Selling Your Existing Home? Here are 9 Staging Tips

When it comes time to sell your home, take time to brainstorm the ways you can make it more marketable–many with little to no expense.

1. Boost Curb Appeal

First impressions mean a lot. That said, make sure your home has that ‘wow’ factor when prospective buyers drive by. Paint the trim and/or the front door if they look dull or faded. Keep the grass cut and the bushes trimmed. Consider planting some flowers or hanging a colorful planter near the door. Wash the windows.

2. Declutter

Grab boxes and set out on a mission. Box up as many items as possible without stripping the room. In other words, pack away the shelves of soccer trophies, that stack of car magazines, and your shot glass collection. Rent a storage unit, if necessary, to clear boxes of belongings out of the way.

You want buyers to see your home, not your belongings. You also want to leave an impression of spaciousness–not one of being over-crowded. Make it easy for them to picture where they will put their stuff. Also, the less stuff there is in a room, the bigger it will look (and it will be easier to keep clean).

3. Clean Everything!

This is so important, that you might want to consider hiring a cleaning service to come in and scrub everything. Cleaning will make your home appear newer and more appealing. There is nothing more off-putting than walking across sticky floors, or being accosted by pet odors.

4. Add a fresh coat of paint, stain, or hardware.

A house should reflect the personality of its owner. However, if you have bright, bold colors on your walls, you might want to consider repainting in a more neutral color to appeal to a wider range of buyers who may not share your vibrant taste. It’s also a good idea to cover up scuff marks or scratches with a fresh coat of paint or stain. This will make the area look fresher and cleaner.

5. Clean the Floors and Carpets

Once again, you may want to call in the professionals. Have your carpets steam cleaned to remove any stains or ground-in dirt. This is especially important if you have pets. Often, we cease to notice the faint odor of dog when we live with it every day. Prospective buyers, however, will sense it immediately.

6. Set the Dining Room Table

It may seem silly, but when you stage the dining room table it makes the room seem more elegant, and people start envisioning themselves gathered around the table, entertaining, and enjoying their new home. It works!

7. Rearrange Your Furniture

Most realtors can help you with this. Many will actually recommend removing unnecessary furniture and putting it in storage. The idea is to make the rooms look bigger and to give buyers a chance to picture their own belongings in a room instead of yours.

8. Beware of bad odors.

We already mentioned the dog smell in the carpet, but you should also avoid cooking pungent foods that might linger. Air out the house as often as possible and run an air purifier if you think it smells musty.

9. Stage the outdoors.

If your home has a beautiful deck, then show it off. Put out the barbecue grill and set the table outside. Give them the vision of what entertaining on that deck would look like. Don’t forget to clean up the backyard as well as the front of the house.

Sheffield Homes has been building custom homes in the Denver metro area and northern Colorado for 40 years. If you need a custom home builder, call us today and set up a consultation.