Your Home: Make your home “anonymous,” so that buyers can envision it as their potential home. Put away any family photos, sports trophies, collectibles, knick-knacks and souvenirs. This will also help to remove clutter and create more space.
- Freshen-Up: Adding a fresh coat of paint and laying new carpet will clean and brighten up your home. Ensure that the décor of your home is modern and tasteful. Use neutral tones on your walls and floors and add colour with removable items such as throw pillows or bedding.
- First Impressions: Count Like a first date or job interview, the first impression of your home is the most important. Walking into a home with fingerprinted screen door windows or cluttered entranceways, can influence the potential homebuyer’s decisions. Likewise, strong odours can ruin a sale, so pay close attention to pet, cooking and cigarette smells in your home.
- Curb Appeal: Homebuyers decide whether or not to look inside a house by the appearance of your home’s exterior. Paint or wash the outside of your home. Check your gutters and chimney and make necessary repairs.
- Doggie Don'ts: Take your pets with you when your house is being shown, or at least keep them outside. Pets under foot will quickly put a damper on an otherwise positive showing. While making sure that our house is odour-free and spotless applies to everyone, pet owners need to take special care.
- Beautify Our Backyard: Don’t forget about your backyard. A house showing doesn’t always end at the backdoor. Beyond size and layout, potential buyers can also be influenced by the state of your yard. Keep the lawn, hedges and flowerbeds manicured.
- Leave the Home: Go somewhere during the showing. It can be an uncomfortable situation for both the buyer and the seller so it is best to take a walk or go out for the day. If you cannot leave, stay in one room and do not follow the buyer around.
If you have any questions about listing your home for sale, please contact us.
Posted by Kirby Cox on
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