NO COST Effective Staging Tips
Whenever I take a listing, I will go through the house and make a list of suggested tips that will improve the appearance of the property and make it more appealing to the buyer.
Even though selling a home can be an emotional time, I always tell the sellers that they are selling their HOUSE, not their HOME. De-personalization is very important.
Here are some NO COST staging tips to do before listing that will cost nothing and help to make a good impression on the buyer.
- De-Clutter - goes without saying. Get rid of ‘stuff'. There should be no piles of ‘things' anywhere, except neatly stored in boxes in the basement, attic, or garage or maybe even an offsite storage unit.
- Personal photos - I just showed buyers a house and they were so hung up on the cute baby photos on the refrigerator, they became very distracted. Remove family pics, certificates and diplomas so the buyer can envision how he will want to decorate the walls and table tops.
- Remove some of the furniture and possibly rearrange to make each room feel more spacious. The buyer needs to see the space, not the seller's possessions. If there is too much furniture, remove a few pieces.
- If there are children in the house, clean up the toys. The buyer may not have children and since toys can take up considerable space, having too many around the house will again add to a cluttered look.
Clean off the refrigerator! - No magnets, pictures, notes etc. - Clean mirrors, fixtures and taps.
- Clean off the kitchen counters. Leave only a very few items. Counters and appliances should be squeaky clean.
- Clean up the sink - Never have dirty dishes around for a showing. All sinks should be clean. Clean the oven interior.
- If there is a curio or collection cabinet, it's time to pack up the contents. Buyers may be turned off by your collection of dolls or cups and saucers or again be distracted and draw their focus away from the house.
- Clean out and straighten up the kitchen cabinet interiors and the closets. Yes, buyers will look into them.
- Wash ALL windows, inside and out. Make them sparkle.
- Replace burned out light bulbs. Add a higher wattage to make the house brighter for showings. (everyone usually has extras on hand)
- Touch up scuffed walls
- Keep floors cleaned and garbage emptied.
- Pets should be absent, or at the very least securely crated, during showings. Litter box should be invisible.
- Trim overgrown shrubbery
- Seasonally, keep grass mowed and trimmed or snow removed.
There are many more tips, but these are all no cost. Start here and then move on to neutral painting, if needed, repainting the front door, replacing the doorbell, repairing torn screens, repairing leaky taps and toilets, etc.
What tip comes through again and again? CLEAN, clean and clean again.
Follow these simple no cost tips and get the listing prepared to SELL!
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