How to stage a property for sale

The second someone sees your property, either from photos, the driveway, or the path leading up to the entryway, they are already making their own judgments. The first impression is so important to the emotional connection to what could potentially be their future home. It needs to be as much of a blank canvas to be able to imagine themselves living there.

Home staging is beneficial and essential for a successful sale. It is the act and practice of styling a home and arranging furniture to highlight and enhance its features. A family needs to be able to envision themselves living there.

A few questions you can ask yourself: are your walls neutral enough to match an array of furniture? If you walked into a home that wasn’t well maintained or tidy, would it be easy to look past it? Staging helps the imagination process of potential buyers. If there are too many things to look past and think beyond then the decision to select your property over other homes that were actually staged would be slim.

It’s time to start staging.

Fresh lick of paint

This is the bare minimum of the staging job. White and bright walls are key to neutralizing the room and helping open up space. I wouldn’t even stop there; neutralizing can cover even more like taking down some family photos and artwork. Family photos can come off a bit territorial as if it were your home and your home forever. The reality is, it’s for sale and it’s best for the potential buyer to think about which of their own photos can go up on the wall. This goes for artwork as well. Style and design are very subjective and anything that can put off the viewers may bring your property down on the attractive scale – of course, this is not what we want. More open house tips here.

Love at first sight

The first thing you see when approaching a home is the exterior. The curb appeal is just as important as the inside. Ensure your lawn is maintained. Water your flowers. Keep your pool clean. Invest in some fake plants which will keep with next to no maintenance. When parking up or walking towards the front door, it all needs to feel welcoming and not scare them off by the untrimmed tree.

Kick out the clutter

Clear the kitchen counter, put away the toys on the floor and hang up all your clothes. It’s time to tidy. Clutter robs the sense of space of a room. If you’re still living on your property whilst it is on the market, it may be a good idea to look into a storage unit. Have a sit-down and go through your belongings, there will be plenty of things you can do without for a short time and it will definitely enhance your home. Ensure there is easy access to all of your home’s best features. Have a grand window? A gorgeous patio? Let the viewers be able to walk through without being blocked. Give your potential buyers some space for imagination.

Furniture Tetris

It’s time to rearrange some of your furniture. Ensure there is easy access to all of your home’s best features. Have a grand window? A gorgeous patio? Allow the viewers the ability to walk through easily without being blocked. Give your potential buyers some space for imagination.

Clean

Scrub, then scrub again. Put in that elbow work. You want to be able to see your reflection on that porcelain! This goes especially with the bathroom and kitchen. There shouldn’t be a single trace of mould, stains or stray away hairs.

Put your pets on paws

As much as we love our furry friends, it may be a disadvantage to potential buyers who are not a fan or are allergic. For a short and temporary time, assign a dedicated space for them. Think of it as a little getaway. Keep their bowl, food, crate, and bed in one spot and ensure the rest of the house has been cleaned. Try to make it seem like your home is pet-free.

Lights, camera, actions!

Time for your home to hit the spotlight. Prepare for the photo shoot and video walk-through because viewings aren’t the only way potential buys can decide to buy your home. Aside from driving to the property, some may argue this is actually the first opportunity for clients to make their judgments. This could be the pulling factor for them to want to see your home! The same tips follow neutral colours, maintenance, and tidying the mess.

Storage

This advice is primarily for high-end vacant villas. It is such a shame to leave a gorgeous villa with so much potential, vacant. There are tons of companies that will allow you to hire out some furniture that will live in your home until a family has fallen in love and made an offer.

Finishing touch

Have you ever heard of the good ol’ broker tip of bake cookies before an open house? It’s a real thing! Our senses are a huge part of our judgment. Buy some flowers, light up some candles, fluff up your pillows and make your bed. Even lux white towels in the bathroom, folded as if it were a hotel is a great look.

Invest in your investment

Now that you’ve done all the hard work, it would be such a waste to let it fall through the cracks. Invest some time into keeping the place spick and span. If time isn’t what you’ve got then look into a weekly cleaning service to look after your efforts. Check out more home property maintenance tips here.