Anybody who’s ever seen an episode of House Hunters knows that the key to selling a home is making the buyer see their life in it. With the market as competitive as it is nowadays, it’s no longer enough to plop a listing up on a REALTOR®’s site and call it a day. Homes take time and care to be properly prepared to sell, and one of the best ways to ensure that your home comes up as the most desired in any home sale listing is to stage it. Appealing to buyers through creative use of landscaping, furnishing, and decoration is key to making a deal. How do you properly stage a home? We’ve got some insight!
Outside
Start your staging process outside. Curb appeal is huge in any competitive market, and making your home look inviting from the outside will lure potential buyers inside. Trimming any overgrown or dying plants will go a long way, and power washing the driveway and patio so it looks like new is a great start. If you have a large enough patio, throw a cheap patio set up there (Craigslist has some great buys that won’t break the bank). Buyers love seeing flowers and pops of color, and investing in some potted plants to line the entryway will promise a return on investment.
Make sure to pay attention to details, such as cleaning the windows or making sure that the house number is clearly visible and well lit. Before showing the home, ensure that all outdoor lights work. Many potential home buyers drive by in the evening to check out the neighborhood, and functional lighting is a necessity.
Interior
Once you’ve gotten the buyers interested in the outside, it’s time to ramp up the interior. A fresh coat of paint and professional carpet cleaner will guarantee that the home looks and smells new, and a thorough deep cleaning of areas such as the kitchen and bathrooms is crucial. During the deep cleaning process is when you’ll want to remove any clutter lying about. Personal knick knacks are great while you live in the home, but it won’t help potential buyers feel like it’s their future home when they come to take a tour. Box up the sentimental pieces and move them out of the home while it’s on the market. Remove items such as vacuums, mops, and cleaning supplies as well. No home buyer wants to be reminded of chores during a tour.
Removal
Once you’ve cleared the non-essentials out of the home, take a step back and look at your furniture. While you’re used to seeing it all inside the home, potential buyers can easily feel claustrophobic if confronted with too much. On average, professional home stager’s remove approximately half of the existing furniture. Once you’ve assessed what’s essential and what’s not, as well as what’s in the best condition or the newest pieces, you can arrange what’s left in an appealing way.
Henderson homes in particular come with spacious floor plans, and you can ‘float’ your furniture to your advantage. ‘Floating’ is a term used by professionals for moving furniture away from the walls to create the illusion of more space. By using floating techniques, you can create centralized spaces that feel cozy – such as keeping your couch, entertainment center, and coffee table all near the same eye-catching rug.
Staging your home properly requires only a little bit more effort than leaving it bare. A deep cleaning, some creative furniture arrangements, and landscaping maintenance will go much further than investing in a massive upgrade in hopes of alluring buyers. Even the most desired Henderson communities can have homes left unsold due to a lack of attention on the part of the seller. In order to get your listing to the top of buyer’s lists, you have to stand out from the competition by staging.
