5 Secrets for staging your home to sell

Selling your home but don’t have the money to hire a professional stager?  Never fear.  These five tips will have you on the way to quick sale without breaking the bank.

  1. Pack away your personal items. 

    Potential buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in a new home; that’s pretty tough to do in a room full of someone else’s family photos and travel souvenirs.  Clear out your personal effects and allow buyers to mentally see their own photos and art on the wall.

  2. Keep colors neutral. 

    You may love hot pink; a potential buyer may not.  Neutral paint colors are calming and allow a “clean slate” for buyers to see how their own furniture and personal items would look in the space.

  3. Clear out clutter.

    Clutter will make a space feel cramped and potential buyers feel stressed.  (A cluttered home equals a cluttered mind, right?)  Remove all paperwork, bulky extra furniture and knick-knacks and organize closets.  Put your extra stuff in a storage unit, if necessary.  Buyers are seduced by spaciousness.

  4. Keep it fresh and clean. 

    Make sure you home is neat and tidy before showings, but avoid using strong air fresheners or perfumes.  Many people are sensitive to heavy fragrance, and you don’t want buyers associating your home with a pounding headache.

  5. Give each room a purpose.

    Help buyers envision the possibilities for your space by giving each room a distinct purpose — a bedroom, a home office, a library.  Think of how model homes are set up.