How To Stage Your Home For Sale

In selling your home, you want to sell more than just square footage.you want to sell a lifestyle. To do just that, you need to stage your home for sale.

The goal of successful staging is to make the buyer envision your home as a place they can entertain friends poolside, relax in the hot tub, create gourmet meals in the kitchen, pamper themselves in a spa like bathroom, etc. You get the picture. Making your home as inviting as possible will help the buyer fall in love with YOUR home, leaving the rest of the homes on the market behind and facilitating the sale.

You can make your home stand out from the competition.room by room! Create focal points, edit the current arrangement of your existing furniture to create more room and less clutter, and stage both the exterior and the interior to create a consistent positive impression.

BATHROOMS-
Buyers love a clean, bright, luxurious bathroom. You don't need to remodel, but you do need to reorganize and decorate. A fresh coat of paint will do wonders, especially with a wallpapered border. Clear all countertops saving a few essential items. Prominently display plush, thirsty bath and hand towels in coordinating colors. Fresh flowers or silk plant arrangements will add a decorator touch, as will decorative soaps and candles. When choosing candles, look for clean colors (compatible with the walls and towels) and scents (lemon sends a clean message or lavender sends a relaxing message). Pictures and artwork are often overlooked in a bathroom, but will add a designer touch and create a special ambience.

Eliminate bath toys, rubber mats, and used remnants of bar soaps. At each showing make sure there is no visible soap residue on the trays and replenish with a clean, fresh bar. Check light bulbs on fixtures to insure they are all in working order and the same color (no mixing white with soft white, etc).

BEDROOMS-
Throw pillows are a dramatic and effective way of creating a spectacular bedroom, mix and match sizes, patterns, and textures (just avoid large stripes and small patterns). Small touches may include light airy curtains behind the headboard area, an umbrella cleverly positioned, or a surfboard artfully displayed. Don't be afraid to play on themes- just like a model home decorator would do!

Send a message of luxury, romance, and relaxation. Strategically place a breakfast tray laid out with china, crystal, and silver on the bed. Keep clutter and personal items at a minimum and stored out of sight. Remember, you want the buyer to envision their photos on the dresser, not yours.

DINING ROOM-
Choose a theme and create a tablescape! Break out the best china, crystal, and cutlery. Use heirloom table linens and send a message of refined elegance. You may need to invest in a few items, such as candle and napkin holders.

Take a good look at the dimensions of the room and the scale- would taking the leaf out of the dining room table make the room look bigger? Are the chairs in good repair? If not, a small investment in simple slipcovers may complete the look and send the right message to your buyer.

Don't forget the flooring- have your carpets professionally cleaned. If you are lucky enough to have natural wood flooring, make sure it is in good repair. Appreciate the use of natural light, and replace or eliminate blinds and shades. Re-think the use of heavy draperies, and replace with light, airy curtains. Light fixtures should be in excellent repair and freshly cleaned, with all bulbs burning and of the same color.

KITCHEN-
The kitchen has become more than just a place to prepare meals; it is a focal point where friends and family gravitate towards. Kitchens have essentially become center stage for home life and entertaining. As lifestyles have changed, so have buyer expectations. Even if you have a more traditional kitchen vs. the great room concept, with proper staging you can create the same welcoming ambience.

The first step is to make the room look larger than it really is! Remove all unnecessary clutter from countertops (rarely used appliances, canisters, etc) as well as extra pots and pans. If the kitchen table has a leaf, consider removing and storing to create more space.

Secondly, cleanliness is everything! Major appliances should be immaculately clean both inside and out. Cabinets should be lined with contents neatly arranged, and all handles and knobs should be in good repair.

Finally, brighten the kitchen with new kitchen towels, and choose a theme for your tablescape. Setting a more casual table in the kitchen with brightly colored linens is a nice contrast to the formal tablescape you may have chosen in the dining area. Floral arrangements, potted plants, or fruit bowls make a great casual centerpiece. When using wine bottles, olive oils, or any other bottled food product as part of your staging, remember to select ones that are colorful. Do NOT buy cheap brands, for the buyers will interpret this as cheapness in how you may have repaired and maintained the home.

YARDS-
The first impression your yard makes will set the tone for the entire buyer showing. It goes without saying the grass should be freshly mowed and trimmed, with no weeds or brown patches. All shrubbery should be neatly trimmed. Consider the use of fountains, bird baths, colorful flower boxes, or a trellis with roses or climbing plants like ivy. It is important to keep plants and grass well watered; however, make sure the sprinkler system timer is set for many hours prior to buyers coming up the walk or strolling around the yard.

PATIOS-
Over 40% of the population chooses cookout parties as their number one home entertainment choice! Homes that can accommodate these desires and expectations sell faster. Lifestyles are trending to the patio and the yard. These outdoor spaces have become an extension of the homes' interior as people are spending more and more time outside on their patios and balconies.

Entertaining, having parties, and relaxing have migrated from the interior to the exterior with over 55% of the population using their grills all year. Staging your patio or balcony makes the home appear larger due to the extension of livable space.

Create beautiful table settings where buyers can imagine themselves relaxing on the balcony, sipping a cold drink and enjoying a relaxing weekend meal. Set the table with a tablecloth or place mats, linen napkins with napkin rings, colorful plates, wine glasses, and a festive, colorful centerpiece.

Does your patio table and chairs look a little rusty and dull? Sanding off the paint and rust, priming, and painting with a gloss or semi-gloss paint will make your patio furniture more attractive, and sends a message of a well maintained home with attention to detail.

Pay attention to the sounds heard while relaxing outside your home.are there traffic noises, or noise from immediate neighbors? Water sounds, such as fountains and rock gardens can create soothing feelings of gentle peacefulness- allowing the buyer to imagine themselves relaxing after a hectic day at work.

GARAGE-
A clean, organized garage sends an important message- it says this home has adequate storage, and the garage does not have to be a dumping ground! A clean, organized garage is another extension of livable space- whether or not it is used to house vehicles.

Set up the tool bench area as a hobby area with magazines and hobby kits. Do not visibly leave fix-it items on the tool bench- this sends the message the house needs repair.

Most garages have limited lighting- a well place fluorescent fixture can brighten the area tremendously. A fresh coat of paint is a necessity, but you could really set yourself apart from the rest, if you paint and epoxy the garage floor- now we are talking showplace!

New paint on a garage door will increase curb appeal. Check for squeaky hinges and broken springs. Adjust electric automatic openers and put new batteries in handheld openers. If the garage door is worn and outdated, consider replacing the door.

HOME OFFICE-
The desk in your home office should look like the ones in furniture store showrooms. Files should be put away, not strewn across the desk and cabinet tops. Staplers, pencil sharpeners, paper clip holders, etc should be in a drawer out of plain sight. Keep cables, phone wires, and extension cords to a minimum, and store manuals, trade publications, and phone books.

Add some fresh flowers on the desk or on a low filing cabinet. Find a pleasing screensaver showing a calm nature scene.

Remember, when an office or desk is cluttered, the room looks smaller. The potential buyer may think he needs to find a larger home that will house all of their belongings.