Your first step: separate yourself from the personal feelings you have about the house--it's not your home now, it's a commodity you intend to market.
Trust your instincts. Try to evaluate the house as if you are seeing it for the first time. If you were a home buyer, what would you think about the house?
What changes would make immediate improvements?
What are the house's best features and how can you show them off?
How about a look that says 'comfort,' or using a popular decorating theme, such as the vintage, casual look of Shabby Chic.
Create a Mood
Is there a mood that you could create? If you're near a coast, how about breezy fabrics and blue-green colorsthat remind us of the beach? If you're in the
mountains, maybe you could go rustic. Study the house and brainstorm withfriends or family members to come up with ideas.
Pack It Up
Pack away most of your family photos. Buyers should
be allowed to imagine their possessions in the home.
When home buyers start deciding how their
furniture
will fit into your rooms, you're on your way to a contract.
Pack up the bulk of large, personal collections, so that buyers don't
get so interested in looking at them that they forget to look at the
house.
Make It More Spacious
Remove excess furniture to make rooms more spacious.
Clean and organize the closets.
Store boxes in an out of the way location or rent a
temporary storage unit so you can de-clutter
every part of the house.
Expose Desirable Features
Remove rugs if they expose nice hardwood floors.
Remove heavy drapes that keep out natural light,
especially if there's a great view out the
windows.
Add Some Life
Plants go hand-in-hand with nearly any home
staging theme--living plants, not artificial
versions.
Freshen Up
How about fresh paint. Are walls in the
house dingy? Are the colors dated? Should
you clean
curtains or other window ornaments?
Create a Mood
Bake bread during showings, or place
a fresh loaf in a basket on the counter.
Classical music playing softly in the
background is nice, but choose something
that enhances
the mood you are trying
to create.
Where
I work, in the Blue
Ridge Mountains, natives and out of town buyers react
positively to Appalachian Folk
music playing in the background.
Essential Curb Appeal
I mentioned keeping the lawn nicely trimmed, but how
about adding other elements to grab a buyer's attention
before
they walk in
the door?
Outdoor lighting does wonders in the evenings--when
many home buyers do drive-by's of properties.
Buy a good-looking doorknob set.
Sweep the driveway; pressure wash the house or
sidewalks if necessary.
Enhance landscaping.
A great overall impression is often enough
to make a buyer more lenient about minor
repairs that may
be required.
You want them
to fall in
love with the
house as soon as they see it from the street.
Every house is different, and no one expects
you to be a professional home stager--but
taking the
time
to prepare
the house to the
best of your abilities
may put extra
dollars in your pocket, and in less than
average time.
