Home may be where the heart is, but when you’re selling your home, buyers are a lot more interested in the home than the heart. In other words, if your home’s on the market, you want to depersonalize as much as possible. Staging your home could cost you nothing – taking your family’s pictures off the mantle and hiding the diaper pail – but it also could involve a financial investment, like a neutral paint job, new carpeting to match and a few new appliances.
Is it worth it? Survey says, your investment will pay off. According to Staged Homes, a staged home can bring in anywhere between 6 to 20% more than the same home without the staging. If your house is on the market for a while, staging can make the difference between having lower your asking price and keeping it at the same rate. To see how much staging your home can increase your home’s worth, check out CostvsValue.com.
Ready to feng shui yourself into a profitable and faster sale? Here are some tips from Colonial Van Lines on staging your home so we can get you moving faster and with more spare change in your pocket.
Staging Your Home for a Move: Ask Them How They Really Feel
Sometimes, staging your home takes an outsider’s perspective. Most homeowners feel too attached to their homes to look it objectively. Get some family and friends to give you some honest opinions about what needs to be changed – and try not to take it personally.
Wallpaper and Paint
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You might be surprised by how much a deal breaker your seafoam green might be, especially when the buyer is thinking rustic contemporary. The best canvas for a homebuyer is a blank one – but not a stark one. While you may think white is a good choice, it’s a better idea to paint with warm colors to give a homier look.
Even if they’re ok with your seafoam green, they’re never going to like your wallpaper. And don’t expect them to agree to disagree. Tear it down before your showing and paint the walls instead. And don’t even think of trying to paint over it before you take it down. You might as well give your child a crayon and let him at it. It will raise red flags about how much the owner will have to put into their new home and make them think twice about buying it.
Flooring
Linoleum is tacky and stained carpets are gross, especially if they’re someone else’s linoleum and the stains are of questionable origin. The most appealing flooring is hardwood floors. They make homes look elegant, they’re low maintenance, long wearing and are an excellent choice for allergy sufferers. Although pricey, hardwood floors are undoubtedly the best bet for selling your home quickly.
Cleaning
Food stains may be removable, but they’re going to be indelible in the eyes of your buyers. Make sure your home is spotless, as in passes the white glove inspection. Especially the bathroom. It is the room in your house most commonly associated with germs. Make sure the bathtub sparkles, the toilet is throne worthy and the toilet paper is in abundant supply.
Let There Be Light
Always show your home in the best light possible. Natural light creates a heavenly appearance, especially when combined with those hardwood floors. Open all curtains and blinds when showing your house for divine results.
If supplemental light is necessary, be sure to update any outdated light fixtures and replace any broken ones. And make sure to get the bugs out, by that we mean all the dead bugs that can be trapped in the light fixtures. A fly in a light bulb can cast a very dark shadow on the outcome.
Give Each Room A Purpose
Show off your home to its full potential. If you have a finished basement, make it a game room. If you have a finished attic, think of converting it to an office. Make use of alcoves breakfast nooks, corners, and window seats. Even if the new owner does not use these rooms and spaces in the same way as you do, he will get an idea of how to maximize the home’s square footage.
Curb Appeal
It more than a “For Sale” sign in the yard to qualify as curb appeal. For a car-stopping performance, it takes some lush greenery, well-pruned plants, and well-shaped hedges to set the stage. Flowers in the yard or flower boxes in the window can make great staging props.
Also, make sure your welcome mats really mean they say. There’s nothing like a shabby welcome mat to send the wrong message. Keep sidewalks clear, pools crystal clear and decks decked out for best results. If you can, power wash your house’s exterior to make it look freshly painted without the expense.
Odors
When life hands you lemons, grind half of one into your garbage disposal. That will keep nasty odors in your house to a minimum. Using a spray may create an institutional smell which is so not the effect you’re looking for.
The best bet: bake some cookies and make some coffee while you’re at it. Not only will they create a warm cozy scent, but they also can increase your chances of making a sale. Pros say serving cookies and coffee encourages people to stick around and consider your house for a little longer, and dare we say, a bit more positively.
A Word From Colonial Van Lines
Now that we’ve helped you stage your home, we can help take down the props. Colonial Van Lines is a Long-Distance moving company with over fifty years of experience that ensures professional care of your items, reliability, and cost-effective service.
At Colonial, we think moving costs should be kept low. We offer packing and storage services at affordable prices and flexible packages to suit our customer’s individual needs. From partial packing to full service, from short term storage to long term storage, our services can be adjusted to fit any budget and satisfy any need.
To get an idea of our integrity and honesty, request a free rate quote. We’ll give you a clear breakdown of all your expenses, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. We guarantee you’ll never find any fine print or added costs on our contract. Everything is upfront with Colonial. We make won’t sign anything until you’ve a had a chance to review it carefully.
If you’re staging your home, Colonial Van Lines wishes you a quick and easy sale and guarantees a quick and easy move to go with it. Read our reviews to find out why most customers give us five stars for putting on an award-winning performance.
