Often when people hear me mention staging projects, they assume they have to hire a professional stager and let them take over their home. Not at all! Staging is more than just arranging furniture and YOU can accomplish much of it yourself. Staging your home to sell simply means maximizing your home’s potential in ways that will attract buyers. And small projects really can add up to big increases in your sales price. Let’s go room by room, and I’ll point out which upgrades and changes can get you the biggest bang for your buck.
Nail That Curb Appeal
Staging isn’t just for indoors. Take a good look around your yard and note simple improvements you can make such as:
- Power washing your home and walkways
- Adding potted plants for dimension and color
- Edging walkways and curbs for a neat tidy lawn
- Arranging furniture on the porch in a way that invites conversation
- Putting a fresh coat of paint on the front door and topping it off with a seasonal wreath
Stage a Spa-Like Bathroom
With a few inexpensive projects, you can turn your dated bathroom into a spa retreat! Get an updated look by:
- Painting the walls a neutral color
- Scrubbing soap scummy shower doors until they shine
- Replacing your vanity with a pedestal sink
- Swapping out grimy, old fixtures
- Hanging plush, inviting towels
- Setting out a small dish of luxury, shaped soaps
Create a Kitchen All Chefs Will Love
Kitchens are one of the most important rooms in your home, so staging it right will take you far. You can turn around the entire look of your kitchen by:
- Purchasing stainless steel appliances to replace outdated ones
- Applying stainless steel overlays to existing appliances for an updated look
- Replacing old countertops
- Clearing the clutter from your counters to make the room appear more spacious
- Painting or staining old cabinets
- Scouring your sink until it shines
Stage a Living Room That Welcomes Buyers
There’s nothing like an inviting living room, laid out perfectly for conversation or with a book nook calling you to curl up with your favorite best seller and a glass of wine. Give your guests that feeling by:
- Cleaning your fireplace and hearth and tossing a warm quilt over the edge
- Painting or replacing your older fireplace screen
- Painting the walls a neutral color
- Opting for lighter, airier window treatments
- Tossing colorful throws over the edges of couches and chairs
- Adding lamps — you can never have too much light!
- Arranging furniture for conversation and traffic flow
General Staging Rules to Wow Buyers
Some rules apply throughout your home and can help you perfect each room for showings:
- Use your furnishing to display the purpose of the room. For example, if it’s an office, make it look like a usable office, not a storage room.
- Be mindful of your traffic patterns. Leave natural walkways in each room.
- Don’t block windows. You want as much light as possible for each showing.
- Replace lightbulbs with the highest wattage possible to brighten each room.
Staging projects don’t have to be expensive to have a big impact. Get started on your to-do list today, and if you need help with project suggestions, give me a call! When you list with me, I stage for free using your furniture. We can create a list together and make the perfect staging plan for your home to maximize its selling potential!
Warmly,
~Marcia
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