How to Stage Your Home to Increase Offers and Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck
If you’re looking for an edge in getting your home sold faster and for your asking price, staging is key.
Staging your home gets it “showroom-ready” and helps buyers to imagine themselves living there. Home buying is very much an emotional decision for most, and home buyers are accustomed to seeing picture-perfect houses in person, on home decorating shows, and in online listings, so learning how to stage your home can make a HUGE difference when selling.
What is “Staging”?
Staging a house is the process of strategically arranging furnishings and decor to make a house look its best in order to sell. This could involve paring down and refreshing your belongings or moving all of your own stuff out and renting furniture and decorations.
Here’s How You Do It:
1. Understand Why You’re Staging
Staging a house is a strategic move for sellers. A 2017 National Association of Realtors (NAR) survey says 49% of buyers’ agents believe staging affects most buyers’ view of a home. And 77% of them say it’s easier for people to visualize a staged home as their own.
Staging can also increase the sales price. In that same NAR survey, 29% of sellers’ agents said the sales price for staged homes were between 1% and 5% higher than un-staged homes. Staged homes sell faster, too—39% of sellers’ agents reported that staging a home reduces days on the market. Understanding the benefits of staging a home can help you decide if it’s right for you, and how much to invest in doing it.
2. Remove Clutter
The most critical thing you need to do when staging a house involves purging and cleaning—a clean, empty-as-possible house, looks bigger. Remove knick-knacks and personal items. Don’t just put them in closets; potential buyers usually look in those, and you want yours to appear roomy. Box up them up and get them out of the house.
With the clutter out, it’s time to do a deep cleaning. Make your kitchen and bathroom sparkle, and be sure to close the toilet lid before every showing. Air out the entire house by opening the windows—air fresheners or scented candles can trigger allergies, so avoid this. If you have pets, make sure there are no pet odors. Consider hiring a pro for the deep clean if you have room in your home-selling budget.
3. Shoot for A Light and Bright Look
People typically prefer to see bright rooms, so lighting is an essential part of staging a house. Open the blinds and pull curtains back before a showing. Make sure the light fixtures look nice. If your lampshades are dingy or your fixtures are old, consider replacing them.
If your light bulbs are more of a yellow hue, consider replacing them with a Daylight hue. The whiter the light, the more it will look like daylight.
4. Stage Important Rooms First
Some elements of staging can cost money—renting furniture, or removing some, which may require a storage unit. If you don’t have the time or money to stage your whole house, staging certain rooms is a great option. The living room is the most crucial space to stage. NAR’s survey of agents showed 55% think it’s “very important” to stage this area. Next comes the master bedroom, followed by the kitchen. Your last priority can be any extra bedrooms.
5. Remove or Rent Furniture
A good rule of thumb is to remove about half your furniture. This could be difficult since you may still need to live in the home, but your home will look bigger and more appealing with less furniture in it.
If your furniture doesn’t look showroom-ready (or if it’s already moved into your new home), you can rent nice, new pieces. Put your furniture in storage, sell or donate it if you won’t be taking it with you.
6. Furniture Arrangement
Position couches, chairs, and tables away from the walls. This is called “floating” the furniture. Anchor the space with an area rug, even if the room has wall-to-wall carpet. This creates a cozy, intimate space, ideal for talking with friends and family.
7. Curb Appeal
“Curb appeal” refers to how nice your home looks on the outside at first glance. The exterior is the first thing potential buyers see so make sure it’s impressive. Here are some tips to get buyers in the door.
- Power-wash your house and walkways
- Clean the windows
- Make sure the house number is easy to see
- Mow the lawn
- Trim and weed overgrown greenery
- Plant flowers
- Put a welcome mat and potted plants by the front door
- If you have a porch, include outdoor furniture
8. Extras
Once you’ve learned how to stage your home and it looks perfect, add some finishing touches inside. People love to see fresh flowers in vases, a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter, and folded towels in the bathroom. If you’re living in your home while selling, you can keep your nice extras in a closet so they’re ready to go quickly when your real estate agent calls to say a buyer is on the way.
Now that you know how to stage a house, you could have your home sold in no time!