Looking to sell your home? You first need to ensure that your house looks good and attractive. This is essential to lure buyers. Home staging is a cheap and easy way to improve the perceived value of your property.
Nobody wants to buy a shabbily maintained house. A potential buyer does not want to see work that needs to be done to make the property habitable. So it is essential to take a little pain to make small repairs and spruce up your home before trying to sell it.
It is a large and important transaction for both buyer and seller. A few easy steps can increase value for your property and have a long reaching effect on your financial health.
General staging tips
Easiest tips to stage a home is to clean meticulously. A sparkling home looks inviting. Paint work should not be shabby. Floors should be clean and tiles free of grout and chipping. Closets and upholstery should be well maintained. You should be able to invite potential buyers into every corner of your house. This also translates into a quicker sale.
The driveway and main entrance should look inviting and clutter free. There should be a judicious mix between a lived in and clutter free look.
1. Staging a kitchen
It is cheaper to do small but effective changes rather than remodel the entire kitchen. It is always advisable to get the kitchen professionally cleaned. Make sure there is plenty of light and windows are clean. A airy and well lighted kitchen is welcoming and appealing.
There should be no unpleasant odours. The faucets and sink should be clean. The storage cupboards and shelves should not be messy. It is a good idea to minimize the grocery as it makes the storage area look less cluttered.
Counter tops should be clutter free, with only a couple of appliances present, If your appliances are shabby, it is advisable to replace with sturdy but not top of the line products.
Related: Kitchen cupboard design tips
Finally, beautify by adding a few cookbooks, fresh flowers and some greenery to make the kitchen space attractive.
2. Staging the Living Room
The living room is the main room in the house where the family congregates. It is the most functional room in the house. It should be full of natural and well placed artificial light. Care should be taken to keep the walls painted in warm, neutral shades.
It is advisable to keep family memorabilia at a minimum, as the buyer should see it as a property not as your home. Some attractive art can be placed on walls and table tops to create a warm ambience.
The furniture should be in balance with the size of the room. They should be clean and well-polished. A focal point should be there that draws the eye. A sagging sofa or chair can look ugly. Cushions and sofa throws can be an inexpensive ways to liven up the room.
Upholstery should not be dirty or frayed. Curtains or other window accessories should be clean and matched with the other furniture and wall colors. Carpets and rugs add elegance and finishing touches to room décor. They should be attractive and in complementing colours to enhance the beauty of the room.
Finally, some warm touches like candles, fresh flowers or attractive potted plants placed strategically around the room can help in elevating the feel of the room. A calm, serene and loved feeling should be created for maximum effect.
3. Bathroom staging
Generally, Bathrooms are the most neglected rooms in our homes. But to a potential buyer it is an important window to the place. Again, as in the kitchen, it is a better option to make small and effective changes to get optimum return on your investment.
Cleanliness is of paramount importance. Your bathroom should look and smell nice and fresh. If your tiles are dirty or chipped replace with inexpensive large white tiles. They make the bathroom instantly look larger and brighter. Clean and sparkling windows add to the look.
Replace worn out faucets and pipes. New shower curtains add a freshness. Hang thick white new towels to add a spa like luxury look to your bathroom.
Remove all personal hygiene products from shower stalls and counters. Prospective home buyers find these a little disconcerting and feel like they are invading your personal space.
4. Staging the Bedroom
The bedroom is the most personal area in the house. But the truth is that we should keep the look as impersonal as possible. The prospective buyers should not feel that they are intruding into a personal space; it may deter them from buying your house.
Walls should be painted in neutral colours as it is not necessary that your personal taste would match the buyer’s. Window dressing should be matching the color scheme but not fussy.
Read more: Ways to decorate bedroom for adults
Furniture should be minimal. A bed with a neutral bed spread, a dresser and a full length mirror and a wardrobe. The closets should be clean as most home buyers would like to open and see the closets. Make sure all handles and hangers are matched to give an elegant look.
Keep all personal knick knacks away, and place a few pretty and impersonal items like a lamp shade or flowers. Some art on the walls may look nice. The whole effect should be warm and impersonal, not homey.
5. Basement
Basements are generally the most cluttered area of the house. You must take care that the look is one of functionality, not clutter. The walls should be either white or in light colours to add space to the area.
Make sure that the utility area housing the washing machine etc is clean and contained. Create a space like a den, a work space, or an area for your teenager’s play station to create a better space utilization.
A well decorated basement area adds to the total square footage area to your house. This translates into a better price.
Read more: Tips to redecorate home exterior
Conclusion
Hope these simple and inexpensive tricks get your house sold quickly at a good Price! It is a good idea to stage your house for prospective buyers to create a better value for you.
Amazing tips! Thanks for sharing this information. Very helpful.