Staging Your Home to Sell

Four Tips to Staging Your Home

At Morrison Home Team, we know selling your home can be a big undertaking. Especially when it comes to making it “show ready” at a moment’s notice, just like this sunroom is at 210 E Liberty Street. So how do all of those homes you see listed on the MLS always look so picture perfect? The secret: staging.

Staging is the practice of strategically arranging furniture and décor to help the house look it’s best during the selling process. This could be done simply by rearranging preexisting décor, hiring a professional stager to rent and arrange furnishings if the house is vacant or lacking items, or even by giving the house a complete refresh with new paint and other minor modifications to aid the sale.

Why stage? Well, according to a 2017 National Association of Realtors survey, 77% of buyers’ agents say that proper staging helps clients to better visualize the space as their own, which is the goal after all!

In order to make this process less daunting, we have compiled a few of our best tips to get your house ready to sell, and to sell quickly:

Tidy Up

This is definitely the most important step for anyone selling their home! In order for home buyers to best visualize the space as their own, it is best to tidy up the space. Box up knick-knacks and personal items that are cluttering space and neatly store them out of view. This will not only keep the focus on the home, but it will also tastefully show what the room can offer without looking too busy. When that is done, it’s time to deep clean. Dust, vacuum, shine, polish, and bleach whatever catches your eye that you think could have an impact on the sale of your home. Make sure not to use too many scented products, as this could trigger allergies or just general distaste for the smell. This is a great first step to making your home sell ready.

Stage the Most Important Rooms First

If it comes down to not having the time or money to stage the entire home, simply working on a few rooms could really increase the value. The most “important” rooms to stage are usually considered the most used rooms in the home. These include the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom. If these are the only rooms properly done, then it still gives your home a boost compared to other, unstaged homes. Other rooms such as kid’s bedrooms, bathrooms, and the basement, while they still should be organized and cleaned, they are not as vital to the selling of a home.

“Float” your Furniture

A common decorating myth is the belief that all furniture should be situated along the walls of the room. This technique, though, generally makes the room look much smaller than it actually is. The idea of “floating” your furniture means creating spaces positioned around an area rug, a coffee table, or a fire place closer to the center of the room. This will not only make the room appear to be larger than it actually is, but also create more of an intimate feel that draws people to a room.

Boost Your Curb Appeal

Staging your home doesn’t just belong on the inside of the house! Curb appeal is an easy way to draw attention to your home from the moment that a possible buyer pulls into the driveway. Entice them with a trimmed lawn, crisp landscaping, lovely gardens, and even a welcome mat! If you are listing in the winter, show that your home can still be lovely in the snow by keeping the driveway and walkways cleared and hanging a winter wreath on the door. A little care goes a long way!

Now you are ready to start staging your home! If you are currently looking to sell and would like some more information on properly staging your space, get in touch with your Morrison Home Team agent to discuss opportunities available.

Are there any more questions you have about staging a home? Contact us or simply reach us via email at john@morrisonhometeam.com or by phone at 847.409.0297.