If you’re preparing to sell your home, you’re going to be well aware that the moment your house goes up for sale, it is no longer your home – it’s a show home. Which means you’re going to become an expert at house staging. If you’ve never heard the term house staging before, it’s basically an American term that means making your house look its best for resale. In America you can even buy people who ‘stage homes’ as a profession. There’s no need to go that far, but it will pay you (literally) to learn all about the process so that you can sell you home quickly, and for it’s highest possible value.
Here are our top house staging tips:
Remove Yourself From The Property
This does not simply mean getting out of the property during a viewing! It means taking all elements of you and your family out of the home. Photos, ornaments and quirky little furnishings you fell in love with – they all have to go. Quite simply a buyer is not going to picture your home as their potential home if it reads as a memory book of the last ten years of your family life. You need to create a blank canvas, a neutral haven that will appeal to everyone and anyone. If you don’t have a big garage consider asking friends or family to store some of your personal items until you can move them to your new home. Alternatively opt for cheap self storage.
Clean and Decorate
You will need to invest a bit of money in deep cleaning and redecorating your home. It is really important that potential buyers get the best possible impression of your home, so the smell of dog in the house, or faded walls simply won’t cut it. Paint any bold coloured rooms with neutral coloured paint and make sure every single inch of your home is cleaned to within an inch of its life.
Make The Most Curb Appeal
If your buyers drive past your property and think it looks rubbish, they won’t bother booking to view it on the inside. People genuinely care about how the outside of a property looks. Think of it this way, if you drive down a road and see a house with toys on the lawn, holes in the fence and dirty windows – what would you immediately think the inside looks like? It is judgemental but it is just the way people work, so work with it and make the outside of your home look fantastic. Cut the hedge, paint the front of the house if needed and clear any clutter surrounding the exterior. If the drive is in particularly bad shape, it might be worth investing in a new one. Alternatively, get a professional cleaner to clean your drive and think about getting some ornamental plants to dress it up a bit.
Declutter
As well as your personal items, 90% of your home will also need to be packed and removed. You need to strip the house down to its bare bones, which can be difficult when you’ve lived in it how it is for however long – everything looks good to you. Remove items from countertops, and most surfaces. You should also try to contain any children or animal toys to areas that cannot be seen, or that can at least be contained. If a potential buyer doesn’t have children or pets, cute or useful aspects of your home relating to your loved ones could be what puts that buyer off. Try storing as much in the garage as you can, and anything else – put it into cheap self storage, but don’t forget to compare self storage prices for the best deal.
Give Each Room A Purpose
Make sure every room in your home is staged to appear as though it has a potential purpose, or so that its purpose is obvious. So built in wardrobes need to be clear and as spacious as possible, bathrooms need to be clean and open, offices needs to be organised and structured.
