Home Staging to Attract Buyers and Maximize Sale Price

home staging

If you’re looking to sell your home faster and outshine your competition, home staging can go a long way toward that end.

But first, start with paint, updated flooring, and replacing light fixtures, all inexpensive ways to refresh and renew a home without the hefty investment of replacing existing kitchens or bathrooms. A fresh coat of a neutral paint color throughout can instantly make a space appear updated and fresh, especially if walls are currently dark or wallpapered. Staging your home is the finishing touch that will have buyers falling in love with your space.

home staging

Simple home staging fixes

Something as simple as applying a fresh coat of neutral color paint to walls, ceiling and trim can make rooms with low ceilings appear larger, and ceilings appear higher.

installing a light fixtureRefinishing or replacing scratched, outdated or worn flooring can make a huge difference when it comes to attracting buyers. Carpeting too—stained, damaged, tattered or outdated carpeting should be replaced. Better to substitute old carpeting with a new, affordable replacement that will show better to buyers. No matter how much you love the deep purple or grass green carpet you installed once upon a time, buyers will probably be turned off by it. Switch it out for a neutral color carpet. Like any “little fixes” your home may need, buyers don’t ordinarily respond well to “carpet allowances” or similar offers that home sellers often offer—home buyers simply aren’t looking for more work to do before their new house is in move-in condition. Unless they’re looking for flips, buyers want to see a home that is finished, polished, and move-in-ready.

Light fixtures provide potential buyers with a very visible sign about whether a home has been maintained and updated throughout the years. If your light fixtures are dated and / or in disrepair, spend some money to replace them. Tasteful, attractive light fixtures to suit any home can be found in hardware stores, home design stores and lighting stores everywhere.

Clean it, de-clutter it

So, what is the best staging trick to increase buyer interest and your home’s value? There are two answers to this question:

  1. Clean it
  2. De-clutter it

Buyers assume thporch and patio staging.at a clean, clutter-free house represents a home that has been well maintained.

Curb appeal is the potential home buyer’s first impression,  and it can make or break a sale. Keep the yard mowed, bushes trimmed, and garden tended. Power wash your home and sidewalks, make sure the porch is clean and uncluttered, and the front door is appealing.

Clear any toys or figurines out of the yard and clean all windows. Gutters should be cleaned and make sure no exterior paint is peeling. Don’t forget to stage outdoor spaces as well—patios and porches are valuable real estate. You want buyers to picture themselves living in your home.

Make it look move-in ready!

Why is home staging so important? Because today’s buyers are looking for a move-in ready home and that’s exactly what home staging offers them. By spending some extra time and money getting your home updated and polished, you can benefit from a higher sale price and a quicker sale. Home staging helps your house stand out among the competition, especially if you live in a competitive market. It also helps set the stage for great marketing photos, which are critical to a successful listing.

Keep in mind, the typical buyer starts out looking at 40 home listings before narrowing it down to eight, which they arrange to tour. Most homes are shown eight times or less, and most buyers see four to five homes before they buy. Conscientious home staging will make your home shine in a field of many. Visit ListingDoor for more FSBO  tips.

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