You may love your home, but that doesn’t mean that all prospective buyers will feel the same way. What you may love (that rooster-themed border print in the kitchen for example) may be off-putting to a prospective buyer. Many sellers attempt to stage their home themselves and, in doing so, create mistakes that can actually sidetrack the sale of their homes.
Here are some of the biggest staging mistakes, according to professional home stagers. And as a real estate agent in Atlanta, I've seen most of the mistakes (and more) first hand:
1. Getting too personal: Home staging is meant to create a neutral canvas that will appeal to the majority of buyers. Staging is all about de-personalizing the space, and creating more of a luxury hotel or a model home look that will appeal to the largest amount of potential buyers. This is not the time to bring in your unique style and create a look that appeals to just you.
2. Not updating: If you can afford it (and you really can’t afford NOT to!) outdated brass or “builder basic” hardware, faucets and light fixtures should be replaced--brushed nickel or a dark oil-rubbed bronze appeal to most buyers. Also, laminate or tile kitchen countertops are a major turn off to buyers, and you may be surprised at the price of granite these days—NOT that expensive! Not doing small updates is leaving money on the table—most buyers don’t want to have to deal with it--they’ll just move on to a home that is more market-ready.
3. Using dark or outdated colors: Paint in general should be a nice, neutral and warm color, such as beige/taupe tones, grey tones, or sometimes muted blues or pale greens. You’ll be amazed at the transformation a few coats of fresh paint will make on your home. Many sellers seem to be willing to lose thousands of dollars of value while their home sits on the market for months because they're won't spend a few hundred to paint over personal color choices (or outdated faux finishes!) that don't appeal to buyers.
4. Not taking advantage of natural light: People love natural light, so blocking off any light with heavy curtains or furniture can hurt your sale, especially if the home has attractive views. Also, better no window treatments at all than dated, overly fussy or most floral-patterned ones. And speaking of light, make sure you have the highest wattage in all your lamps and light fixtures, with no burned-out bulbs, and have ALL lights on for showings!
5. Thinking more is better: One of the biggest mistakes we see! The size and amount of furniture needs to be in balance with the scale of the room. Remember that the purpose of furniture when selling a home is to define the function of the room--it is not meant to show that you can provide seating for 15 in your living room and that every seat has a side table to rest drinks on—or how much you love grandma’s antique china cabinet. You need to “open up” the rooms both visually and literally--a potential buyer should be able to move through each room easily. Also, homes for sale in Atlanta are usually furnished very traditionally. Going a little more modern with your furniture and decor (if it works with your home's style) will be a refreshing change for most buyers!
6. Dealing with "Spot" or "Mittens": I'm a BIG animal lover, and I personally don't think you have to remove animals during showings, as long as dogs are contained in crates or garages, etc--unless they're aggressive or the buyer is afraid of animals. However, buyers should NOT be able to SMELL evidence of your pets--a doggy smell or kitty urine odor hitting a buyer at the front door is enough to make a them turn on their heels and never return! Ditto finding evidence of pets like wafts of fur or dirty dog dishes. If possible, put away the pet dishes, and hide the litter box--or at least make sure it's freshly scooped!
7. Neglecting the outside: This is part of your home's “curb appeal” and the first thing buyers will see when they drive up! Buyers care about the outside space just as much as the inside, so add flowers for a pop of color, make sure the lawn is mowed and the yard is tidy. And if you have a great porch, patio or balcony, stage it with some tasteful furniture and/or accessories as well.
8. Only dealing with “main” rooms: People are quick to stage living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, but don’t forget to spruce up the garage, basement and closets as well. Your home may be short on storage, but don't advertise it by having closets that are bursting at the seams and overstuffed garages and basements--now's the time to start on your move by packing up and taking things to a storage facility if needed. What’s left behind should be neatly organized.
Remember, once you put a home on the market, it’s no longer just your personal space anymore—and it needs “wow” factor to emotionally draw in a buyer. Staging a home will help you do this by showcasing your home’s many features and downplaying its drawbacks. Your realtor can help with light staging, but hiring a professional home stager is usually best and will pay for itself many times over. So make sure your house is in good condition, and use staging to cast your home in the best light.
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