Staging A Home

The best way to sell a home for maximum profit is to stage your home and give it that move in ready feel. When people walk in and feel like they are already living there, you know you’ve got a well staged home.

So what do professionals do when they stage?

If you can, get a professional on your team. They will have years of experience and a specialized knowledge of what sells best in the neighborhood.

If you can’t right away, then here’s suggestions for your first few homes.

For starters, plan out the primary rooms, and then find a reputable furniture rental place that will have good looking furniture that isn’t beat up.

The primary rooms that you will want to appear ‘lived in’ are the living room, dining room, master bedroom, and all bathrooms. These are the rooms that essentially sell homes and it is important to make them appear neat, orderly, and well cared for. If you have the funds for every room in the home then by all means do so. It is a huge selling point, particularly for those who are trying to sell homes quickly.

Look to create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort. Hang prints on the walls, or mirrors. Strategically place plants and pillows. You do not have to purchase all the items. You can use things from your own home in order to establish this atmosphere of homelike comfort (but nothing you wouldn’t want to lose). Also, check out thrift stores for homey looking knick knacks.

Another things that may help an empty home sell are scents. There is nothing quite like the smell of cookies in the oven or flowers in bloom to make a home feel ‘homey’. You can mimic the scents with well placed scented candles, potpourri warmers, dry potpourri, fresh-cut flowers, and electric room air fresheners. Make sure you don’t leave a lit candle when you go home.

Keep in mind, though, that there are few things that will turn off potential buyers more quickly than an overpowering fragrance however so keep this in mind when selecting the method of fragrance. Having some fragrance in the home also eliminates the problem of an empty house taking on the ‘empty house’ scent that so many do over time.

If you’ve been living in the home, move out all the clutter to a storage facility. Board your pet if you have one, and vacuum quite a lot. In fact, when you’re selling the home, vacuum twice a day to keep it super crisp and clean looking.

If you have kids, reduce the toys to a bare minimum that can be easily packed when they leave the home before potential buyers arrive. Clutter is death to professional stagers.

5 Dirt Cheap Home Staging Ideas

Bankrate published their top 5 dirt cheap home staging ideas that you can do.

1. Pack away your personal items. (you need to pack before you move anyway)
2. Ask a friend or relative to hang onto your items for free.
3. Paint the rooms neutral colors.
4. Scrub and deodorize.
5. Mow the lawn, make sure the sidewalk and driveway are free of clutter and debris, and ensure the house number is easily visible.