6 Useful Home Staging Tips
December 3, 2020If you’ve made the exciting decision to upgrade to a new, custom dream home, there is a good chance that you will need to be thinking about presenting and selling your current home while you dive into planning your new home. While it can all feel like a lot to do, partnering with a reputable home builder can alleviate much of the stress of the project. Likewise, good staging helps to increase the likelihood of numerous competitive offers from buyers and a quick sale of your current home, which also helps reduce stress on your end. Here are some home staging tips to get your current home ready for those upcoming real estate showings:
1. Focus on the Most Influential Spaces
When staging a home for a showing, you want everything to look good, but you want to put most of the focus on the most influential spaces of the home. The first thing a buyer will see will be the exterior of the home.
So, dedicate some time to spruce up and upgrade your home’s exterior to increase its curb appeal and make a good first impression. The front door, porch, and entryway should all contribute to a great first impression when a potential buyer walks into the home for a showing.
Other influential spaces are the big rooms of the home and the areas that will get the most use. The kitchen, bathrooms, master bedroom, and living room//great room should all be clean, welcoming, and staged to impress.
Also, think about your favorite parts of the home and any special features or convenience items. Highlighting these areas in an attractive way can help draw attention to them and may also help incentivize a buyer to place an aggressive offer.
2. Take Out Highly Personalized Elements
You may have decorated your home for you, but staging your home is about making it as appealing to a wide variety of buyers as possible. If you have highly personalized elements, it may be best to remove them to “de-personalize” the room and make it more relatable to more people
The same is true for bright paint colors you may have used, neutral tends to be a better approach for home staging. However, depending on the colors, your area, and the potential buyers, they may be okay.
In this case, it’s better to ask your realtor or the custom home builder you’re partnering with for your custom home for advice. Repainting is a quick and relatively inexpensive project that can help to better present your home to potential buyers.
3. Get Rid of Clutter
One of the most important home staging tips is to get rid of clutter. Not only does clutter make a home look messy and make it more difficult to move around the home, but it can also throw up other red flags for potential buyers.
Clutter can give potential buyers the impression that you don’t keep up with routine maintenance and upkeep in other areas of the home. If your home has come clutter out in the open, it could also create the perception that it does not have enough storage space.
Plus, clutter or too much decor can make a room look and feel too busy. It may also make a room look smaller and more crowded than it actually is. Buyers will be drawn to spacious living areas that are open and welcoming. By getting rid of clutter and keeping decor simple, you can help make each room look larger and more visually appealing.
4. Patch Things and Make Repairs
As you go through your home to remove clutter and organize, also take note of anything that needs to be patched or repaired. Scratches, nicks, marks on the walls, cracks, etc. all should be patched or fixed as these are all things that devalue your home and negatively affect a buyer’s perception of it.
Make sure light bulbs are replaced if any in fixtures have burnt out. Furthermore, if any doorknobs, cabinet handles, sink fixtures, etc. are loose, broken, or otherwise not in working order, these should be fixed or replaced before the home is put on the market.
5. Deep Clean Everything
In addition to clearing out clutter, you should also plan on deep cleaning your home. Potential buyers will notice the little things, such as dust on the baseboards or blinds, greasy stovetops, dirty mirrors, soap scum in shower stalls, etc.
All of these things will have a direct effect on the appeal of your home. No one wants to buy a home that appears to be filthy, even if they keep their own home in less than ideal condition, so make sure that a deep clean is on your list of things to do.
6. Let in the Light
Well-lit rooms tend to be more welcoming and also tend to look bigger and more open. Be sure to let in the most natural light possible by opening blinds and curtains before a home showing. Before you leave your home to allow for a potential buyer to do a tour, it’s a good idea to turn on lights to brighten up rooms so they feel warm and inviting. Remember, first impressions are key!
These home staging tips are a good place to start when you are preparing your home to be put on the market as you transition into your new dream home. Partnering with the right team, from the real estate agent to your custom home builder, can help reduce stress and keep this journey an exciting one.
If you’re ready to move on from your current home to your own custom home, give Custom Home Group a call at 717-284-4090. We will be happy to help you navigate each phase of your exciting new project!