6 Savvy Hacks for Staging Your Home

Real estate experts always say that the problem with selling a property is you need to show it off to people. Very rarely do homes look like those on the pages of House and Home or some other home and lifestyle magazine. Real homes where people live never look perfect – even after a cleaning day. But the thing is, to attract buyers, you need to create the look of perfection for the house you are selling. Therefore, the easiest thing to do is to set a date for an open house. For this day, put all of your effort in. After all, an open house is all about creating the ideal look and feel to meet  the requirements of prospective buyers. Putting the property in the best light is actually not that difficult. It’s all about knowing what homebuyers automatically notice and addressing them, such as dings on surfaces, stains, clutter, and several other things. To make the home you are selling look perfect for potential buyers, here are six staging hacks to implement:

1. Use moss to create the look of a healthy yard.

If grass refuses to grow on your lawn despite your efforts, buy moss. Lawn care specialists and landscapers agree that moss is a wonderful alternative to grass. It is affordable, and it does not require a lot of care because it gets its sustenance from the air. Additionally, it can achieve the look of profusion easily because it does not take root. So, to conceal the ugly brown patches on your yard, use moss as the solution.  

2. Put your clutter in storage.

For your open house, it may be better to tuck away a lot of your belongings. If you have a garage that is big enough – good, but if you do not, take them to a local storage facility. Putting them in storage may be a better solution, especially if you will be moving to a new house in the same area after the sale. When you are showing off your home, you want to present all its possibilities to potential buyers. One of the most effective ways to do that is by clearing out rooms and giving buyers a better understanding of how much space they can work with. You do not want them to get distracted by all the things you have around. The key here is to only maintain items at home that have a specific function, and can show off the beauty of your property. Stagedhomes notes:  Work with a professional ASP Stager to help you understand what to pack up and what to leave out.  Some houses can be too stripped down when a seller removes too much – and that is not visually appealing either.  Your trainer ASP Home Stager will give you an honest and objective plan to help you know exactly what to do, room by room.  

3. Put away family pictures and your children’s trophies.

According to celebrity designer, Erinn Valencich, “…potential buyers want to feel at home – not like guests in someone else’s home…” Store framed images of your family and awards in boxes tucked in cabinets or closets. Keep family albums and other personal mementos and collections as well.  

4. If you have a pet, entrust it to a friend or relative for the day.

Leave no trace of your animal companions. Some people are quite allergic to animals and may not even bother to go inside the house once they detect that there’s an animal at home. Apart from banishing the pet for the day and hiding its bowl, litterbox and toys, clear the air of its scent. There are folks who simply have an aversion to the smell of animals.  

5. Create an inviting scent by baking.

If you intend to make the open house a cozier experience for everyone, baking cookies will create that delicious welcoming scent. Plus, you can serve the cookies to potential buyers (a win for providing them with a pleasant experience). Or, you can fake a delicious scent for your home by placing a baking sheet sprinkled with cinnamon in the oven and heating it up before the “guests” arrive. Stagedhomes notes: Do not conceal negative aromas with air fresheners or baking but treat the source to eliminate the odor/aroma.  This article does share the truth that a house that smells like freshed baked cookies or bread is very enticing!  

6. Set up little scenes throughout the house.

An abandoned chess game in the living room. A hat hung on the hallway rack. These little details are charming, and there are property buyers who are easily won over by charm. So, create such scenes for your home but be quite judicious to avoid the look of clutter.   As simple as these hacks may be, they can make a whole world of difference for your open house. Combine them with other staging strategies and instantly increase the chances of getting a good offer right away.   AUTHOR BIO Craig Jones is the Managing Director at Aussiemove, Australia’s largest independent moving alliance. Craig is a respected member of the removalist network in Australia, having served in senior positions, including the President of the removal industries governing body, the Australian Furniture Removals Association (AFRA). With 23 years of experience at Aussiemove, he has the skills and the highly trained team to move families safely and reliably, in Adelaide, across Australia, and around the world.