Check out this article from Redfin that featured home stagers sharing their tips including Jennie Norris, President & CEO of Stagedhomes, IAHSP Chairwoman, and owner of Sensational Home Staging in Colorado.
One important aspect that many home sellers overlook is staging. However, in today’s competitive housing market, home staging is an essential step in order to sell your home quickly, increase home value, and stand out from the competition.
We’ve asked the professionals why staging is so important, and to share their best home staging secrets. So, whether you’re relocating to Los Angeles, CA, or packing up and moving to Toronto, CA, you’ll be able to set the stage and sell your home for all its potential.
Begin with curb appeal
“The first impression is the last impression” was aptly coined for creating a great curb appeal. Simple things like trimming your trees, painting your mailbox if you have one, making sure your house number is visible, new hardware on your front door, and a fresh coat of paint will all add tremendously to your curb appeal. A home with the right curb appeal helps buyers understand that it is a well-cared-for house. – Pramiti Bhargava, Co-Founder, BlueGrape Staging
Be sure to clean your home, update furnishings and decor, and hire a certified stager
One home staging secret and the first way to wow prospective clients is to have an immaculately clean home inside and out to show how well the property has been taken care of. This includes grounds, sidewalks, driveway, entryway, floors, walls, windows, and ceiling. Next, replace everything outdated and tired-looking. This gives the home, no matter the age of the property, a fresh and relatable persona. Hire certified stagers to review the details of the property so that the seller can maximize profits and sell the home quickly. Having staging professionals furnish, pack, and store unnecessary personal items with easy-to-access retrieving systems as well as provide locally qualified handymen, painting, and cleaning services is invaluable to minimizing the stress of the homeowner. – Fine Design Staging
Selling your home is all about the buyers
Once you decide to sell, remember it’s no longer about you – it’s about your buyers. All buyers will make a decision about buying your home within 10 seconds of opening your front door – make sure your look draws them in immediately and they get excited about what’s to come. Don’t leave your home staging to chance or to your Realtor. Remember, Realtors are not home stagers. Staging is the most important step in selling. Do your research and hire your own home stager to create your best “model home look” that every buyer wants and will pay more money to get. – Overland Park Home Staging
When selling, your home is now a product
A beautifully staged home attracts more quality buyers. When you attract more interest, you sell sooner and buyers do not want to miss out. The home sells when the seller has the most leverage. Staging is key to selling your home for the highest price. – HOAG Real Estate
Get the most bang for your buck
Why wouldn’t you visually market your biggest asset? By positioning your property to be the most visually appealing you’re raising the perceived value and therefore the offer price. – Prime Home Staging
Create an emotional connection with potential buyers
A property that is staged looks better in photos and in person and creates an emotional connection with the target buyers who are better able to visualize the house as their next home. You only get one chance to make the best first impression and sellers who want to sell quickly and get the very best price need to stage their homes before they list. Staging is proven to help properties sell for up to 20% more than one that is not staged and go under contract up to 30x faster – according to statistics shared by both the International Association of Home Staging Professionals and the National Association of Realtors. – Sensational Home Staging
Space is what sells
Remove clutter by using proper furniture choices and minimize unnecessary items is one of my favorite home staging secrets. The use of an area rug in living spaces creates a cozy and inviting atmosphere that brings warmth to the space.- New Concept Home Staging & Re-Design
Declutter and depersonalize: A tried and true home staging secret
But be sure not to remove all of the color and character. One-of-a-kind and unique pieces are going to make your house feel like a home and help potential buyers see themselves living there. The key is to have just one or two things in each room that really draw the eye. – Modernous
Attract more buyers with a move-in ready home
Statistics from various real estate sources prove that in this day and age, 63% of people are willing to pay more for a move-in-ready home. And how are we going to get the home ready in a short period of time? Hire a home stager and we’ll do the work for you. We can work together as a team and get the most important things finished on time and help you sell your home getting the biggest return on your investment. – Whistler Lifestyle Design
Style your house like your favorite home store
Think about your favorite store and why you like to shop there. Merchandising. Edit by 1/3. Make a pleasing arrangement by color, size, like items, etc. Use baskets to unify. – Five Starr Staging & Redesign
Make a great first impression with professional photos and floral arrangements
Almost all buyers start their search online, so it is imperative that professional photos make the best first impression. And, make buyers feel at home. When buyers feel at home they become attached and motivated to move forward with an offer. One of my favorite small, yet powerful recommendations to homeowners when staging their home is to use fresh plants or flowers in the entry, kitchen, and/or dining table(s). A simple plant or floral arrangement gives life to the spaces and creates a feeling of home. – Tarragona Designs
Home staging secret: First impressions really matter
We like to tell our clients as we are standing (and smiling) in their entryway, “You have 11 seconds to sell your home from right here!” A stager comes in with a fresh eye – and one that’s been developed to see through the lens of a camera. Online photos are everything. Decorating to stay vs. staging to sell are very different approaches. An overly decorated home will not photograph well, as the décor itself seeks attention and can block the eye from seeing the architectural features of the home. A properly staged home will accentuate the best architectural features and allow the home to shine its brightest in an unassuming way. Add a new welcome mat to the front door, choose a neutral color to paint your walls, and buy new light fixtures to transform a room. – Decorating with Grace
Staging a home is just like meeting someone for the first time
You want to make a good first impression and want someone to focus on the character of your home. So keep the outward appearances simple while emphasizing your home’s best features. This is also true about selling a house. – Fresh Eyes For Your Home
Don’t forget about closets, windows, and bathrooms
Clean out your closets and pack away anything and everything you don’t need. All remaining clothing should be on matching hangers, smaller items in matching bins or baskets, and the closet floors as empty as possible. This will give buyers the feeling of lots of storage space. Have your windows professionally cleaned. You’ll be amazed at how this enhances not only the professional photos but also brings the sunshine in and gives a feeling of openness during tours. Thoroughly clean your bathrooms. Repair broken tile, caulk, and grout; remove residue from showerheads and faucets; remove products that you no longer use and organize what remains in matching bins/baskets. All medications should be stored out of sight. Invest in fluffy, bright white bath and hand towels, replace your shower curtain, remove/hide all wastebaskets, cleaning tools, and personal products. – Anne Cole Interiors