Ways to Stage Your Home

Simple &AFFORDABLE

WAYS TO STAGE YOUR HOME

BY JACKIE WATERS

CLEAR THE CLUTTER Nothing takes away from the esthetic view of a home like clutter. It can marginalize your living space. If you present a cluttered home at your open house, most buyers will leave without a clear picture of your home’s quality. Decluttering is crucial to properly staging your home.

Start the process of decluttering your home by dividing your residence into sections. For example, you can classify the sections as kitchen/dining room, bathrooms, den, common rooms, closets, garage/attic and exterior. Don’t start one area until you finish the other. Make sure to have plenty of labels, tape, trash bags (Amazon sells a 50-count box for $15.67), and bubble wrap. Label the items as “keep,” “sell,” “donate,” or “trash.” It is okay to recruit friends to help you. You can entice them to help by giving them some items you planned to sell or donate.

NEUTRALIZING YOUR HOME BY DEPERSONALIZING YOUR SPACE Depersonalizing your home can be tough in several ways. Over the years, you might have subconsciously turned your home into an extension of yourself. It may reflect many of your desires, affiliations, beliefs, and tastes. If you have lived in your home for a long time, you may have difficulty with this task. Think of it as pre-packing for the move to your next home. This may ease the thought of separating from your past. Anything that defines you or your lifestyle must be removed. This includes pictures, diplomas, banners, trophies, souvenirs, and the like. Personal items in the bathrooms and bedrooms must also go. All books with political or religious slants must disappear. As a rule, limit the literature collection to general interest and educational books. Also, decals and other personal items should be removed from the appliances. ADDING THE FINE TOUCHES Once you have cleared the canvas, you can start the design phase. Maybe you already have some great ideas, or maybe you don’t have a clue. Either way, it is smart to check out the competition. Search through some local real estate listings online for homes for sale in your market. Take notice of how these sellers use their space. Look for any signs of how they handled decluttering, depersonalizing, and staging. Attend a few open houses and follow up to see what these homes eventually sell for (homes in the DC area have been selling for a median price of $635,000, according to Redfin).

The first visual experience a person gets of a luxury hotel is the doorman and the entrance. The hotel’s entrance should make a statement of elegance. Similarly, your entry way should make a statement. Make sure everything is functional and attractive. The area should be clean and fresh looking. Place some fresh flowers on a pedestal next to the door. From your research, you should know whether to use music in the background. Don’t believe the falsehood that small furniture makes a home look bigger. Brighten up your home with natural light or high-wattage lighting. Temper the light in appropriate places and make the important rooms a priority.

When arranging furniture, use a technique the Huffpost calls “floating the furniture.” This involves placing chairs, tables, and couches away from the walls. Anchoring areas with throw rugs makes for a comfortable atmosphere. To suit your color scheme, don’t hesitate to rent the appropriate furniture pieces.

Properly staging your home is a vital tool for selling your home at your asking price. The process should not be overlooked or dabbled with. Careful attention to decluttering, depersonalizing, and the design will likely pay off in the end.