Staging Your Home

It has been proven time and time again that a prepared and staged home will sell faster and for a higher list price than a home that isn’t prepared and staged. According to the National Association of Realtors, 23% of buyers’ agents said that home staging raised their buyer’s dollar value offered on a home by up to 5%.

There is an art to getting your home market-ready and mistakes are often made in the staging process, so I’m going to tell you the Staging Do’s and Don’ts your home to sell.

Hi everyone, Kim Devlin here with Your Key to St Augustine, if you’ve never been here before my channel is all about the wonderful places, neighborhoods and of course real estate in Northeast Florida.

Do you want to sell your home and want to try and stage it yourself? Well, here are some tips on what to do and what not to do during the staging process!

 Staging Tips – The Do’s and Don’ts

#1 DO

Remove the clutter from you home. You probably know this already but what does it mean? The first thing I tell my sellers is to take 1/2 of the things out of their closets and drawers. This way you are showing off the storage you have to potential buyers. Next remove all the dust collecting decor that is smaller than a cantaloupe. It’s ok to leave fewer personal items for decor like a nice white vase or decorative bowl. Getting rid of excess items is an important part of staging. With that being said, don’t get rid of too much stuff and make your home look barren. Use the more generic items as part of your staging.

#1 DON’T

Try not to leave your precious family photos and keepsake treasures out on display. Doing so makes it more difficult for the prospective buyer to envision themselves in the home. If they can’t see themselves there, they won’t buy it.

 

#2 DO

Place your furniture in a way that creates a welcoming feng shui vibe. What does this mean? If you have too much furniture, move the bulky items out. Place the furniture you’re using to stage the home in a way that offers an easy flow through the space. Create nice gathering areas, but don’t create walls with your furniture, keep it open. You can play around with the placement and the amount of furniture in the room to accomplish this.

#2 DON’T

Never over improve by making major upgrades to the home right before you sell. Depending on the cost and the upgrade, there’s a good chance you won’t make a positive return on your investment. For Top Return on investment improvements (see this video right here)

 

#3 DO

Consider the art on your walls. Are the wall hangings centered and evenly placed to complete the look of the room? Be sure to straighten all of the pictures so they are level to the floor and ceiling.

#3 DON’T

Resist patching things up. If there is a repair to be made or an odor to get rid of, don’t just patch it up with a temporary solution. Fix it properly with the correct solution by a professional. If you don’t do it now, it’ll come up in the inspection and may be a deal killer.

 

#4 DO

Use some color! Not everything needs to be neutral. A neutral color palette works well because it appeals to a wide audience. Going all in on neutral may make the house look bland. So, add some color. If you are sticking to neutral walls, then add color to your furniture, pillows etc. If you are sticking to both neutral walls and neutral furniture, add some color in with your art and decor. Don’t underestimate the green in your plants as some color.  If you are sticking to just neutral furniture, you can have an accent color wall but that leads me to a big don’t

#4 DON’T

Everyone loves an accent wall but don’t have excessive dark-colored paint on the walls. One accent wall is plenty in a room. Keep in mind, Dark colors make spaces look smaller than they actually are.

 

#5 DO

Remove over the top themed rooms. Do not assume other people will fall in love with your themed rooms. Whether it’s a game room devoted to your favorite sports memorabilia, or a child’s room dedicated to ABC’s and Disney characters. You must remove these over-the-top themed items and start with a clean slate to appeal to more people.

#5 DON’T

At no point should you settle for anything less than a professional photographer. Once the home is ready to list for sale, a professional photographer should be the one to take listing photos and videos. Don’t let your Realtor® take cell phone pictures or say they have a real camera they can use. The truth is a Photographer knows how to best show off your home in the correct way using light and composition. Never settle for less.

 

At the end of the day, staging a home requires time, effort and possibly a small investment. When done right, the results will pay off and increase your overall profits.

Preparing your home and going the extra mile to stage it, is not a step to skip over when you’re about to list a home. Without staging, you could actually lose money and time, because it’ll take longer to find the perfect homebuyer.

If you’re unsure of how to stage your home, I’ll be happy to provide you a consultation with my home stager. And of course, if you have any questions, never hesitate to reach out.