Five Simple Staging Tips To Sell Your Home

If you made it to this point, I think it’s safe to say that I don’t need to convince you that staging works.  Not only does staging improve the sale price of your home by up to 20% but it also proven to sell a home up to 11 times quicker than those that aren’t staged.  So, I think you get the drift that staging works.

But, what is home staging really?

To keep it simple, home staging is the act of preparing your home for selling – staging your home to look as if someone lives there so that the potential buyer(s) can more easily see themselves living in that space. There are varying degrees of staging from just adding accessories or on the other end of the spectrum, painting the walls, changing light fixtures, and bringing in furniture that suits the room.  For the purposes of this post, I am going to give you the quickest, simplest and most wallet friendly tips, because if you’re not doing atleast these five things when selling your home, you’re leaving money in the pockets of the buyers instead of padding yours.

Tip # 1 – Artwork

Artwork can fill an otherwise bare wall, which can be good or bad depending on the piece.  The key to artwork when staging, is to pick pieces that are neutral in imagery, so think landscapes, abstract or natural elements.  The colours and tones of the piece also play into setting the ambience of the room. So for example, a soft white or neutral piece like this sail boat evokes a peacefulness and calmness.  This subtle messaging is not just applicable to the artwork but also to the audience who is suddenly transported to feel those same feelings when in the space.

Tip # 2 – Greenery

Natural elements such as fresh cut flowers, or stems in a decorative vase can easily bring the outside in, as well as add an interesting focal point for the eye to wander to.  The wonderful thing about greenery as well, as it can add height to a space which makes people feel like there in a larger room then  it may appear because your eye is drawn up.

Another tip when thinking about greenery, is don’t feel limited to putting it in your traditional spaces like the kitchen or dining room. Consider putting out a small bud vase with a fresh cut flower in the bathroom next to the soap and hand towel, or what about hanging a sweet bouquet of dried eucalyptus from your shower head with a pretty ribbon.  Not only is it beautiful, but the fragrance will draw you in and make you stay longer.

Tip # 3 – Lighting

Natural light is always the best kind of light, but this becomes a problem in the evening which is when most Buyers go to look at a property.  It’s critical that you  have sufficient lighting in a room when selling a house. And I don’t mean just one light in a room so you can see where you’re going, I am talking about ceiling lights as well as accent lighting like table or floor lamps.  When placed well a beautiful light can act not only as a decorative piece of art, but also literally casts light on the places we want our Buyers to see.  Think about it, in your bedroom there are often table lamps for function, but the light shines up through the lamp shade drawing the eyes to the ceiling which emphasizes the height of the room. Or maybe you place a floor lamp in a corner next to a couch or hutch, the Buyer’s eye is drawn to the outer corner of the room highlighting the spaciousness of the room.

Tip # 4 – Closets & Cupboards

Assume that all closed doors are fair game, that is, they will be opened. This includes your bedroom closets, linen cabinet and even kitchen cupboards or pantry.  While having the space looking magazine worthy, it is important that you tidy up the items and remove ones that you may not want people to see. This could be a time consuming tip, but it doesn’t have to cost you a dime, and psychologically, as Buyers look in your home and see tidy and well kept spaces they equate that to you having pride of home ownership.  This basically means, that if you care about a tidy sock drawer, you must also care about other items like the roof or furnace of the home too.

Tip # 5  –  Table Setting

Setting the kitchen or dining room table is an easy and cheap way to dress up the space.  It is also is an opportunity for you to take a rather boring table and add a splash of colour or interest with the napkins or plate chargers. The trick though when staging the table, is to keep it simple. If your plates have a pattern on them, then make sure the napkin and placemats are plain and simple, but if you have white plates, add some colour or a pattern with the napkins or table runner.  Another bonus tip here, is don’t just think inside the box, or rather house here. If you have your patio table out, why not dress it up too, just make sure the napkins don’t fly away.

I hope these tips help make staging your home easy and impress future buyers.  Adding in decorative elements should make your home feel more complete, the only thing missing is the new home owners. If you are thinking about selling your home now or maybe in the next few years, now is the time to start thinking about the return on your investment.

Contact me today if you want to make sure that you are making the right choices that will make you the most amount of money when selling your home.  What you do today, matters for your tomorrow.