How to Stage a Home for Potential Buyers [Guide]
Selling a property entails much more than staking a sign on the front lawn. Our ‘How to Rent Your House — Ultimate Guide’ post highlighted the importance of home improvements in making your property more attractive than others currently available on the market — this applies to selling a home, too.
This means that repairs, upgrades, or in some cases, renovations are in order.
Read on for some tips on how to stage a home for potential buyers.
Resources:
- Real Estate Investing School: How to Retire on Passive Income
- How to Increase Your Income and Master Your Money (Saving, Investing, Taxes)
Declutter and deep clean
Before you buy new furniture or plan upgrades to spruce up your home, a thorough clean of the property should be the first task on your list. Start by removing any signs of clutter as that can really make a space feel much smaller than it actually is.
When deep cleaning, you want to focus on areas like the bathroom and the kitchen. These are prone not only to unpleasant smells, but pesky problems like mold, too.
This is often due to the excess moisture commonly found in these rooms, as well as poor ventilation and plumbing issues, explains Andy Floyd on HomeServe. Wherever mold grows, these black spots are very unsightly and can be a huge turn-off for prospective buyers.
Buying a home is a huge commitment, so expect your prospective clients to be thorough when it comes to inspecting the property. Any unwanted smell or spot might hurt your chances of making a sale.
Learn –> How to Increase Your Income and Master Your Money (Saving, Investing, Taxes)
Attend to repairs
It can be challenging to sell a home that’s riddled with structural or aesthetic issues.
It’s important to ensure that all areas that need repairs — stuck windows, broken toilets, water leaks, peeling paint, etc. — are fixed. Otherwise, buyers might use damages as leverage for a lower price or worse, pass up on making an offer entirely.
Make cosmetic changes
It goes without saying that interior design is very important, especially as luxury real estate expert Eric Mendelsohn told Business Insider that dated decor can make a property virtually unsellable.
If you’re selling an unfurnished property, it still pays to stage it with some furnishings and decor. Plus, you can always choose to rent them at reasonable prices. The important thing is that you create a vision of the kind of life buyers can make in your home.
However, remember that it’s not just about having matching couches and coffee tables. Small cosmetic upgrades count as well.
This includes things like comfortable linens, new drawer knobs, a fresh coat of paint, and re-polished wood flooring. All of these create a more inviting feel to the house, and with any luck, can get clients inclined to make an offer after viewing it.
Learn –> How to Increase Your Income and Master Your Money (Saving, Investing, Taxes)
Upgrade the lighting
Adequate lighting is another consideration for most homebuyers. The more natural, the better and if you can, installing new windows is your best option.
This allows more natural light to enter, which Style Caster notes can make a home feel airy and more spacious than it actually is. But don’t forget to upgrade your existing light fixtures, too. You can add more lamps, vanity lights, accent lighting, and of course, exterior lighting.
Enhance the exteriors
As important as interior upgrades are, they can be pointless if homebuyers are turned off by the exteriors. You can increase your curb appeal by tending to your garden, repainting the house, and even pressure washing the walkway.
Know your audience
But with all the above in mind, the most important piece of advice we can give you is to know your audience. Understanding the needs of prospective buyers can help you focus your home staging efforts on what truly matters.
For instance, a HelloFresh study found that millennials value well-designed kitchens more than dining areas or living rooms.
This is because most buyers tend to have a vision of the kind of lifestyle they want to live, and this is influenced by the amenities they have at home. So, make sure to do a quick survey of what potential buyers are looking for so you can help make that dream come true.
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