11 Tips to Staging Your Home

Home Staging is preparing your home to get the best price possible and a quicker sale. 

But what do you do first? Here we have a detailed list of things to do and a cheat sheet you can download to make life easier. 

Did You Know?

According to a recent survey of over 3500 homes, spending 1-3% of the value of your home on home staging and upgrades will typically net you a 10% return in the sale! Wow right? Staging is always better and more cost-efficient than the first price reduction. Typical price reductions are €10K! Most home staging doesn’t cost that. Did you know that you can start with a consultation for as little as €250? 

Here are some things a Home Stager would tell you to do:

1. Disassociate

You are selling your home, so let’s think of your house as a “product.” You will start packing things up and looking for a new house. We know you have a lot of memories in this house but soon you will be making memories in a new house. 

2.Commit to the Process

The hard work you put in now to get your house ready to sell will give you great rewards in the sale of your home. Wouldn’t it be nice to get more money than you expected? So make the necessary improvements with the greatest ROI (Return on investment) and you won’t be disappointed. This means doing everything on this list. Really give it everything you’ve got. This will also give buyers no excuse not to fall in love with your home and make an offer. 

3. Get Help

Using a professional stager will increase your staging returns enormously. Professional Stagers have gone through rigorous training, some are Interior Designers (I am) and have a passion for all things design. These people are the perfect solution if you want to get the best results and least amount of time invested. Visit www.livewelldesigns.net for more info on our Home Staging Services.

4. Packing Starts Now

Soon you will be looking for a new house if you haven’t already. So, get those boxes, have a yard sale, and donate anything you no longer need or want. You don’t want to move to the next house with a bunch of things you don’t want or need anymore. It is a hassle to pack and move. So, pack and move with less. This will also help in staging your home. Less stuff means less clutter. 

5. Fix It

Only low ball investors like homes that need work, so make those repairs now! A Home Stager will tell you the things that will get your best ROI(Return on Investment). Painting is a huge one! Do you have bright and bold colors on your walls? I love a good color but most home buyers will be turned off by that and deduct money from their offer so they can repaint. See my paint color cheatsheet for recommended colors to use. Other fixes can be simple and easy fixes. The idea is to give the buyer no reason to take money off their offer and every reason to put in a top offer. 

6. No Profile

Don’t allow buyers to profile you. This means you need to pack away any political, religious or anything else that could be considered offensive. Not everyone shares our beliefs or opinions and we don’t want to turn them off. Again, we want to give them every reason to make an offer and no excuse not too.

7. Photo Rules

People get uncomfortable in a house when it feels like other people live there. This happens with our photos of our family etc. This brings us back to packing starts now. The only photos that should be out are Lifestyle photos. This could be your family skiing at a local mountain, drinking wine at a winery, etc. This gives them the feeling of the “good life” in your home. 

8. De-Clutter

Any home accessories older than 4 years old or smaller than a baseball should get packed away. The house needs to feel clean, well organized and updated. If you have a home stager, they might recommend a few things you should get to complete the look. Sometimes they rent you their accessories but that depends on a few things. So, talk to your stager if you have one. 

9. Lighting

Natural light is the best light. Removing old or cheap drapes helps to let in that natural light. Feel free to keep blinds/shades but have them in their fully raised position unless these are good quality. Replace any dated fixtures and trim bushes near windows. 

10. Modernize

Fresh Pillows, Large Artwork, Live Plants or even real looking fake ones, white towels all make a HUGE impact on the look and feel of your house. All to many times I have found the artwork is not to scale with the wall or furniture. Plants bring in life and white towels give the impression of cleanliness. 

11. Outsource

If you have a lot to do or a big job that you aren’t able to conquer yourself then hire someone to help or just take care of it. Your real estate agent or home stager should have a list of vendors they recommend. 

Following these will give you the best opportunity to sell your home fast and for the most money. These are also things that a home stager can’t do but we would tell you if you hired us. 

Get your Staging Cheat Sheet here. Stick it to the fridge and check off the things you have done. This will keep you on track and focused. Giving you the best results and outcome. Remember, we want every buyer to feel comfortable in your home that could soon be theirs. Give them every reason to fall in love with your house, make an offer and get you your asking price. 

After it all, you’ll have a home ready for photos. 90% of buyers look at the houses online before visiting the house. This means your photos are key in getting more showings. Staging your house will get you amazing photos to share everywhere. Note: Websites like Zillow and Realtor.com send out emails of new listings to anyone who has saved that search. This means your home and photos are being sent to A LOT of people as soon as you list it. Make those impressions last with great photos. 

Happy Staging!

Wendy Valente

Article written by Wendy Valente, HSR Certified Professional home stager and interior designer. The owner of Live Well Designs.