With all the information available on the internet, in the press, in blog posts and virtually everywhere you look, we don’t need to harp on you about the importance of staging your home. Suffice it to say, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (and they track this stuff!) by far the majority of agents said that homes that are staged sell faster, and at a higher price.
Today we are starting with the basics of staging and going forward we will post additional videos and blogs that go room by room through your home and even into your outdoor spaces to help you get your home staged for a faster and more fruitful sale.
The Difference Between Decorating and Staging Your Home
Decorating your home is all about YOU, your home should reflect what makes you feel happy, comfortable, and at peace, surrounded by space and things you love.
Staging is almost the complete opposite, it’s the unselfish act of depersonalizing your home to give it a broad appeal. It should appeal to a broad range of potential buyers without looking stark or feeling sterile. It too must look and feel warm and inviting.
Home Staging Tips
There are several inexpensive things that you can do that will have a significant impact and can be started as soon as you decide it’s time to sell our home:
- Declutter and depersonalize your home.
- A good start at decluttering and depersonalizing is to remove all items that you won’t need or use between now and when you move (including decorative and furniture items). Personal experience shows that of all the stuff we own, there is very little that we use and/or need daily, weekly, or even monthly. We’re not saying you need to get rid of things that you love, but rather keep in mind that you’ll need to pack your stuff to move anyhow, so doing it now will help with staging AND get you started with the inevitable packing process.
- Pay attention to removing all mementos, family photos, and memorabilia. Potential buyers need to be able to visualize their own items in the space. This can be hard to do when the previous owner’s possessions are filling it. So as difficult as it may be, remove any personal evidence of you and your family from your home.
- Consider a fresh coat of paint. Painting will give your home a fresh look and the impression that it’s well cared for. The counter argument is that dull, old, or out-of-date paint, chips in your paint and/or baseboards give the impression that the home is not cared for.
- Keep it neutral. If you do decide to paint, keep the main color neutral with a touch of color and personality. You can accent the touch of color with pops of more vibrant color with items such as pillows, cushions, flowers and artwork.
- Repairs. Make sure that all repairs have been completed, especially minor repairs. We generally recommend that you hire a home inspector to check your home for defects that will be discovered by the buyer during the inspection period. This gives you the opportunity to make the repairs necessary so that they don’t become an issue when you’ve a signed contract and are in the closing process.
- Thorough Cleaning. Be sure to have your home deep cleaned, in all the obvious places but also those places you cannot see such as the top of cupboards, appliances, light fixtures, fans, furniture etc. Windows and window coverings are important too. When your cleaner is finished, your home should be dust and dirt free!
Okay, so that is enough to get you started and to give you some ideas about how to proceed, starting with our next blog, we will begin a room-to-room examination of the things you can do to stage your home to improve the length of time it takes to sell and the price you’ll get for it.
That’s it for today’s post, so, if you want to stay up to date on all things Anthem, make sure you like our Facebook Page at ‘Wise Move AZ’ or subscribe to our Wise Move AZ channel on YouTube.
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Remember, if you or anyone you know is looking to buy or sell their home, please give us a call! It’s always the right time to make a wise move with the Wise Move AZ Team.
