How To Stage Your Home For A Fast Sale
Naked. It was the first thought that crossed my mind. The floors, windows and walls were naked down to the skirts of the windows missing. Mozart played in the background and glaring white carpeting lay at my feet. I took my shoes off. There was nothing homey about the house, just white wash. And I knew the buyer visiting the home would think the same. The house had all the charm of a brand new sanitarium. The only way I could think of to redeem the home and reverse the white sterility were the words, ‘Home staging.’ And what I mean by ‘staging a home’ is NOT having a rental company come by and deposit a truck load of furniture and set it about in a Hodge podge manner. That is not staging!
Staging a house means going beyond efforts to just make it look tidy.
Just as stagehands set the stage for a production, you can do the same for a home. It can be made to look cozy, colorful and inviting, with a personalized look to make it stand out from the rest of the other houses on the market. If you have ever visited a new home development and walked through the models you’ve seen what staging a home to sell ought to be. You walk through a model and as you look around you hear yourself say, ‘Wow, this is some place!’
STEP #1: Assess Your Current Situation
We can work together to identify what improvements need to be made for a speedy sale. To assess the inside of your home, jot a list down of rooms that need to be cleared out and freshened up. Then create a second list for the outside of your home. Start by looking at the following two areas:
A. For the outside, take a walk across the street from the home. Examine the curb appeal of the home. Make notes of items that are unsatisfactory from a buyer’s perspective.
STEP #2: Eliminate Clutter
The key to making a home attractive to a buyer is getting rid of clutter. Make counters clear, get rid of pictures on the wall and tables, store excess furniture if necessary, put books in boxes. You’ll be doing this for your move – you may just need to do some of it a little early. Here’s a checklist to get started:
A. Clear away kitchen and bathroom counters. These are areas where you need to show the most space and neatness. So put appliances and kitchen-items away.
B. Re-arrange furniture so rooms look larger. Store old furniture or cluttered items in another location — at least while the home is for sale.
STEP #3: Spruce the Home Up Before Showing
Make improvements to the home, but only where it will make the biggest difference to the sales price. Getting the biggest bang for your buck usually means getting a fresh coat of paint on strategic walls and areas. New paint is an inexpensive way to show a home in its best condition. Here’s what to do:
A. Check the paint condition of the INTERIOR of a home by removing pictures off walls. It will probably need painting. Remember to get inside painting done first, before any cleaning.
B. Check the paint condition of the entire EXTERIOR of the home. If it’s pealing or worn, the buyer will notice it immediately. Don’t devalue your home by trying to sell it in poor paint condition. Pay particular attention to the front door, mailbox, garage doors, and walkway areas. These are where the buyers will be walking and noticing problems.
STEP #4: Show the Home In the Best Light
Always turn on the LIGHTS when showing. Make sure you turn on all lights around the home before a buyer gets there.
A. These include: the mailbox light, front door, entry (especially if the entry is dark), and dark hallways. Make your home alive, by being inviting and bright. Bright homes sell better than dark homes.
B. Leave all front area curtains and drapes open. Have you ever seen model homes? The drapes are always open at night, and the lights are on. Why? Because it shows the home better. Also, when you keep drapes open during the day, people touring through the home will experience more natural light.
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Paul Conti 408-691-7700
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