Staging your home to sell

In life and in home sales, first impressions are everything. Prospective buyers may look at many homes before deciding which one to buy. Often, the first viewing factors into whether a home receives a second look. In preparation for the prospective buyers who will look at your home, it’s important to put your property’s best face forward with presale home improvements or, in other words, to “stage” your home for sale.

Exterior Impressions

The very first image that prospective buyers see is your home’s exterior, so pay attention to the landscaping. It may be worthwhile to mulch and plant a few new bushes or flowers in your yard to spruce it up. Keep in mind that as a seller, you want to show prospective buyers the possibilities your home offers. You don’t have to plant a lavish new garden, but some simple, attractive landscaping can allow potential buyers to imagine what they could put in the outdoor spaces, too. Also consider hanging a seasonal wreath on your door and filling planters for your porches. A little goes a long way in beautifying the exterior of your home, so be sure not to go overboard.

You should also determine whether the exterior of your house needs to be repainted in order to sell it. A house that has peeling paint and bare wood spots may present as a home that has been neglected, which in turn could lead buyers to wonder what else hasn’t been kept up. Then, calculate the cost of painting the house. Are you able to paint it yourself? Or, do you need to hire a crew to do it? Perhaps you don’t need to repaint the whole building, but a fresh coat on the front door could accent your home’s attractiveness just enough to create a favorable first impression.

Interior Impressions

For the interior, cleanliness is essential when it comes to showing your home to prospective buyers. While buyers may realize that some properties are “fixer-uppers” that will require some elbow grease, a cluttered, unkempt house tends to discourage buyers from even considering the property. After seeing any number of prospective homes, buyers are more likely to eliminate messy or unclean homes up for sale.

In addition to general housekeeping, a new coat of paint in each room can also help freshen up your home. While you may prefer walls in espresso brown or deep indigo, your tastes may not be shared by the prospective buyers. In staging your home, you want to offer a blank canvas to help buyers imagine possibilities. This means painting the interior in neutral colors. It also means de-accessorizing your home, especially if your personal taste runs toward the eclectic. Keep your accessories simple, spare, and tasteful so buyers can envision a living space that matches their own pictures, lamps, and furniture.

The most common mistake prospective sellers make is to showcase their personal decorating tastes and styles to impress potential buyers. Instead, when staging your home for sale, think Thoreau and “simplify, simplify” by offering the prospective buyer a blank canvas to draw on.