How to Stage a House for Showings

Preparing a home before it is listed by real estate agents reduces the amount of time it stays in the market before it gets a buyer. Staging a home can increase the value of the home by around 3 percent. Staging makes it easier for buyers to visualize the space; making the house easier to sell, compared to one that has not been staged. Learning how to stage a home can make a huge difference when selling. Here are the steps you should follow as you stage your house.

Get Rid of Clutter

Make the house look bigger by cleaning and removing personal items from the surface. Future buyers will want to have a look in the closets too, therefore it is not the best place to store clutter. Instead, pack the items into boxes and get them outside the house, look at renting a storage unit if you need to. Take a hard look at what you need and what you don’t, to free up some space around the house.

Take Care of Your Landscape

A home that has curb appeal inspires confidence. 79 percent of buyers consider a home’s first impression in their buying decision. A manicured lawn and trimmed greenery are the first things buyers see: it reflects the maintenance of the home, increases the perceived value of the home and helps a house stand out from the competition.

Create light and brighten the house

Buyers love to see bright rooms. Pull your curtains back and open the blinds before a showing. The lighting fixtures also need to be appealing: dust them to allow more light through and consider replacing them if they are outdated. In darker rooms, create more light by adding lamps: using a white light can create an impression of natural light.

Prioritize the Important Rooms

Both buyers and sellers agree that the living room is the most important space to stage, followed by the master bedroom and then the kitchen. If you do not have enough time and money to stage the whole house, start with staging specific main rooms.

Bring Attention to Assets and Go Neutral

Remove any visual distractions like wall art and unique lighting fixtures. Color is one of the ways through which people express their personalities. Bold colors on the wall is not a good idea when you are staging: it is among the major turn-offs for buyers. When staging a home, you should paint over any garnish with neutral colors such as taupe, white and gray. Bold colors are a major distraction to assets. Giving buyers the option of picking bold colors themselves by going neutral, adds points to your showing.

Patch and Repair

Anything that signals neglect to a buyer decreases the perceived value of your home. Get rid of scuffs from walls, and add a fresh layer of paint if it has chipped. Leaking faucets and roofs are not acceptable. Show the buyers that you have put effort to make the house presentable. Buyers are more likely to go for low maintenance houses.

Rearrange Your Furniture

Make the space navigable for buyers. Get rid of broken and oversized pieces, and arrange the remaining furniture in a way that makes the room walkable. This will make your house seem more spacious and easy for the buyers to visualize their furniture in the space.

Making smart decisions while staging your home will help it to sell in no time. Staging will entice the buyers and add value to your home. Once you have done everything to show your house in the best light, you can sit back and wait for the right buyer to stop by.

Questions?

The Michael Stoltzfus Group is located in Lancaster, PA and serves the Lancaster County and Central Pennsylvania area. We work diligently to help home buyers and sellers like yourself achieve their home goals. With extensive experience and knowledge of the area, the real estate team at Michael Stoltzfus Group will provide friendly and professional support for your entire real estate transaction.