Easy Home Staging Tips for a Faster Sale

Congratulations, you’re selling your home and moving on to the next exciting chapter in your life. Whether you’re downsizing or moving to a senior living community, when selling your home, you want the buyers to value the house just as much as you do, both emotionally and financially. And, you want the peace of mind that comes with a fast, lucrative sale. What can you do to ensure this outcome? One way to sell your home faster and for more money is to “stage” it.

Don’t worry, staging a home for a quick sell is within your reach and we’re here to help. In this article you’ll learn our top home staging tips that are designed to encourage and delight buyers.

Setting the Stage

According to the National Association of Realtors, 29% of sellers’ agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered between one and five percent, while 39% of sellers’ agents agreed that staging a home greatly decreases the amount of time the house is on the market. Both good things for you, the seller!

Staging a house essentially means you are creating a blank canvas so potential buyers can imagine their own belongings – and lives – in your home, prompting them to make an offer. Find out how a few simple adjustments can make the difference between a quick sale and languishing on the market.

Do It Yourself: 7 Easy Home Staging Tips for Sellers

Staging a home for a quick sell can be a DIY project. If you’re wondering how to stage your home, there are seven easy steps you can follow today:

1. Declutter and depersonalize: To make your rooms look spacious and inviting, start by removing personal items, such as family pictures, and knick-knacks. Include cabinets, closets, and pantries in your purge. Ample storage space is important to many buyers, so box up your keepsakes and store them out of the house during the selling process.
2. Clean everything: And we mean everything. When staging your home to sell, your floors and windows should sparkle, there should be vacuum lines in your carpet, shelves should be dust-free, and counters crumb-less. This is one of the most simple but effective home staging tips we have to offer. If this sounds like too much for you to tackle on your own, there’s no shame in hiring a professional cleaning service for the initial deep clean.
3. Light it up: In order for buyers to see how lovely your home is, they need to be able to, well, see. Now’s the time to replace any burned out lightbulbs and dust your lampshades. Prior to a showing, make sure to open your blinds and curtains and switch on all the lights.
4. Rearrange the furniture: While your couch may typically point at the TV, you’ll want to move the furniture to create groupings that look attractive to the eye. “Float” your coaches, chairs, and tables by positioning them away from the walls. Keep in mind that your house will appear larger, and more appealing, with less furniture in it. Remember: this isn’t about living in your home, it’s about selling it. If you’re staging a home for a quick sell, don’t forget that you have the option to rent furniture as an extra touch that makes your home that much more appealing.
5. Update the aesthetics: Many buyers want to purchase a move-in-ready house. All small maintenance issues should be fixed, including caulk, grout, and chipped paint. Consider updating out-of-date hardware and tearing down dated wallpaper. Whenever you make these kinds of updates, remember to stick with neutral colors and designs.
6. Renew the curb appeal: A basic home staging tip for sellers is to pay attention to the exterior of the house you are selling. After all, it’s what makes the first impression on potential buyers! Keep the lawn cut, trim overgrown shrubbery, pressure wash any drab areas and put out a pot of in-season greenery.
7. Apply finishing touches: It’s the small things that can make a house seem like a home and swing the sale in your favor. Invest in some new, inexpensive throw pillows, set the table, and hang fresh towels in the bathroom. Other homey touches include a vase of flowers or a houseplant in each room, fresh fruit in a bowl in the kitchen, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee drifting throughout the home.

When to Bring in a Pro to Stage Your Home

Now that you’re more familiar with how to stage your home, there’s always the possibility that you don’t have the time for a DIY solution. There’s nothing wrong with hiring a professional. Depending on your budget, there are several real estate staging options that could work for you:

• Focus on the important rooms: The three most crucial spaces to stage are the living room, master bedroom, and the kitchen. This doesn’t mean you should skip cleaning the rest of your house, but you can focus the majority of your decorating and rearranging efforts on these three rooms.
• Hire a consultant: You declutter and clean yourself and bring in a professional stager to walk through your home and make recommendations on how to reimagine your belongings for staging. A home staging consultation will typically run you about $100 to $150 an hour.
• Bring in a full-service professional home staging company: A full-service home stager will not only rent you any necessary furniture and accessories, but they will also stage your entire home for you and make sure the house is always ready-to-show. This is especially handy for people who have already moved out of the house they are selling. This service will cost you anywhere from $250 to $500 per room or one to three percent of the home’s sale price.

Luther Manor Is Here for You When You’re Ready to Move

Staging a home for a quick sell doesn’t have to difficult. Just follow the home staging tips above and many buyers will be excited to make an offer. When you do sell your home, Luther Manor is ready for you! Contact us today to learn about everything our vibrant senior living community has to offer.