You can stage your home yourself
Staging Basics
Most sellers are very proud of their homes and may not see what others may perceive as flaws. You may wish to keep from making minor improvements to the home to save money prior to listing your home for sale. Unfortunately even minor improvements may increase the homes value, if only for the sole purpose of reaching the comparable sales price levels found in your particular area. If this is the case then there are other things that can be done to make your home more appealing to more potential buyers.
Use your "Buyers Eyes"
Begin by driving up to your home, parking and then walking through your property using your potential "buyers eyes." Forget that you know the property and start at the front door working your way through each room while looking at each space as a buyer might. Let's view this together below.
Most sellers are very proud of their homes and may not see what others may perceive as flaws. You may wish to keep from making minor improvements to the home to save money prior to listing your home for sale. Unfortunately even minor improvements may increase the homes value, if only for the sole purpose of reaching the comparable sales price levels found in your particular area. If this is the case then there are other things that can be done to make your home more appealing to more potential buyers.
Use your "Buyers Eyes"
Begin by driving up to your home, parking and then walking through your property using your potential "buyers eyes." Forget that you know the property and start at the front door working your way through each room while looking at each space as a buyer might. Let's view this together below.
Drive up to your home.
Parking & Your Neighborhood
If you'd drove up to your home for the first time you'd be sensitive to the neighborhood. You'd expect a clean and friendly approach with ample parking and very little neighborhood pollution. Excessive cars, RV's, open garages, lawn art, poorly manicured lawns and the like could all be discussed with neighbors. Be friendly in doing so. Remember that when you sell your home you will be adjusting the comparative pricing in the neighborhood. That could only benefit your neighbors and they will be more likely to listen if you ask nicely for them to clean up their yards.
Remove the same noise from your yard and driveways. Parking an RV or extra vehicles off-site in storage for a couple months while you sell is not a bad idea. If you don't need the vehicle "now" then store it until you have a new home or better long-term place for it.
If your lawn or garden is overgrown you can clean this up yourself or hire a gardener to handle it. If planters have dead or sparsely growing plants you can easily pull out the dead brush and replace it with simple, youthful plants or lawn coverings. Any yard art that you may like may not always meet your buyers approval. Remove whatever you feel may be excessive.
Keep in mind that anything you have out on display may become part of the negotiations as well. If you have a family heirloom like a tractor your great grandfather used on the farm and you wish to keep it, I'd encourage that you store it. Out of sight = out of mind.
Walk Up from the driveway
The space between where your prospective buyer will park and your front door should be free of obstacles. A great first impression is a one time opportunity. Insuring that nothing clutters the walkways and surrounding areas will allow your prospects a chance to freely imagine their own "lawn art" and personal objects in places that are open while they approach your front door.
If you'd drove up to your home for the first time you'd be sensitive to the neighborhood. You'd expect a clean and friendly approach with ample parking and very little neighborhood pollution. Excessive cars, RV's, open garages, lawn art, poorly manicured lawns and the like could all be discussed with neighbors. Be friendly in doing so. Remember that when you sell your home you will be adjusting the comparative pricing in the neighborhood. That could only benefit your neighbors and they will be more likely to listen if you ask nicely for them to clean up their yards.
Remove the same noise from your yard and driveways. Parking an RV or extra vehicles off-site in storage for a couple months while you sell is not a bad idea. If you don't need the vehicle "now" then store it until you have a new home or better long-term place for it.
If your lawn or garden is overgrown you can clean this up yourself or hire a gardener to handle it. If planters have dead or sparsely growing plants you can easily pull out the dead brush and replace it with simple, youthful plants or lawn coverings. Any yard art that you may like may not always meet your buyers approval. Remove whatever you feel may be excessive.
Keep in mind that anything you have out on display may become part of the negotiations as well. If you have a family heirloom like a tractor your great grandfather used on the farm and you wish to keep it, I'd encourage that you store it. Out of sight = out of mind.
Walk Up from the driveway
The space between where your prospective buyer will park and your front door should be free of obstacles. A great first impression is a one time opportunity. Insuring that nothing clutters the walkways and surrounding areas will allow your prospects a chance to freely imagine their own "lawn art" and personal objects in places that are open while they approach your front door.
Front Door
Clean and Inviting
Your Front Door
When approaching your front door take a good look at your door mat. How old is it? How about the lighting and the doorbell? How do the windows look from here? Can you see into the home? Does it look pleasant and inviting? Replacing a worn door mat, a burnt out light bulb, a broken screen door, any open wiring for broken door bells, broken glass or walkway tiles can be easy to correct and add to the perceived value from the start.
If you see a window and it is covered with curtains or closed blinds one couldn't help but wonder "why." Open the curtains and blinds so that anyone approaching from the outside can see freely into the home. Open space is inviting. If you have a TV or other large piece of furniture covering the windows then consider removing or relocating that piece altogether if possible.
When approaching your front door take a good look at your door mat. How old is it? How about the lighting and the doorbell? How do the windows look from here? Can you see into the home? Does it look pleasant and inviting? Replacing a worn door mat, a burnt out light bulb, a broken screen door, any open wiring for broken door bells, broken glass or walkway tiles can be easy to correct and add to the perceived value from the start.
If you see a window and it is covered with curtains or closed blinds one couldn't help but wonder "why." Open the curtains and blinds so that anyone approaching from the outside can see freely into the home. Open space is inviting. If you have a TV or other large piece of furniture covering the windows then consider removing or relocating that piece altogether if possible.
Touring your home inside and out - Tips of Staging
Spotlessly Clean
A home that is being lived in cannot always be spotless. Though buyers know this, it is important to recognize that once a buyer is turned off from clutter turning them back on is not always easy. Kitchens and bathrooms should look and smell clean. Remove all clutter from counter tops to give the impression of extra usable space. Organize cupboards so that extra space is available as well. New caulking around bathtubs, showers and wash basins make them look fresh and clean as well.
Smell your home
One of the hardest things a REALTOR® must do is tell their selling client that their home stinks. You may have become accustomed to the unique smells of your home but that doesn't mean that a potential buyer would find them acceptable and may not stick around long enough to witness the positive points your home has to offer. Pets, smoking, food odors, and even personal sweat absorbed in the furniture or carpet can turn anyone off when they are not familiar with these scents. Always assume that your home has offensive odors. Open your windows on a regular basis (weather permitting) and allow your home to breathe. Burn light scented candles, use an air purifier, clean your carpets, and/or paint rooms that need it.
Dirty and Excessive Clothes
Pick up all dirty laundry. Either wash them or put them in a dirty clothes bin until the next laundry cycle. Do not store them in a laundry hamper longer than a couple days and definitely do not store them in plain sight. In your closets remove any seasonal clothing as well as excessive clothing and store both neatly in boxes out of the way. If your closets are free from excessive clothing and have plenty of empty hangers, empty shelving and extra space your potential buyers will see how much space is available and may not remark about how they would need extra storage.
Toys and Unmade Beds
It's often difficult to keep toys picked up when you have small children working against you. Pack up the majority of their toys and put them somewhere out of sight. Leave out the toys they use regularly and insure that they are picked up. Make your children's beds. No bed should ever be left unmade. If you don't have a good headboard buy some pillows that are clean and accent the room to place after you make the bed.
Garden Hoses, Yard Art, Plastic Pelicans, etc
Neat and orderly is how a buyer wants to see their new home for the first time. There should be nothing to trip over, inside or outside of your home. Remove any objections by eliminating extra talking points prior to them becoming an obstacle.
Personal Photos
For a prospective buyer to see their own family in "their new home" it is encouraged to remove all nic-nacks and personal photo collections. You'll need to pack them up eventually. Now is a great time to do so. Repaint a wall where photos left silhouettes if cleaning wont accomplish the goal. Hang non-offensive, framed art in places where large empty walls may be a focal point.
Furniture
Sometimes rearranging furniture or storing excess pieces can make a room look more spacious and attractive. If you have a favorite chair you use every day to watch TV it may be an eyesore (not to mention smell unpleasant). Store it away until you move.
Valuables
Lock up your valuables, jewelry, money, and art. Remember that prospective buyers will be escorted by other sales associates. It is difficult to hold any of these folks responsible for your loss. It is not possible to watch every person every minute while they look through your home. It is your responsibility to put your valuables away. Out of sight = out of mind . . . It's best to be prepared for visitors that you don't know as they tour your home.
A home that is being lived in cannot always be spotless. Though buyers know this, it is important to recognize that once a buyer is turned off from clutter turning them back on is not always easy. Kitchens and bathrooms should look and smell clean. Remove all clutter from counter tops to give the impression of extra usable space. Organize cupboards so that extra space is available as well. New caulking around bathtubs, showers and wash basins make them look fresh and clean as well.
Smell your home
One of the hardest things a REALTOR® must do is tell their selling client that their home stinks. You may have become accustomed to the unique smells of your home but that doesn't mean that a potential buyer would find them acceptable and may not stick around long enough to witness the positive points your home has to offer. Pets, smoking, food odors, and even personal sweat absorbed in the furniture or carpet can turn anyone off when they are not familiar with these scents. Always assume that your home has offensive odors. Open your windows on a regular basis (weather permitting) and allow your home to breathe. Burn light scented candles, use an air purifier, clean your carpets, and/or paint rooms that need it.
Dirty and Excessive Clothes
Pick up all dirty laundry. Either wash them or put them in a dirty clothes bin until the next laundry cycle. Do not store them in a laundry hamper longer than a couple days and definitely do not store them in plain sight. In your closets remove any seasonal clothing as well as excessive clothing and store both neatly in boxes out of the way. If your closets are free from excessive clothing and have plenty of empty hangers, empty shelving and extra space your potential buyers will see how much space is available and may not remark about how they would need extra storage.
Toys and Unmade Beds
It's often difficult to keep toys picked up when you have small children working against you. Pack up the majority of their toys and put them somewhere out of sight. Leave out the toys they use regularly and insure that they are picked up. Make your children's beds. No bed should ever be left unmade. If you don't have a good headboard buy some pillows that are clean and accent the room to place after you make the bed.
Garden Hoses, Yard Art, Plastic Pelicans, etc
Neat and orderly is how a buyer wants to see their new home for the first time. There should be nothing to trip over, inside or outside of your home. Remove any objections by eliminating extra talking points prior to them becoming an obstacle.
Personal Photos
For a prospective buyer to see their own family in "their new home" it is encouraged to remove all nic-nacks and personal photo collections. You'll need to pack them up eventually. Now is a great time to do so. Repaint a wall where photos left silhouettes if cleaning wont accomplish the goal. Hang non-offensive, framed art in places where large empty walls may be a focal point.
Furniture
Sometimes rearranging furniture or storing excess pieces can make a room look more spacious and attractive. If you have a favorite chair you use every day to watch TV it may be an eyesore (not to mention smell unpleasant). Store it away until you move.
Valuables
Lock up your valuables, jewelry, money, and art. Remember that prospective buyers will be escorted by other sales associates. It is difficult to hold any of these folks responsible for your loss. It is not possible to watch every person every minute while they look through your home. It is your responsibility to put your valuables away. Out of sight = out of mind . . . It's best to be prepared for visitors that you don't know as they tour your home.
