Home Staging Tips for Real People

This was written for a real estate investment website.

Have you ever walked through a model home? They all have some things in common:

• Light and bright
• Smell good
• Tastefully decorated in neutral tones
• Every room has a clear purpose

You can easily walk around the furniture and get to a window. There’s no clutter. You will never see collections of any kind displayed in a cabinet. There are few items, if any, in closets and on shelves.

We Can’t All Be Models

New home builders use professional designers to stage their model homes. They are great for ideas and inspiration, but most people are living in their homes while it’s on the market. Many buyers can’t afford to hire a designer or a staging company. There are many ways to greatly improve the look of your home that require little or no design skills. Follow these tips to get your home looking as good as possible.

Pack It Up

Room by room, create three piles of stuff: Keep, Donate, Sell. Have a garbage bin right outside the door to throw out the junk. Immediately box up items to donate and drive right down to Goodwill and hand it over. The faster you do this, the less time you have to change your mind. Pack up out-of-season clothes to thin out your closet. Stuffed closets make buyers think there isn’t enough storage. Pack up your doll and coffee mug collections. It distracts buyers. You want them to focus on your home.

Store It

It’s easiest to rent a moving box that they drop in your driveway. This way, you can immediately move items into it. The company can pick it up and store it until you’re ready to move. You are not yet fully packing up. Some of your furniture will remain to stage the home. You still need your clothes and the coffeemaker. But the less stuff you have, the faster you can tidy up for showings.

Downsize It

Many people have too much furniture. There is a tendency to buy items that are too big for the space. You want the rooms to have just enough furniture. Less is better. For example, a spare bedroom should have a smaller bed, a nightstand and lamp, and a small dresser. That’s it.

Clean It Up

Have your windows professionally cleaned. Consider hiring someone to help with cleaning. Clean every corner of the home. Blinds, outlets, furniture, light switches, baseboards. Look up. See those cobwebs? Also, make sure your home has a pleasant aroma. [Link to Aroma of Home article]

Repair It

It is better to repair than to offer a credit. Even small problems make buyers think the home has not been well maintained. Hire someone to help. There are websites you can use to get bids on home projects. HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, and Thumbtack are popular sites.

Pretty It Up

Your landscaping can be simple, but it needs to be neat. Keep the lawn mowed, the beds weeded, and the hedges trimmed. Dark mulch in the garden beds always looks good. Power wash the house, walkways, and driveway. Wipe down all the exterior light fixtures. Declutter the exterior in the same way as the interior rooms.

Hide It

Use baskets, hampers, toy boxes and the like to quickly hide things before a showing. This is easier if you have pared down to the essentials.

Kitchens & Baths

They say kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. There should be nothing hanging from a magnet on your refrigerator. Clear everything off the counters. Pack up as much as you can. You want that kitchen to look as big as possible. Even an outdated kitchen looks far better with cleared and clean counters. Do the same for the bathrooms. Don’t forget to clean all the appliances.

Purpose It

Every room should have a clear purpose. A bedroom, an office, a playroom, etc. If you are presently using a room as an office, clear out as much as possible. A filing cabinet or bins can be used to hide your work and office supplies. Remember to lock up anything with personal information (such as bank statements).

You Can Do It

Staging your home will help you sell it faster and for a higher price. It will look good in the online photos which helps draw in buyers. You don’t need to be a designer to declutter, pack, clean, and repair. Your hard work will literally pay off.