Despite a mixed performance in 2013, the Triangle Real Estate market is making strides in the right direction in 2014, as inventory levels diminish and new housing permits are on the rise. So for those of you thinking about downsizing, now may be the time to finally put your house on the market. But the upswing in the market also means more homes going up for sale, so you need to stay ahead of the competition. Make the best impression possible for a wide range of potential buyers by staging your home.
Staging is the ‘art’ of preparing a home for resale.
By doing away with clutter, rearranging or removing furniture and improving your home’s curb-appeal, you make your home more appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, hopefully decreasing the time on the market and selling for the maximum price. By staging a home for sale, prospective buyers can more easily picture themselves living in your house, with their furnishings and belongings, instead of yours. You can hire a home staging professional, or go it alone with these 10 room-by-room tips from professional stagers.
10 Tips For Staging Your Home for Sale and Getting More Offers
- The first step is clear away the clutter. If you’ve lived in your home for decades, you’ve no doubt amassed some clutter – books, photographs, toys, magazines, anything that’s taking up space and collecting dust. Pack up overstuffed closets and unused furniture and store off-premises.
- Clean your house from baseboards to ceilings. It should be immaculate, like a new canvas ready for paint.
- Too much furniture can make a room look smaller. Take any large pieces that aren’t a necessity to a storage facility and rearrange or move to other rooms in order to create flow throughout the house and give the illusion of larger rooms. The overall vibe for your house should be to make it look larger, lighter, refreshing, comfortable, and inviting.
- Walls should be neutral paint colors, hanging artwork should be minimal but contemporary and tasteful. Remove family photos and your first grader’s prized macaroni collage. The goal is to showcase the rooms features and functionality, not belongings.
- Rethink loud or drab color schemes throughout. If your bedding and drapes are outdated, change them up. White bedding is the perfect option for bedrooms. It’s clean and generic, and easy for potential buyers to visualize a tranquil retreat.
- Lighting is essential. You want to bring in the most light in each room. Pull sofas away from windows, remove old blinds and heavy drapery, clean light fixtures and replace burnt bulbs.
- Dining rooms aren’t necessarily used that often as a dining room. If other rooms in the house are small or missing additional family room, consider converting your dining room into an office or separate TV room or even a child’s playroom.
- Pack away unused toys, stuffed animals, books, etc. when possible.
- In bathrooms, move personal items like razors, toothbrushes, toiletries and makeup out of sight. Decorate with fresh-smelling soaps and nice clean towels and washcloths.
- Don’t neglect the exterior. Curb appeal should be one of your most important staging priorities. Make sure shrubs and trees is neatly trimmed and the lawn is maintained. Add some color with tasteful container gardens of plants and flowers.