Staging Tips For Sellers

Interest Rates are Down

Your monthly payments will decrease

It is a great time to buy

You can upgrade to a new home for less money

Staged Homes are Selling

Even in this economy staged homes are still selling faster than other homes on the market.

Try looking at your house as though you’ve never seen it or been there before. Don’t let emotional attachments to your home get in the way of marketing your house.

REDUCE CLUTTER

Ask yourself what you can live without while your home is on the market? In general pack up the little things as they create clutter. They need to be packed up anyway, pack them sooner rather than later.

• Reduce the number of pillows on couches to zero or two. Remove all blankets.
• Reduce the number of books on bookshelves.
• Pack up all collections. They frequently distract buyers from the desired focal point…your home.
• Pack up all valuable items. If necessary, take them to a safe deposit box.
• Remove all personal pictures throughout the house.
• Reduce the number of wall hung photos and paintings in every room to one large piece on a wall or a small group of three. Make sure they are hung at eye level.
• To create more space you may want to remove a chair, a loveseat or other pieces of furniture and move furniture away from the walls. A typical decorating mistake people make is the belief that rooms feel larger when furniture is pushed up against the walls. Instead:
• Furnish your space by floating furniture away from walls.
• Reposition sofas and chairs into cozy conversational groups
• Place pieces so that the traffic flow in the room is obvious. In most cases, this means keeping the perimeters clear.
• Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it is not absolutely needed or if it does not attribute to the kitchen’s appeal...put it away! Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, etc. (A sparse kitchen gives the illusion of ample storage.)
• In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops.
• Take a hard look at those beloved houseplants:
• If plants don’t look healthy and are just barely clinging to life, give them away or put them out of their misery!!!
• In most cases they need to be pruned and/or the number of plants reduced to create more space.
• If you need room to store extra possessions, use the garage or rent a storage unit.

 

CARPETS

• Most carpets need to be cleaned. Have them professionally cleaned before coming on the market.
• Badly worn or out of date carpets should be replaced before coming on the market.
• Offering a buyer a credit to pick their own new carpet or a discount off the price is not as effective and will always end up costing you more money and slow the selling process.
• Pick a light-colored short plush. “Real-estate beige” is the safest color.

 

ODORS

Be sensitive to odors, because buyers are! Excessive cooking or smoking odors, dog or cat odors, baby, laundry and mildew odors will turn off buyers. If there is a challenge with odors in your home

• Use room deodorants or disinfectant sprays (There are great products in pet stores for pet odors)
• Keep windows cracked open for ventilation even in very hot or cold weather.
• Consult with a professional carpet cleaner about special ozone machines for really difficult odors
• REMEMBER: You can’t sell it if you can smell it!

 

LIGHTING

• Leave on certain lights during the day. During “showings” turn on all lights and lamps.
• Check all light fixtures. Are they working properly? Replace all burned out light bulbs. Look for dark hallways and corners and increase the wattage of bulbs in those areas.
• Replace energy saving bulbs during the sales process with bulbs that are extra bright and come on immediately.
• Make sure there are lamps with adequate bulbs in dark corners that are turned on for showings.
• Keep all curtains and blinds open during the day to let in light and views. This does not mean you have to lift the blinds completely, just angle them so light can shine though.

 

CURB APPEAL

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The outside of your house is the first thing buyers see and like it or not, the outside speaks volumes about what's inside — and about its owner.

• Go around the perimeter of the house and move all miscellaneous items such as kids’ toys, gardening supplies, extra building materials, etc., into the garage or discard them.
• Check gutters and roof. Make sure they are swept and cleaned.
• Look at all plants...prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows. “YOU CAN’T SELL A HOUSE IF YOU CAN’T SEE IT.”
• Weed and then mulch all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove all dead plants or shrubs.
• Clear patios or decks of all small items. such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys. etc. (Put them in the garage or a storage unit.)
• Check paint condition of the house — especially the front door and trim. “CURB APPEAL REALLY WORKS!” The outside of your house is the first thing buyers see and like it or not, the outside speaks volumes about what's inside — and about its owner. A welcoming entry helps set the tone for the rest of the house. A fresh coat of glossy paint (we suggest red) and a new sea grass doormat will dramatically brighten and refresh your entry.
• Does the outside need shutters?

 

REPAIRS

• Fireplaces need to be cleaned out. Glass doors should be cleaned. Mantels and hearths need to be cleared off except for a very few necessary items.
• Have windows professionally cleaned and make sure they operate freely. If the seal is broken on a double-pane window, replace it now. (Note: wiping windows with glass cleaner or hosing windows down with water does not provide the desired result. Many times, it causes more problems.)
• Have all window screens repaired or replaced, as needed.
• Repair items that are broken. This will show that your home is well taken care of. In most cases, buyers will ask for them to be repaired anyway, so you may as well do it now.
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