In my previous article, you did your due diligence to declutter, depersonalize, hide all traces of pets, and embarked on a better-than-spring clean…NOW you can tackle the actual staging of your home!

Bring your home ALIVE with LIGHT!

This is no time for soft, mood lighting… Potential buyers always notice the amount of light in a home and it matters! Your first step is to replace any burned-out lightbulbs. Use higher wattage lightbulbs. Make sure to clean your windows, keep the blinds open, and don’t forget to turn on ALL the lights before any showing.

Create Savvy furniture placements that create conversation

Take a look at each room and play around with the arrangement of your furniture to create more conversational spaces. Point loveseats and couches toward each other, which will actually increase the amount of space in rooms. Don’t be afraid to mix things up and remove furniture from rooms to create a more open feel. In real life, you’d probably point the couch toward the television. When staging your home for sale we use a different strategy to streamline to a minimalist lifestyle.

Stay neutral for broad appeal

Yes, that bright red accent wall really shows off your personality. But there’s only one you, and you’ve already bought this home once. You need to tone down the colors. Neutrals are your friends. Leave the pops of colour for throw pillows and perhaps a fuzzy blanket to drape over the couch!

Update the finishes

Walk through your home with a critical eye, noticing little maintenance issues like a serious buyer would. It’s likely worth a Saturday of work to repaint a room, re-caulk or re-grout, strip wallpaper, or change out dated or worn hardware. A fresh coat of soft white brightens the home and makes the home match any buyers furniture. If your walls need some love, it doesn’t hurt to give it to them. Fresh paint cleans up the home and can bring you more on the offer to purchase. Paint is relatively inexpensive if you do it yourself…Sweat equity!

Set the table

It’s a nice finishing touch that, again, can help the buyer visualize living there. Holiday dinner party, anyone? Put a simple table center with 4 place settings…ask me for suggestions!

Only style with polished accents

For example, only stage your master bath with new bath towels, or none at all. Just say no to your still-drying bath towels from this morning’s shower. Remove your robe from hanging on the back of the door. Think simple and NO CLUTTER and no one lives hear approach!

Make the space appear larger

Add mirrors to reflect light, swap a heavy powder room cabinet for a pedestal sink, or remove a leaf from your huge dining room table. Remove any extra furniture you can…trust me it makes a difference!

Take a look at the exterior

Your home’s curb appeal is the ultimate first impression. Mow your lawn, pressure wash any dingy areas, repair chipping paint, plant some flowers if the season permits, hang a seasonal wreath on your door, and tidy up any patio furniture. Remove debris you have collected in the yard and tidy your garage too!

Use extra rooms deliberately

Never leave a room empty. Instead, make that unused guest room feel usable. By staging it as an office, craft room, or guest bedroom you create function— but never all of those things at once! Choose one option…an office is always a good idea!

Hire a Stager to work with your furniture…Ask me how to get this service COMPLIMENTARY by working with me…it can make the difference to the sale price of your home!

These are the first steps in getting your home ready without SPENDING your hard-earned dollars. It takes a little elbow grease and time so get the family involved and GET’ER DONE!! Once achieved you can actually start to stage the home…

Please see my “Top 10 tips for HOME STAGING”