First impressions make a significant impact on a buyer's decision-making process!

After all if you really think about it a buyer has 10 minutes to decide if they want to buy and live in your house and your neighborhood for many years to come...not to mention making sure when they are ready to sell there is still a good return on their investment. So...how do we make our home appeal to a buyer in 10 minutes or less? Through Home Styling or Staging!

Once your home goes on the market, it becomes a product. Home Styling or Staging simply allows you to highlight the best of your home and de-emphasize its flaws. It's not about decorating, but actually turning your home into a model, to appeal to the broadest range of prospective buyers. The goal is to make people feel like they could live there, and the best way to do this is to "neutralize" the surroundings.

I have compiled the best tips from stagers and real estate pros-things you can do for little or no expense to put a home in prime showing shape. Try out these helpful tips for Home Styling or Staging your home to sell!

• Clear out closets and clutter-sellers can give away or pack up toys, linens, and small kitchen appliances to store offsite. Buyers are also forgiving of storage boxes neatly tucked away in a garage or basement.
• Focus most on the most visible areas-the foyer, kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and family room.
• De-personalize the home by removing photos, mementos, and dated items.
• Use plants in colorful pots or inexpensive wicker baskets to fill in empty spaces.
• Look to home catalogs for little details on beautifying the home. For instance, group books, pictures, and objets d'art appealingly on bookcases.
• Try angling one or two pieces of furniture slightly and move furniture 4 inches to 6 inches from the wall to create more interesting room spaces.
• Put away large collections- porcelains, plates, and so on.
• Remove valuables, prescription medicine, collectibles, and breakables.
• Trim trees, prune shrubs, and make sure the lawn is mowed and watered regularly.
• In summer, turn on the sprinklers for five minutes, 30 minutes before the open house. It makes the lawn and driveway sparkle.
• Refrain from cooking anything that leaves a distinctive odor, such as fish, garlic, or cabbage.
• Hire a professional service to clean the home, including the carpets and the windows.
• Set the dining room table with attractive linens, dishes, and stemware.
• Arrange fresh or silk flowers throughout the home.
• Light a fire in the fireplace in fall and winter.
• A mirror in a pretty frame can make a small room feel more open.
• Use as much natural light as possible. Add extra lamps in dark rooms or corners.
• Make functional repairs-fix dripping faucets, sticking doors, and broken fences.

Bring in another pair of eyes-even if it's not a professional stylist. The person may see problems you may have missed. Some real estate agents have taken classes on staging...invite them to tour your home and take their advice as they know what buyers are looking for...after-all...they are with them all the time hearing what buyers comments are when viewing a home. For more info on Home Styling or Staging contact The Texas Hometown Team of EXIT REALTY GROUP!