Staging a House: Affordable Tips Before You Sell

As a homeowner and seller, preparing your house for buyers can be an overwhelming thought, it can be very tedious and time-consuming if you don’t have the right game plan or experience. As a real estate professional I know what buyers are looking for, I put together a list that touches on some of the important key staging tips that are inexpensive and that you as the homeowner can do yourself without hiring or paying a professional stager.  These easy and affordable home staging tips can be the key to selling your house quickly and for top dollar.Even a simply staged house on average can sell between 1 – 3% more than a house for sale that has not been staged at all. As professional real estate advisors at Florida Platinum Group-RE/MAX Services, we are always helping our clients prepare to sell their house for the highest price the market allows.

At Florida Platinum Group, our houses sell faster and for 2.7% more than the average local realtor. For example, if your house is listed and sold through another real estate agent let's say for $400,000 if we had listed and sold the same house, on average it would have sold for an additional $10,800 or 410,800. Not all real estate agents are the same, not even close. The vital thing to always remember here is that less is more when staging your house for sale. Some of the staging basics to have on hand before we get started are big and durable trash bags, cardboard boxes (available at Wal-Mart at a low cost), cleaning supplies (paper towels, multi-purpose cleaners, baking soda, sponges, rubber gloves, air freshener etc.). Below are some of the staging tips that we provide to sellers that have houses for sale.

Staging Tip # 1: De-Clutter Your House

• Fill one trash bag per day
• Give away or donate one item per day
• Pack one box daily
• Get a storage unit and pack up a minimum of 30% in each room
• Hide television wires in a shower curtain rod

Why it’s important?                                            

De-cluttering your house allows for whoever is viewing your house, to simply be able to view it! Without all the unnecessary distractions or mess that can block or hide important selling points that a potential buyer could possibly love. You want your house to feel as open and light as possible so that it is welcoming to the buyer. Too much clutter can make a room look too small and/or feel claustrophobic. Remove as much as you can and only keep the necessities when staging.

Staging Tip # 2: Set the Dinner Table and Other Tables in Your House

• Use simplistic placemats
• Have simple, clean, fresh and full looking flowers to make for a great centerpiece

Why it’s important?

It is imperative that you don't use anything too loud or distracting when setting the tables in your house, everything should be neutral and comforting. Believe it or not, the dollar store carries great placemats, decorative flowers, small art pieces, and other home items that are affordable that can easily amp up your house. You can also try arts and crafts stores like Michael’s to find other interesting staging pieces.

Staging Tip # 3: Paint the Walls and Refresh

• Paint the walls a fresh neutral color, beige or cream colors preferably
• Add colorful pillows to couches and throw rugs
• Replace cabinet hardware
• Buy fresh and colorful flowers for inside the house
• Use vanilla candles for a warm and awesome smell
• Buy fresh towels
• Use decorative soaps for bathrooms
• Eliminate any funny odors and/or pet odors

Why it’s important?

You see there’s an apparent theme here when it comes to the use of color that is most effective when staging your house. Using fresh and neutral colors on the walls are most appealing and least startling to the eye. However, you can throw in a little personality when it comes to throw rugs and pillows. Making sure the air is clear of any odors is HUGE, this is another major thing to take note of, any odor can immediately shut out a potential buyer. The little things such as new towels and new cabinet hardware show attention to detail that won’t go unnoticed by a potential buyer.

Staging Tip # 4: Depersonalize Your House

• Prepare yourself emotionally first
• Remove personal photos
• Remove any personal items that may be potentially controversial or politically, morally or socially incorrect

Why it’s important?

When staging a house you do not want to have any negative distractions that can potentially offend a buyer. If someone who is viewing your house sees something that they find offensive, it will be the last thing they will remember and can affect the sale of one’s house. Removing any personal photos is important as well, it allows the buyer to picture themselves in the house, where they can put their furniture and personal items. It gives them an opportunity to visualize and create their own memories.

Staging Tip #5: Lighting

• Use bright lights
• Use as much natural light as possible
• Open all shutters
• Clean and/or replace light fixtures
• Change out and/or upgrade light switches

Why it’s important?

Lighting is also key to staging a house. Lighting allows for one’s house to feel more open, feel more energized, and it shows off every facet of your house.

Staging Tip # 6: Curb Appeal

• Buy fresh flowers for the yard and front entrance – red, yellow or purple flowers are great colors to use. Home Depot and Lowes have affordable and beautiful flowers and often have them on sale
• Fresh paint on front door, red front doors are the most effective
• Put mulch in the yard and around trees
• Clean all windows
• Safely remove any bees or wasps nests
• Power wash driveway, roof and siding if necessary
• Make sure your lawn is freshly mowed

Why it’s important?

Super Important! The outside of your house is the very first thing a buyer will see, this will set the tone of the showing so it is extremely crucial that the curb appeal is welcoming and in the best possible condition. Staging the front of the house (or lack- thereof) can set the overall tone or mood of the rest of the showing and can influence the buyer’s opinion of the entire house. First impressions do matter; staging the outside of your house is just as important as staging the inside.

Staging Tip # 7: Deep Clean

• Remove everything from counters
• Clean all counters
• Clean the fridge (inside and outside)
• Clean the microwave, oven, stove, sink and dishwasher
• Sweep and mop all floors
• Deep clean and organize bathrooms
• Buy a new shower curtain
• Organize and clean garage
• Remove dust and clean blinds
• Remove pet fur
• Wash rugs, curtains, and sheets
• Ensure that every bed is neatly made
• Vacuum and clean all carpets thoroughly
• Organize closets, pantries, and drawers
• Use plug-in air fresheners, and lightly spray the house with air freshener, nothing too strong or overpowering

Don’t Like to Clean? Hire Someone.

Here are a few links to help you find a cleaning service in your area:

http://www.thecleaningauthority.com/find-your-location/?ZipNotFound=30301

http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/home_cleaning_services_list

Why it’s important?

Making sure your house is as clean and organized as possible, both the inside and outside is imperative. If your house is messy and disorganized it will instantly turn off the buyer and easily take away from your house and how much you could possibly sell it for. The buyer will remember nothing else besides “how messy that house was”, and poof there goes the sale of your house. A messy and disorganized house is a staging faux-pas.

Staging Tip #8: What about Pets?

• Clean pet areas such as a litter box or cage and relocate them to the back porch or an isolated area
• Replace or use furniture covers for any frayed or chewed up items
• Use baking soda to help get rid of any stains

Why it’s important?

The mess a pet can make and the odor they create can sometimes be difficult to maintain.  That’s why it’s important to keep it clean, odor free, and in an isolated area to avoid any mess or odors from happening in the future.

In these before and after pictures you can see the effect that simple and affordable staging can have on the overall feel of a house:

    
               If you want the pictures and marketing of your house to look great and the showings of your house to go well, it is imperative to follow these simple and inexpensive staging tips. Staging your house for sale is about allowing the house to put its’ best foot forward so to speak. You want the house to be able to do the talking and not distract or take away from unique and awesome features that your house offers, simple staging makes it easy to do this. The buyer wants to see the most your house has to offer, and you as the seller, want to get the highest price possible. These two things go hand in hand; you could have full control of this if you stage your house correctly. It’s sad to fathom that bad or no staging could potentially result in someone not selling their house for what it’s worth, especially since it’s something that can be easily fixed.  A first impression is extremely significant to a buyer and can make or break the sale of your house if the presentation or the staging is off. It’s helpful to put yourself in the shoes of the buyer and ask yourself “If I were a buyer what would I like to see?” For all of the staging tips that I have mentioned the total cost for everything will cost you less than $500.00! Furthermore, when selling your house, the improvements to your house could profit you on average 1-3% more than if you did nothing.

Click Here for More Seller Tips – The First 20 People Will Receive a "FREE" Copy of the Book I Wrote and Published, “What Every Person Needs to Know about Selling a House”
Author:  Kristin Stampini – CEO Florida Platinum Group – RE/MAX Services

YOUR HOME SOLD GUARANTEED OR I’LL BUY IT! No gimmicks!  For information on my exclusive Guaranteed Sale Program, order a free report by visiting: http://www.FlaGuaranteed.com

 

To Read Our Previous Blog, “House Hunters, Fake?” Click Here.