Should I Stage my Home before Selling?

Like most buyers, I began the process by shopping around. I spent my time working with a realtor and scheduling visit after visit to many houses. I think it would be fair to say I've seen hundreds of houses!

During so many visits you really start to see the difference between some of the properties, how they are maintained and overall taken care of. One of the most surprising things was that the vast majority of the houses were not staged. I’m a designer, so I didn’t have a problem seeing the real potential of the house. It worked for me, because it gave me arguments to knock the price down. That being said, if you’re not a designer and are looking to sell your home we highly recommend following some of these simple steps. In doing so, you may receive a much better price, and create a seamless buying experience for your purchasers.

Clean and Declutter

First things first. You absolutely must clean and declutter your house. Seriously, do it. It is quite common, over time, to gather “stuff” in excess. Oftentimes we might think that we have too many things but overtime we are so used to them in our space, that we don’t pay attention to them anymore.

All furniture and minimal accessories that you keep should work in favor of the space. You should keep only those things that help enhance the potential of your home- and hey we’re not saying throw anything out! For the purpose of staging simply put anything in excess in storage until you find its new home in your new house!

Even if you love books or you think your collection of dolls is amazing, try to downsize it to the minimum and remember that when it comes to staging, less is more.

Doll Collection, image courtesy of Flickr

2. Complete Small Home Repairs

One of the best ways to make a home look and feel newer & better is by completing small fixes.

Find all scratched or chipped walls and apply touches of paint. Cover ripped wallpaper, hanging wires or switches without covers with new ones. Replace missing baseboards, exchange non-working light bulbs or change out dim lights for brighter ones in spaces like kitchens or bathrooms.

Have a door handle that just won't lock anymore? Try switching out and replacing door handles in the home. Small fixes like these don’t take a lot of time or money but will drastically improve the atmosphere of your house.

Broken Outlet, Image Courtesy of Trip Advisor

3. Hang curtains in each window.

This is a trick that as designers we like to use to make a home appear welcoming and cozy. By hanging curtains in each window, your once bare window will now appear to be more inviting.

4. Try to keep your home neutral.

Some people like bold and bright colours, but the vast majority will relate to a neutral pallet. Try to keep your home neutral even if you are a fan of vivid and intense colour, you want to appeal to the highest number of potential buyers, and neutral means more classy.

If you have coloured walls, consider painting them in neutral tones like greys or whites which appeal to a larger number of buyers than say a blue room.

5. Convert Unused Rooms into Bedrooms

We understand that not every room in your house may be used as a bedroom, we all have that space that just doesn't fit into any category. It’s not the gym or storage, but it has a lot of different items.

Spaces like this should be converted into a bedroom so that your potential buyers can visualize its use as a bedroom.

6. Rent Furniture

If you already moved out and have left behind an empty space, or your furniture is a bit dated and could use an update, don’t be afraid to rent some. Renting furniture may help you in the long run with your sale. By doing so, you can fill the space with furniture so people can imagine how the space can work for them.

Need help with big or small changes to your space, or assistance with staging your home before you sell? Reach out at info@ammoderninteriors.com or DM us on socials.