10 Best Home Staging Tips to Sell Your House Fast
Home Staging Tips to Sell Fast
Looking to sell your home fast? Check out our guide for home staging tips to help you get your house sold quickly.
Selling a house fast requires preparation and attention to detail. You need to get everything ready, including your home and agents. Home staging is a crucial step in selling a home, and there are various options available for staging, especially if you want to sell your home fast for cash. Some full-service realtors will handle the staging, while others may hire a professional stager for assistance.
Staging is a vital tool for selling a home and holding an open house, as it increases the chances of in-person showings and enhances the home's appearance in photographs. An experienced realtor can help you with this before an open house. Since most buyers search for homes online, it's important to make sure your home looks its best in pictures.
There are many tips that can help you get ready to stage your home to maximize buyers. According to the NAR Report, the most common rooms that are staged are the living room (90%), kitchen (80%), owner's bedroom (78%), and dining room (69%).
Here is how to stage your home to sell your house fast.
Chapters
1. Boost Curb Appeal
The first impression of a home is crucial for attracting potential buyers and curb appeal is one of the things that listing agents rely on to sell a home fast. The outside of the house plays a significant role in creating that impression, especially if you are selling in the summer. Upgrades can be done to the exterior, such as washing the siding, roof, and gutters, as well as tidying up any debris or freshening up the paint around the yard.
A well-maintained front yard will make the house's interior look even better. Neglecting the outside can discourage buyers from even wanting to see the inside, decreasing your chances of making a sale.
Boosting a home's curb appeal sets the tone and can make buyers fall in love with the house before even stepping inside. It is a fact that homes with high curb appeal sell for an average of 7 percent more than those without.
Fortunately, it doesn't take much to improve the yard's appearance. Simple landscaping improvements like removing weeds, mowing the lawn, adding plants, and freshening up the house's exterior can significantly impact the home's appearance.
2. Clean
Keeping your home clean and tidy can be one of the easiest and most cost-effective home staging tips to enhance its appeal to potential buyers. A clean home gives buyers the impression that the property has been well-maintained, making it more attractive to them.
You don't necessarily need to buy new things, but it's important to ensure everything looks fresh and spotless. Every part of the house should be thoroughly cleaned, from the floors to the ceilings. The bathroom is one of the most important rooms to focus on, as it's a critical area that people check for cleanliness. So make sure it sparkles!
If you've been neglecting specific cleaning tasks, such as cleaning your fridge or dusting regularly, now is the time to tackle them and get your house ready. If cleaning is not your forte, consider seeking professional help to make this step more accessible for you. Remember, something as simple as cleaning can have a significant impact on the home-buying process.
3. Declutter
Clutter can take up a lot of space, and space is one of the main factors that can help a home sell faster. There are two significant ways that clutter affects the selling process of a home: it distracts potential buyers from the home's features and makes the house look cramped and uninviting.
Decluttering your home may be one of the most challenging tasks because it takes time, but it is also one of the most crucial tasks to take care of as it has a significant impact on the selling process. No one wants to walk into a cluttered house where they can't even see the home's beauty due to the numerous random knick-knacks scattered around the home.
Even though the clutter may be appealing to you and may fit your personality, not everyone will have the same taste. Therefore, if you are serious about selling your home quickly, you should get rid of all the random belongings around the house for now.
4. Depersonalize
When someone is buying a home, they like to imagine themselves and their belongings in the space. If your personal items are still present, it can make it more difficult for buyers to envision themselves purchasing the home.
Therefore, it is important to remove all family photos, personal belongings, artwork, clothes, and any miscellaneous items from the counters. This helps interested buyers to better visualize themselves occupying the space instead of being distracted by your personal belongings.
5. Make Small Repairs
It is important to inspect your home for any small holes, scratches, or buffs and freshen them up to give your home a put-together look. Though minor repairs are inevitable, it doesn't take much time or effort to fix them.
Fresh paint can also do wonders in making your home appear newer, even if it's not. All properties require improvements, and minor improvements can benefit your home without being distracted by minor imperfections.
Some everyday things that should be improved:
- Cleaning baseboards
- Touching up paint
- Outdoor appearance
- Leaky faucets
- Patching holes
- Upgrading lights
6. Focus on Fresh
When someone is in the market for a new home, they must find it fresh and up-to-date. No one wants to purchase a home that feels old and outdated. Even if your home is older, there are plenty of things that you can do to make it seem newer.
There are some easy things you can do to make your home feel more modern and inviting. For instance, you could replace dying plants with new ones or add fresh flowers to your home. Additionally, getting rid of any unpleasant odors and adding inviting scents like baked goods or scented candles can make a big difference.
You can do many little things to make your house feel more inviting and up-to-date for potential buyers without spending a lot of time or money. Especially if you are trying to sell your home quickly, making it feel newer and fresher is one of the most important things you can do, even if it is an older house.
Freshening tips:
- Take out trash
- Wipe down surfaces with deodorizer
- Light warm scented candles
- Use essential oils in rooms
- Air purifier in rooms
- Baking goods
7. Rearrange Furniture
Ensuring that your furniture in each room is appropriate in size and placement and does not create clutter is crucial. Large or out-of-place furniture can make a room feel cold, small, and unwelcoming.
It is essential to make sure that your furniture is not damaged or looks cheap. You do not have to spend a lot of money to replace furniture. You can rent furniture to stage your home or use alternative items to create a similar look.
One of the most important steps in staging a home is to create a spacious and welcoming atmosphere in every room. This will allow potential buyers to visualize themselves living in the space rather than being distracted by the furniture. Staying focused on the task at hand is essential, especially if you want to sell your home quickly. Avoiding distractions is key.
8. Define Rooms
Ensuring that the rooms are arranged in a way that maximizes the home's square footage is crucial. Prospective buyers tend to examine the previous owner's arrangement to envision the room's purpose. Therefore, making every space appear functional and usable is vital.
One of the most crucial things that may seem insignificant is ensuring that a room is well-balanced. Although putting your bed against the wall may create an illusion of more space, placing it in the middle and adding side tables and rugs can give the room a more finished, welcoming, and suitable look.
Rearranging furniture can also make a room appear more professional, and removing unnecessary furniture can create more space. Some specialists specialize in this area and can assist you if you encounter any difficulties with this step.
9. Exterior
It's essential to focus on the exterior of your home and its curb appeal, as these are the first things buyers will notice. Ensure that your lawn is mowed, plants are trimmed, and any debris or dirt around the house is removed.
Paying attention to the outside is as important as caring for the inside. Adding small plants, outdoor furniture, and new light fixtures can make your home look more functional and the outdoors more appealing.
The exterior of a house reflects how well it's taken care of, so it's essential to touch up and clean everything. Although many people prioritize the inside, the outside deserves the same amount of attention to boost curb appeal.
According to studies by the National Association of Realtors, 82% of buyers prefer homes with a patio or other large front and rear porches. If you already have them, make sure they're clean and presentable.
If you don't have anything in the backyard, that's okay. Just make sure the area is tidy and clean so the new buyers can visualize their options for an open-concept space.
10. Choose Neutrals
Decorating plays a crucial role in staging a home. Generally, staged homes rely on neutral colors with pops of color to add interest. Neutral colors have more appeal to everyone and can attract more buyers.
However, it is essential to be mindful of bold and bright-colored items throughout the house, as they can turn buyers away. Personal items should also be kept to a minimum to create a more neutral atmosphere.
To add a sense of harmony to space, it is essential to connect each room by adding things that complement each other. Keeping the same tones throughout the home pulls the house together and creates a more positive feeling for buyers.
While many people think that white walls are ideal because it is a blank slate, it is actually better to paint the walls warm, neutral colors. If you have any wallpaper, it is probably best to remove it because it may look shabby, and most buyers will want to remove it anyway.
It is critical to remember that others may not enjoy things you like. Therefore, when staging a home, try to be open-minded and think of it as a bigger picture. Do what you can to sell your home, especially if you want to sell it fast.
FAQS
How do you stage a house like a pro?
When preparing a home for sale, creating a welcoming and inviting atmosphere for potential buyers can be helpful. To achieve this, it is recommended to consider decluttering, cleaning, updating, depersonalizing, and removing any unpleasant odors.
What are the rules of staging?
To prepare your home for maximum impact, there are no strict rules to follow. However, there are a few tips that can be helpful. Planning ahead and walking through every room with an open mind, cleaning up everything, showcasing the home's best features, and focusing on small details can all help in making your home more appealing to potential buyers.
What to avoid when staging a home?
Avoid staging homes with excessive furniture, large pieces, odors, knick-knacks, dark or bright paint, furniture against walls, and inadequate lighting.
Can you stage a home by yourself?
Staging an empty home by yourself can be expensive, even without furniture. Remember the costs for painting, repairing, cleaning, storage, decor, and furniture, among other necessities. It might be more cost-effective to hire someone for the job.
Staging Your Home Tips - The Bottom Line
When you plan to sell your home, planning ahead is essential. Staging your home is crucial, especially if you want to sell it quickly. Knowing the tips for staging a home can help maximize your sale if you sell a home with kids or during a divorce.
Selling a house fast requires preparation and attention to detail. You need to have everything ready, including your home and agents. Home staging is essential in selling a home, and different options are available for staging. Some full-service realtors handle the stage, while others may hire a professional stager for assistance.
If you are interested in selling or buying a home, please contact us here or visit our website to connect you with one of our local agents at Raleigh Realty to help you out.
Ryan Fitzgerald
Hi there! Nice to 'meet' you and thanks for visiting our Raleigh Real Estate Blog! My name is Ryan Fitzgerald, and I'm a REALTOR® in Raleigh-Durham, NC, the owner of Raleigh Realty. I work alongside some of the best Realtors in Raleigh. You can find more of my real estate content on Forbes, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and more. Realtor Magazine named me a top 30 under 30 Realtor in the country (it was a long time ago haha). Any way, that's enough about me. I'd love to learn more about you if you'd like to connect with me on Facebook and Instagram or connect with our team at Raleigh Realty. Looking forward to connecting!
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