The bad news: the housing market is still pretty rough. The good news: regardless of the market or the economy, people are still buying houses. Increase your selling price and decrease time on the market by staging your home. Home staging makes your property more attractive and appealing to buyers.
The overall goals of home staging are to:
1. Show off the square footage of the property. Make rooms appear larger by getting rid of excess furniture and clutter. Keep it simple and clean. You also want to clean out closets, cabinets, counter tops, basements, garages and other storage areas. Keep only the necessities and store the rest offsite. Show buyers how much space they’ll have.
2. Create a sense of flow throughout the house. Draw the eye to any special features such as a fireplace or bay window by creating focal points or “vignettes” with small groupings of furniture and accessories.
3. Inspire potential buyers to see themselves in the space. You want the house to look like it’s ready to be lived in, but not like someone already lives there. Remove photos of your family and friends as well as any personal decorative items. Use colors, patterns and fabrics that appeal to both sexes, nothing too feminine or masculine.
Think of it this way: You’re not selling them your home. You’re selling them their home.
But you still have to live there in the meantime, so what do you do with all your stuff? Take the extra furniture, appliances, decorative accessories, seasonal clothing, holiday decorations and other stuff and put it in a self-storage unit. You’ll improve your chances of selling your house without sacrificing all the things that have made it your home.
Any other home staging and self storage tips? Share them here!
