Home Staging, Curb Appeal and You!

Home Staging, Curb Appeal and Selling Your Home!

Your home isn't sold on the basis of an advertisement or a photo - what a buyer sees and feels when they tour will dictate a final decision. In order to showcase the best parts of your house for sale, staging and curb appeal can make a world of difference.

Staging your home can highlight the lines and livability of each room while curb appeal is a potential buyer's first impression and you want it to be the best possible one!

Curb Appeal 101

An overgrown lawn, dead plants and an abandoned appearance may hide a perfectly wonderful home - but you'll never get anyone through the front door to find out if that's their initial opinion.

Simple fixes can make a world of difference in selling your home - curb appeal reflects a home that's been taken care of and maintained inside and out! Not to mention, outdoor decorating can increase your potential buyer traffic without making a dent in your budget.

Lighting, landscaping and cleaning are three areas that will show off the exterior of your home in the best possible way. Start small and always observe the big picture - what are your home's best features? Those you want to play up. Great windows mean showing them off. Prune back trees and bushes, paint the trim and clean them to a shiny sparkle. Consider painting the door a complimentary color to your siding or paint. A square of color can draw the eye to your front door - which is where you want potential buyers to go!

Greenery and flowers are obvious choices but consider decorative rocks and boulders, fountains and decorative grasses. Solar lighting is an inexpensive option for lining walk and driveways. Remove any junk or rubbish from the property and remember your mailbox! Paint or replace it if need be.

Curb appeal projects can also downplay less than desirable aspects such a small lawn or a lack of property. Consider planters of flowers to add color or window boxes to bring life to the outside. Keep decorations to a clean neutral minimum; that means your gnome collection should probably be tucked away until you unpack at your new home!

Staging 101

Staging is not decorating. Decorating is an expression of your personal style. Staging is framing your home in the best possible way to appeal to the widest majority of buyers.

The first and most important part of staging is decluttering! One of the first things a professional stager will do is whisk away half your furniture - your house will instantly look larger and the lines of each room will be more visible. The focal point shouldn't be the belongings but rather the home itself.

Rooms will also feel larger if the remaining furniture is grouped off the walls. Reposition sofas and chairs into a conversation pit in the center of the room - instant space!

If you have a room or rooms that have no distinct purpose, consider staging them as something that will increase the value of the home. A small desk, chair and lamp speaks to a home office, a cozy armchair and bookshelf becomes a reading nook and a twin bed and small dresser mean a guest room. You don't have to spend a lot of money - repurpose items from around the house, keep it neat and simple and you'll be amazed at the changes you can make.

Lighting is extremely important. You want every room to glow - no dark corners, no hard to make out features. Up the wattages in lamps and overhead fixtures and add lights where necessary.

Paint can be an excellent pick me up. Stick with neutral colors and coordinating dark accents to create a clean, inviting palette. Complete the picture with artwork, accessories (but not clutter!) and clean rugs or flooring. And remember - closet and storage space is always a huge bonus to a prospective buyer. Clean out closets and basements so people see space, not things.

Picture Perfect

On Open House day, sweep the front walkway, clean the windows and pull the weeds. Inside, put fresh flowers in the entry way, candles in the bathroom and open the curtains. You're ready to put your best foot - and best home - forward!