Staging Your Home For a Quick Sale

1. Start with your curb appeal

If you don’t impress them from the curb you’ll never get them in the house. You only get one chance to make a first impression. When agents and buyers have a lot of homes to choose from, they naturally will toss aside listings with bad curb appeal. Replace dead shrubs or trees. Plant fresh flowers. Lay new sod or replace landscape gravel if necessary.

2. Make the entrance memorable

Keep the entry way clean and clear. Make sure your home smells fresh the moment they walk in. A fresh pot of flowers at the front door helps. A mirror or impressive piece of art as buyers walk inside is a great idea. Make every room bright by opening shades, removing sunscreens and cleaning windows.

3. Replace worn out fixtures

It might seem expensive to replace all of your faucets but it could bring in a better offer. Look through your home with a critical eye as if you were buying it for the first time and replace anything that looks old, outdated and beyond its’ life.

4. Arrange furniture to define and compliment space

Avoid over crowding a room or putting furniture in places where people may trip or have to squeeze by creating a sense of small spaces. You want to make your rooms feel spacious while helping buyers visualize what they would do with the space.

5. Modernize your kitchen

Clean the cabinets, if they are wood use a wood restoring product. Put new door/drawer hardware on. If it’s really outdated consider replacing appliances with stainless matching appliances or outdated counters with new ones. There are impressive laminates on the market today if you want to avoid the cost of solid surface or granite. But granite will always sell a kitchen!

6. Make your bath look like a resort spa

This requires making it “q-tip” clean, as in clean every little corner. Arrange fresh, new towels and scented candles. Keep the fixtures clean during listing.

7. Clean out closests/cabinets and store items not used weekly

This gives the appearance there is spacious storage and also prevents the buyers from being distracted by all of your junk! Remember you are selling them your house, not your shoe collection that would make Imelda Marcos blush! Here is a simple rule to follow, if you have not touched it in a month, put it in storage during listing your home.

8. Envision your master bedroom as a luxury hotel suite

Thick, clean, new bedding and window coverings to match and impress will do wonders. Scented candles and if there’s room a chair and reading light in the corner or small sofa. Eliminate “wall to wall dressers” to create space.

9. Paint the house!

Nothing improves the look of a home inside and out for less money than a fresh coat of paint. Keep colors warm and neutral. And make sure exterior colors are HOA approved if in an HOA so there are no headaches that could hold up closing or come back to haunt sellers after closing.

10. Make your home bigger

You don’t need to build an addition, simply arrange outdoor spaces such as patios with furniture to create more living areas.