Staging your home can help you sell it faster and for more money. If you’ve never heard the term before, you’re probably wondering what it means. Staging in real estate refers to preparing the home and property so it looks most appealing. It is a mixture of practicality and emotional associations that wow potential buyers. And it doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. Find out more here.
What is Staging?
Staging includes:
- Cleaning the home, windows, and appliances so they look their best
- Decluttering so the home looks cleaner and bigger
- Removing or hiding items that are too personal like photographs, collectibles, or your cat-themed decor
- Setting a mood with scents and having plenty of light by opening the window coverings
- Showcasing how someone can use the spaces in the home
You want to help potential buyers imagine themselves and their lives in the home. So, you’ll want to make it less about you or any one person and more generally appealing. The emotional cues will naturally and unconsciously give the buyers positive associations with your home and make them feel good so they’re more likely to feel invested and be freer with their wallets.
How Much Staging Should You Do?
Depending on your budget and how much time and energy you feel you have, you may not want to put too much into this.
If you’re selling a home you can get a great price on and you have the time, you could stage all the rooms and the outdoors to the max. Just remember that you’re not decorating. Decorating is personal. You want the space to look attractive in a general sense.
If you have hardly any money or time to spare, hide the items that most scream you and buy a candle or two or cook something that smells great.
If you’re somewhere in the middle, pick and choose. You can focus on big selling points or weird nuances of the home and showcase those by moving a table in a space to show it can be a breakfast nook or placing a vase just about anyone would like in that cubby hole in the hallway. Is there a small or oddly-angled wall? Place something attractive there to show what someone can do with that space.
You don’t have to stage all the rooms. You can if you want to, but it’s not necessary.
The living room is the most important room to stage. If you want to keep it simple, focus there. The master bedroom is next, and the kitchen is third. The rest are optional.
Staging Tips
For smells: Avoid chemical air fresheners because they can cause asthma and allergic reactions. Essential oils would work better. If you smoke indoors, start smoking outside so the smell can dissipate before you show the home. Don’t overdo it with your pleasant smells. Too much of a good thing can be unpleasant.
Paint: If you’re going to paint the walls, warm, neutral colors are the most successful choices.
Furniture: Arrange the furniture so the home looks more spacious. You can also move furniture into different rooms to show potential uses for each space, such as turning the junk room into a quick guest room.
Call Wendy Gimpel Today
If you’re selling a luxury home in the Stillwater, MN area, Wendy Gimpel is the real estate agent to work with. Call or message her to get started.
