Is professional home staging worth the effort and expense?
If your home gets a much higher price than what it would have got otherwise, even 10% more, after staging it, then isn’t it worth it to stage your home? Whatever you spend on home staging would have been more than adequately been compensated to you when you get a higher price on your home. Sometimes real estate agents too include home staging as part of the fee for their services, so you should look into this possibility too.
If you cannot afford the services of a professional home stager, do not despair! Here are a few tips and tricks that will help give your home a makeover that will rival that of any professional home stager. There is no limit to the creative ideas you can have to stage your home in order to get maximum return of investment in the shortest time possible. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
The first thing you need to do is remove any traces of your life or that of your family from the home that you intend to sell. It is best to show a generic home instead of a personalized home. Pictures of your children or grandchildren will only make it difficult for potential buyers to visualize their lives unfolding in this home that they are considering to buy.
- Make sure that the driveway and porch of your home is well illuminated, especially if buyers are going to be arriving late in the evening. Also, having the lights on in these two places can attract prospective buyers as they drive by looking for a house.
- Add a personalized touch that is not too personal and yet gives the house a lived in vibe. Think vases of flowers in strategic locations, baskets of fresh fruits on the dining table, or a tray of farm fresh vegetables in the kitchen.
- Make sure that everything is spotless and clean, wooden floors are polished, tiles are washed, and that there is no dust anywhere!
- Make sure to eliminate mold on grout from your bathroom walls and kitchen tiles.
- Repurpose any awkward nooks and corners to your advantage. Show potential buyers how that space can be utilized judiciously. Perhaps you have some space under the staircase? You could convert it into a home office or a play den for the children, or even as a reading nook.
- If you have a backyard or outdoor deck at the back, don’t forget to include that too in your home staging process. Extend these spaces as part of your living space to show how much more worth your house can be.
- If you have a condominium with not much space, cleverly make use of the available space to give an impression of spaciousness. You could make your tiny balcony look more attractive by adding some pops of colors in the form of vases with flowers or flowerpots. You could convert your balcony into a breakfast nook or a reading area with books or even a quiet space to enjoy some music.
- Following these simple tips will make sure your house transforms into a home that will melt the heart of any buyer and get your house off the market in no time at all!
Marcia Goodman, REALTOR, ASP ofc-571-261-4047 www.TheHouseBrowser.com, MarciaGoodman6@gmail.com
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