There’s a lot of art and science that goes into properly staging a home. The goal of staging is to transform a house into a home. You want to make each room feel so warm and inviting that potential homebuyers can’t help but visualize their lives within those walls.
The key is to highlight your home’s good parts and downplay its flaws. It may seem silly, but something as simple as a dim living room or outdated bed linens can rub a buyer in the wrong way and ruin any possibility of a sale. Here are some tips and tricks to help your home shine on open house day.
Contain the clutter
Clutter has no place in any home, never mind a home that’s up for sale. Clutter can be anything from bulky furniture to overflowing closets, cabinets, and pantries to distracting knickknacks, appliances, and personal items. When in doubt—take it out! An organized and tidy home helps a buyer mentally fill in the space with their own things.
Try this bright idea
Lighting has the ability to make a space look brighter, bigger, and more welcoming. The key to creating a warm and welcoming home is to have the perfect combination of light layers. These main layers include ambient light, task lighting, accent lighting, and decorative lights.
Ambient light, such as overhead fixtures and natural light coming from windows, helps set the mood of a space. Task lighting spotlights your work areas. Accent lights, such as recessed or track lights, draws attention to particular objects or the room’s architecture.
Style your surfaces
The right accessories can add texture, color, and personality to any room. Style surfaces such as your dining room table, coffee table, bookcases, and shelves with interesting and beautiful accessories varying in height and width.
💡Pro tip: When arranging accessories, imagine a triangle and place one object at each point. Be sure to place the largest item in the back for the right effect.
Rearrange the furniture
It may seem natural to want to move your furniture to the outer rim of the room to create an open space, but this isn’t necessarily the smartest way to make a home look livable. A better solution is to move your furniture away from the walls and position them into neat, cozy groups.
Master color theory
It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for the inside (and outside) of your home. Neutral shades create a clean and sophisticated look. Avoid loud, provocative colors such as orange, pink, and lime green.
Focus on kitchen fixes
Since the kitchen is one of the most utilized rooms in a home, it’s safe to say your potential buyer will be focused on this space. Full kitchen remodels are pricey—so it’s best to stick with affordable, quick-fixes such as painting the cabinets and walls, replacing outdated hardware, and organizing your pantries and countertop space. A deep cleaning job never hurts either!
A little effort can go a long way. If you want to sell your home faster and for a price that makes you smile all the way to the bank, it’s important to stage. Before you open your home to potential buyers, be sure to put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself “Would I want to buy this house?” —if the answer is no, then you have some work to do!
Want Personal Advice on your Home?
Give Cherry a call at our office to set up a one on one at 979-691-4663 or email us at info@cherryruffino.com!