Real estate agents often talk about staging homes when getting them ready to be placed on the market. What they actually mean by this is preparing a home and ensuring it looks its best in order to attract buyers.
This generally requires a neutral type of decor that suits most tastes and also making the most of the home’s assets to showcase it at its fullest potential.
Why is it so important to stage a home before it goes on the market?
Staging is not a mandatory thing to do, however, to get the best price for your home, it’s recommended that you do it. Selling a house can involve quite a substantial amount of equity and homeowners don’t want to settle for a lower selling price, nor do they want their home to be lingering on the market for any longer than it needs to be.
Staging a home is one of the most lucrative things you can do. From a buyer’s point of view, it’s not just about buying a home to live in. They are often seeking something much more fulfilling than that. They seek something to provide life-long happiness that fits their lifestyles perfectly.
If a home is staged correctly, it could enhance buyer potential and equally generate more money for the seller.
Staged homes offer a sense of finished work as if the house is ready to move into, which is highly desirable for many. Also, if a house looks complete, there is less chance for any potential buyer to pick on flawed areas that may need attention and try to knock some money off the asking price because of it.
How to successfully stage your home.
There are plenty of ways and many tips on how to stage every room of the house, and your estate agent will gladly offer their advice on the best way to do this.
If you are trying to manage things on a rather tight budget it’s probably best to focus on the core aspects, tackling areas of the home which could make a potentially higher profit for the resale.
Entrances and exteriors are always important because it’s the very first thing a viewer will notice when coming to look at your home. For most buyers, first impressions count and if they do not like what they see, there’s a very good chance they will not even give the interior a chance, no matter how great it may be.
Buyers are often hoping for a great kitchen and bathroom, light and airy lounges, bedrooms with adequate storage and clean and tidy gardens. Follow some of these tips to make the most of your home before putting it on the market:
- Curb Appeal
Outdoor staging must be your first point of call since it’s the first thing a potential buyer will notice. Setting a good first impression is always a great place to start. And it doesn’t need to cost a fortune, simply ensure that windows and doors are clean, pavements swept, lawns cut, bushes trimmed and perhaps add a few colourful plants to make the home appear bright and welcoming.
- Declutter
Buyers find cluttered homes off-putting as they often relate it to having a lack of sufficient storage, even if that’s not the case. Decluttering is a great way to make a home appear bigger and more organised. If you do not have much available space to store items away and out of sight, consider using self-storage facilities at least while your home is on the market.
- Depersonalise
When buyers view a house, they try to envisage what it would be like for them to live there and where they could put their things. If your home is full of personal items, like family heirlooms and photographs, it makes it very difficult for the buyer to envision the house as their own as it feels more like they have stepped into someone else’s home instead. Try to pack away as much of your personal items as is possible.
- Neutral décor
If your decor is rather flamboyant, it may not suit everyone’s tastes. The best thing you can do when selling a home is to opt for more neutral shades as this will appeal to a broader range of buyers. Get the paint out and start toning down any bright and “louder” walls before you put your home on the market.
- Bright and airy
There’s nothing like the presence of natural light in a house to make it more appealing for potential buyers, so try to make your home as bright and airy as possible. Consider changing some window dressings if they tend to block out light and rearrange furniture so that it allows more light to come flooding in each room.
- Last minute touches
Little extra last-minute touches will not go unnoticed by the potential buyers and will make the home seem warm and inviting. Ensure your home is free from any odours, especially pet smells. Use candles and fresh flowers to make the home look, feel and smell fresh. Freshly folded bath towels in the bathrooms make homes appear cared for and tidy. Do not overfill storage as buyers will look in every nook and cranny and make sure that the best features of your home are highlighted to their fullest potential.
