Written by: Karl Kennedy

When the time has come to place your home on the market, your hope is that the home will sell quickly and for top dollar. If your home sells to the first or second person that tours it, it will be because the home has the appeal of a real showplace. This is what staging your home to sell can help you accomplish.

Staging is simply the best way to highlight the outstanding features of your home. There are many professional stagers out there, or if you have an eye for design, you can achieve great results on your own. If you are going it alone and need any outside assistance, your realtor has seen plenty of well-staged homes and can usually offer some good advice. With that in mind, here are five staging tips that you can easily apply to your home to attract more buyers and bring you better purchase offers.

Tip #1: Clean and Declutter

It’s not okay to just “tidy up”. There should be no collection of “things” anywhere in sight (this includes closet floors). Tabletops should be dust-free with no paperwork piled on them (a coffee table book with beautiful pictures can be the exception). Kitchen counters should be empty of things like coffeemakers, toasters, and other small appliances.

Wipe down baseboards so that they shine. Don’t leave cobwebs and dust on light fixtures and ceiling fan blades. Touch up, or completely repaint, walls with smudges or rub marks. Wipe off light switch covers (these are often missed when cleaning) and shine those doorknobs. Have carpets professionally cleaned and run a vacuum just be for any showing.

Tip #2: They’re Going To Look

Everyone has one or more junk drawers or storage places. A buyer will “investigate” places that you wouldn’t expect them to. So straighten up that area under the steps, empty or re-organize that kitchen drawer, remove any extra things from your linen closet. Emptier spaces appear to be larger then the same space with added “stuff”.

Tip #3: Natural Light Is Important

Buyers love to see a home that has a lot of natural light so it is only natural that you open any drapes and blinds. In addition, you should clean, or have cleaned, all of your windows on the inside and out. And don’t forget to also clean any screens.

Although it is not natural light, replace any weak, dim, or burnt out light bulbs with bulbs that have the greatest wattage allowed for your fixture or lamp. Replace any lamp shades with new ones and if you need to light up a darker area, add an extra lamp or two.

Tip #4: Define The Space

It sounds silly but buyers expect a bedroom to look like a bedroom, not a bedroom and a workout space. The family room should appear cozy and comfortable and not over-crowded with a computer desk over in the corner. If your home has a theater room, have the projector on and play a popular music video with the sound turned down soft and low.

Tip #5: Welcome Home

First impressions are everything when attempting to sell your home and curb appeal is number one. Trim the bushes, keep the lawn mowed, and power wash the sidewalks and driveway. Paint the front door an attractive color, darker colors make a better impression. Invest in a new welcome mat for the front entry and maybe the entry in from the garage.

Place a vase of flowers near the front door. They will add beauty and a pleasant smell. In the kitchen, have a plate of fresh-baked cookies and bottles of water setting out with a note that says “Please Help Yourself”. Another great way to add pleasing aroma to a kitchen is to have a pie, just baked, or baking, in the oven during the showing.

The Takeaway

The National Association of Realtors estimates that a well staged home can increase the selling price of the home by 1% – 5%.  Staging even a $100,000 home will not only make it stand out from the crowd, it could put an additional $1,000 – $5,000 in your pocket at closing. Staging doesn’t require that much effort and can be a real difference maker in the end.