22 Feb 2012, 12:06pm
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Following These Staging Tips Will Help You Sell Your House

Staging is about building a first impression along with your home. And whether you stage it yourself, get some help from your realtor, or hire a professional stager, the key is to get your home staged before you ever put it on the market.

What exactly is staging

Staging may be the practice of presenting a house at its best. In addition to looking its most useful, it takes to be presented in a neutral palette in order to attract a wider buyer base. This may mean repainting rooms within an ivory, beige, or some other neutral shade, and replacing carpet.

De-personalize and de-clutter
Among the keys to staging is to depersonalize the home. This means removing family photos, collections, and other personal decorating themes that could distract prospective buyers from seeing the home’s features.

Show rooms for their function
Too much furniture and accessories in a room can send negative messages to prospective homebuyers.

Realtors wish to be able to just take buyers by way of a home without bumping into furniture. They also want rooms to show what their real purpose is. Which means a bedroom needs to show space that would permit a bed and a dresser.

If a second or third bedroom is being useful for another purpose just like a work out area, office at home, or hobby room, the best advice is always to remove and store those items. In the event that’s not possible make use of a blueprint software package to make a layout of the room with acme furniture inside. This is often shown to buyers while they go through the room.

What staging costs
Many realtors now offer free staging advice within their service.

Professional staging services, however, can start at around $100 for a walk through of home and related advice to around $200-300 for a written arrange for various staging remedies that need to be done. Help provided in staging services, in the form of a staging team who assists homeowner in the act, can begin at $300-$500. Staging of vacant homes – where furniture and accessories have to be rented, can cost $500 and higher.

Strategies for staging:

De-personalize. Remove family photos and remove other items that show strong personal tastes relating to your profession, hobbies, religion, etc.

Cleanup the clutter. Buyers wish to be in a position to see the space in your home. This is also true for closets, the pantry, basement, and garage.

Q-tip clean: Wash windows and window sills, walls and baseboards, light fixtures, heating vents, window treatments, and anything else that collects dust. Clean carpets, oven, and the refrigerator. Replace old shower curtains and drapes and window treatments.

Less is more when it comes to furniture and accessories. This might mean removing some furniture, or moving your easy chair from the main walkway of the living or family room. Keep a few select accessories like candles, lamps, pictures and other tasteful art.

Pack it up and store it, if necessary. If you do not have room in your house to store excess furniture and accessories without detracting from space in your basement and garage, rent a storage unit.

Think: light and bright. Open curtains and blinds. Replace bulbs. It could also mean possibly replacing light fixtures and using higher wattage bulbs.

Add greenery. Whether it’s adding fresh flowers or plants, or buying tasteful silk arrangements, trees, and greenery, doing so can give a homey feel to rooms without over-personalizing the space.

Stage the outside of home. Curb appeal is crucial to getting buyers in to a home. This implies keeping the lawn mowed and trimming bushes and trees. The leading door may need a brand new coat of paint, or may need to be replaced. The mailbox may additionally need updating. Consider replacing broken or uneven sidewalks.

Neutralize colors. This might mean repainting rooms which can be painted in bright or bold colors. Removing wallpaper is also recommended.

Clear countertops in kitchen. All countertop appliances, including coffee makers and microwaves, should be removed. Doing this will show the maximum counter space available.

Stage dining area and bathrooms. This implies setting the living area dining table – including placemats and cloth napkins. Bathrooms will include a fresh set of towels and some nice decorative soaps. Remove personal maintenance systems from the shower and the vanity countertops.

Show space in closets and cupboards. Neatly arrange canned goods and other food products and dishes in kitchen cupboards. Clothes left in closets should hang loosely. Better yet, is always to remove clothing in the majority of the closets of the home and add a few decorative hangers.

Fix nicks in plaster, repaint rooms that needs fresh coat of paint, and replace flooring if necessary.

Pets should either be confined in one room or basement of the property, or taken to another location during showings. Pet toys, beds, and food should be stored out of site.

To find out more about staging:

“Home Staging – The Winning Solution to Sell Your home For More Money” by Barb Schwarz and Mary Seehafer Sears.

http: //www. stagedhomes. com – Website features staging information; before and after photos; and informative statistics about equity gained from staged homes, length available on the market, financial return on staging improvements. Your website also comes with a directory (by state and zip code) of Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) and ASPM (master) certified stagers.