Top 10 Home Staging Tips from the Pros

Before you put your house on the market, you want to make sure that it is looking its very best. The concept of home staging relies on strategies to decorate your house so that others can envision themselves living in it. Here are 10 strategies directly from the pros about how to most effectively stage your home.

Declutter

The cornerstone of good staging is cutting the clutter. The biggest problem with clutter is that it takes up space. When staging your home, you want it to feel as spacious as possible. 

Be sure to remove clutter from cabinets and closets so that you enhance the storage potential. This may mean that you need to rent a storage space for your extra belongings.

Remove Personal Items

Once you have removed the clutter, it is time to begin the process of depersonalization. A primary objective of staging a home is to create a space that potential buyers can envision as their own. 

You can encourage this visualization by removing personal items such as photos, personal hygiene items, and anything that connotes religion or politics.

Focus Where it Matters

When a potential buyer walks through your home, certain rooms will have a bigger impact. You should put your staging dollar and time into the rooms that matter the most. 

The rooms that hold the most importance are the kitchen, the master bedroom, and the living and family areas. Areas such as the guest bedrooms and home office space will not have as big of an impact.

Go Neutral

It is important to remember that different buyers have varying tastes. To appeal to as many people as possible, it is important to choose neutral colors and décor items when staging. 

The home staging experts can help you to create an attractive space that appeals to the personal tastes of all buyers.

Be Aware of Odors

Nothing will turn off a buyer faster than a foul odor. You also do not want to mask bad odors with an overly powerful scent. Focus on keeping the scent of your home natural and fresh. Boiling some cinnamon and cloves or baking some fresh cookies right before a showing are two good ideas.

Highlight Curb Appeal

It is true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. While paying attention to the interior of the home, it is also important to boost the curb appeal of the front exterior. 

A fresh coat of paint on the front door, new flower beds, and a welcome mat are all good ideas to highlight the curb appeal.

Bring in the Light

An airy and light home will sell fast and for more money than a dark and dingy one. Maximize the lighting in your home by cleaning the windows and turning on all of the lights and lamps prior to a showing.

Fresh Touches

Plants and flowers add an extra layer of beauty and freshness to any room. Try placing a vase of fresh flowers on your kitchen table or adding some greenery to a bathroom counter. 

Bringing the beauty of the great outdoors into your home is one of the easiest and most impactful ways that you can make your house more attractive.

Make it Open

Strategically placing your furniture so that it creates an open feel will pay off big dividends. The goal is to create as much open and walkable space as possible. This may mean that you need to put some furniture in storage.

Spruce it Up

Lastly, you want to make sure to take special care to patch and repair any areas that look worn down or neglected. Even something as simple as an area of chipped paint may send the message to the buyer that the home has been neglected. Your goal in staging is to present a house that shows your pride of ownership.

Attention to staging will not only help your home to sell more quickly, but it will also help you to fetch top dollar for it. Maximize your real estate investment by taking the time to implement these 10 home staging tips.

About The Author: Amy Sloane is an alum from Oregon State University and spends her free time as a freelance writer and knitting enthusiast. Amy loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her dog, Molly. 

Photo by Brian Babb on Unsplash