Top Ten Home Staging Tips
River Valley Ranch Home
Lisa LaPorta, co-host of HGTV‘s “Designed to Sell”, offers 10 easy ways to help your home sell faster:
1. Get the right mind-set. Once your home is listed, detach yourself. Treat the house as a commodity and make changes that will broaden its appeal.
2. Start at the curb. Look at what people will see when they drive up to the home. Trim hedges, plant flowers and keep the landscaping looking perfect. Walk the property and remove all unnecessary debris.
3. Paint – it’s money in a can. Outside, a coat of paint is one of the best face-lifts you can give your house for a relatively low price. Inside, paint walls a soft neutral like warm beige, sage or gold. Paint says fresh start and hides odors.
4. Focus on the entry. The front door should make a strong first impression. Make sure the door, hardware and porch look fabulous.
5. Start packing. Most homes would show better with 50 percent less “stuff”. Since you are already moving, give yourself a head start by packing away clothes, books, dishes and photos. Thin out bookcases and closets so buyers can appreciate the space and perceive that there is adequate storage. If you don’t want to store the items off-site, stack neat, labeled boxes in the garage. Clear surfaces; leave out one appliance in the kitchen and leave just a phone and lamp on your desk. Think “nice hotel”.
6. Catch up on maintenance. Do those minor repairs you should have done already. Paying attention to details signals that you care about big repairs as well.
7. Consider new appliances. Sellers get back every dollar they spend on new appliances. New appliances make buyers feel the whole room has room has been updated.
8. Add house bling. Update anything metal. Change doorknobs, faucets and curtain rods if they’re worn out or out of date. If you have dated polished brass fixtures, replace them or paint them an updated metallic that looks like oil-rubbed bronze or brushed nickel.
9. Clean house. We often don’t notice our own dirt. Look hard, starting with the switch place by the front door. Wipe it down, along with all light switches, doors and baseboards. Hire a maid if you aren’t the best housekeeper. Every surface should sparkle.
10. Banish smells. Pet odor kills deals. When buyers walk in the door, they should either smell nothing or a really nice scent, like cinnamon, citrus or fresh-baked cookies. Put out potpourri or fresh flowers. Replace carpets or have them professionally cleaned.
