Get the most out of
selling your home
Showing your home in the best light possible helps potential buyers see themselves living in your home. Our simple tips for showing your home can help you properly stage your property, which can lead to a quick sale at the best price. Sellers who invest in staging their homes can expect to sell their home 87 percent faster and for an average of 17 percent more than those who have vacant or unstaged homes. You can hire professional stagers, but you can also accomplish a lot on your own.
How Staging Works
Think of staging your home as showing the property off to its highest potential. The goal of staging is to highlight the home’s architectural features, such as natural lighting, hardwood floors, fireplaces, and room size. You want to create a neutral atmosphere that enables potential buyers to picture your house as their house. Professional stagers go through your home and find personal items and furniture that complement the space well and produce the proper atmosphere.
Some stagers might bring their own accent pieces, or recommend rentals for open houses. Empty rooms can give the impression of sterility, make rooms look smaller, and can make it harder for buyers to picture living in the house. Even if you don’t hire a professional stager, you can follow our tips for showing your home to properly stage your place and increase your odds of a great sale.
1. First Impressions
We’ve all heard the saying “first impressions are everything.” Make a good first impression by having the yard, driveway, and entrance to your home properly lit and maintained. Keep the grass cut and watered, sweep the front porch regularly, and if it snows, make sure to shovel and salt the ice. Spice up the space outside your front door with decorative lanterns or a wreath. Make the entrance to your home welcoming and easy to navigate.
2. Keep it Neutral
Neutral doesn’t always have to mean boring. Limiting accent colors to items like throw pillows and curtains can make your home feel like home while allowing the buyer to visualize how their preferences will look in the space. Select paint and decor in popular neutral colours—this year, designers are talking about warmer neutral shades such as French vanilla and hazelnut, as well as subdued, earthy pastels. Limit yourself to one accent colour on items that can be easily stowed before a viewing. Less is more when it comes to staging.
3. Declutter in Advance
Save yourself from the last minute scramble and start to declutter and pack up your home before showing it to buyers. Start with removing as much as you can from your kitchen countertops and living room mantles. Avoid having more than three decorative items grouped together on shelves and countertops, and limit yourself to a few well-photographed family photos framed and displayed nicely in the living room and bedrooms. Professional advice varies on having family photos displayed when showing homes, but if it’s done in a way that complements the features of the room it will work out well.
4. Bright Lights and Open Doors
When showing your home to buyers keep all doors open and turn on every light in the house! Bright lighting actually makes rooms look bigger, and open doors show you have nothing to hide. Remember to turn on closet lights, under-counter lights, and exterior lights as well. Replace burned-out bulbs and clean all light fixtures. Create a warm, inviting look throughout your house with daylight bulbs that mimic natural light. Wash the windows, raise blinds, and open curtains to let the sun help you out!
5. Engage the Senses
Keep guests and buyers comfortable and engaged by staging an atmosphere that reminds them of home. Keep fresh flowers on the dining room table, or pick some from the garden to display in the bathroom. Light a cookie-scented candle or burn some vanilla essential oils, making the whole house smell familiar and cozy. (Extinguish candles before you leave the house—safety first!) The more a buyer can imagine themselves living there, the more likely you are to walk away with a solid offer.
With a little elbow grease and finesse, you can successfully sell your home quickly and for a great price. Get the professionals on your side when selling your home, and contact Rob or Tammy at 403-775-6950.