Buying a New Home? How to Stage Your Old One to Sell

When it comes to relocating as a homeowner, buying a new property is only half the battle. In order for the move to make financial sense, you need to sell your current home as quickly as possible. Selling a home takes a bit of work, most of which involves making the property as appealing as possible to potential buyers. Here’s how you can get your home ready to sell.

Consult with a Pro-Stager

First, contact a professional home stager (www.Stagedhomes.com – Find a Pro Directory) who can objectively assess your home and give you the necessary guidance on where to put your time, effort, and dollars. A Staging Consultation averages between $125-$400 around the country depending on how large your home is, where you are located, and the type of consultation provided. Many listing agents will pay for a professional stager to prepare a consultation as part of their listing and marketing services. Most Pro-Stagers provided detailed recommendations that you can document or they can document for you. Additionally, they can come back to help implement any recommendations and provide any needed items to create an appealing visual presentation of your home to prospective buyers. These items could include artwork, decor, soft goods, furniture, outdoor items, and whatever else may be needed. They can also provide helpful resources from their trusted network of providers for any work needed on your house.

Remodel the Kitchen and Bathrooms

While remodeling your entire home is a big ask, you should at least consider touching up the kitchen and the bathrooms. As the place where food preparation, casual meal consumption, and socializing often occurs, the kitchen has an outsize importance in the home. Buyers will want to see that the space is modern and sleek. Bathrooms are important because people want to feel comfortable in their most private moments.

Improve the Curb Appeal

Potential buyers will start judging your home the moment they pull up to the curb. If your property looks substandard from this perspective, people will immediately form a bad impression. No matter how beautiful the rest of the home may be, buyers won’t shake those initial doubts. To make sure your property looks attractive from the road, spend a few weeks painting the exterior, weeding the gardens, and getting the landscaping in order.

Set a Fair Price

Not all potential buyers are going to come to the table with mountains of cash. Some will have stretched their budgets and investigated unique loan solutions, to put themselves in the position to buy a house. You should keep this in mind when determining a listing price for your home. If you choose a figure that’s unreasonably high, you’ll price out a certain percentage of potential buyers. This means you’ll have to wait longer to get an offer on the home.

Add Small Embellishments During Tours

You can make your home stand out by taking a few inconspicuous steps just before a prospective buyer comes for a tour. Make sure every surface in the kitchen is clean and polished. Light some scented candles in the bathrooms, then blow them out just as the visitors arrive. Bake some chocolate brownies in the oven. These sensory tricks will help convince buyers that your house could be their new home.

If you want your finances to stay healthy during a move, you need to make selling your current home a priority. Follow these steps to make the process as easy as possible.


Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Rachelle recommends Precision Capital – Your Private Money Source, for those interested in loan options. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700