Homestaging, what is it? It's the process of making your home look like a house that is on the market. However, this is NOT redecorating, but a way to help potential buyers to envision themselves in your home. If a buyer can't see past all of your individual touches and knick knacks it can be distracting and may ultimately prevent a sale.
There are lots of different ways to go about homestaging but the first, easiest and cheapest thing you can do is a major clean up. First impressions are key and a messy home is not inviting. So roll your sleeves up and get to work on the decluttering. Every baseboard must be scrubbed, every window shined, and every countertop gleaming in preparation for showing your home. If you need some motivation think about the fact that when you do sell you won't have any of that extra clutter lying around!
Next, do you have a bright red dining room? Or a fuchsia colored bathroom? Those colors might have fit your individual tastes but it might not match a potential buyer's. Now is the time to work on neutralizing the color palette. The idea is to create a blank canvas for buyers and that neon green kitchen takes away from that. Repainting using creams, beiges, and soft browns are a great choice to warm up any room.
The next order of business is to make the exterior of your home look as inviting as the interior. So if you've been neglecting the lawn and letting those hedges get out of control now is the time to start chopping...literally. Another thing to watch out for is peeling housepaint, not a good look. Get rid of that using a pressure washer and the cracked paint will be gone in no time. If you really want to sell, then you have to sell the whole package, so give the outward appearance of your home it's due diligence.
There are lots of great homestaging tips to be found on websites like www.tlc.com but the most important one is that now is the time to remove all personal signatures. Buyers do want to see a home that looks warm, inviting, and happy. But too much visibility of your individual touches can make it hard for them to see why they should make a purchase. Luckily, these three tips can make it all a lot easier. Good luck!
