Home Staging Tips From A Realtor

 Clean out your home. As soon as you decide to sell your house and speak to a realtor, thoroughly clean your home from top to bottom. Don't forget rarely-cleaned areas such as baseboards, blinds, roof gutters and window wells. A clean home will help us see your house in a better light and buyers will see it as appealing. Your realtor may ask you to declutter as your clean. This is your real estate broker doing her/ his job to help you get top dollar for your property.     

 Clear up clutter while you clean. Clean out closets, old clothes and clutter! Less is more!  Make your home look more spacious by getting rid of any unnecessary junk. You'll see a big difference in how your closets look, as well as your garage, porch and bathroom. Buyers want to feel like they're purchasing sufficient space, and clearing out more of your stuff helps them see themselves living there.  If you can't bear to part with anything, consider moving the items to a storage unit . We have those too!   

 Make Repair's!  Buyer's love move in ready homes!  If they feel like they'll need to do extra landscaping, plumbing, appliance and electrical work before they can enjoy the house, they may offer less money for your home! 

 Hire a handyman or general contractor to get the home as ready to move into as possible. If you simply can not do the work we can discuss other marketing options and assist you to do the "as is" sale. Yes, it can be done!  Just ask us how!  

Give us your home History! Before we start marketing your home we look for points we think will attract buyers. Potential items include good school districts, recent renovations, , energy-saving  items like vinyl windows or insulation and new appliances. When we come to list your home, don't forget to mention these items! There are some homes we may know very well, and some we have sold several times! But, the more information we obtain about your home, the better we can market it for you! 

 Home Staging & Showing 101 is an especially important part of selling your house. During the first viewing potential buyers begin mentally imagining their own items, furniture, and their lives, in your home. We want them to see their family living in your space. Tips include:

• Try to limit furniture in your house to the absolute essentials.  This helps the rooms appear larger. 
• Show items in groups. We are not sure why why odd groups of items are mentally appealing, but they are! (  example- 1,3 or 5 picture frames clustered together works!)
• Remove too many family photos. The buyer needs to feel this will be their home-we want  buyers to see themselves living in the space- not like they are invading your personal space.  
• Go into each room and paint as needed. Paint the walls white to brighten up your home, or neutral colors. Get rid of dark colors that are outdated, if possible.  Check the carpets and windows in each room and clean as well.
• Don't neglect bathrooms and the kitchen. Purchase new towels or remove towels & rugs from bathrooms and kitchen's altogether.
• Don't have too many appliances and or pots and pans visible in the kitchen. Let your cabinetry and counters show off! 
•  Curb appeal is everything. Pay attention to how the outside of your home looks from the street. Clear away any plants that are dead, obscure significant parts of the home, or are overgrown.  Invest in potted plants and place them at the entry or on the balcony/courtyard. 
• Remove the dog! If possible lock up or remove your pet before showings!  
• Cut on all lights before showings inside the home.