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If you’re considering selling and listing your home, it could be worthwhile staging it to maximize its appeal before selling. Chances are, though, you’ll probably have to spend a little time and cash sprucing up your home if you haven’t already. So consider home staging tips vital to being a competitive seller in today’s market.
Prepping your home for showings is the top priority for quickly selling and getting an offer close to the asking price. Note these suggestions when getting your apartment ready to sell.
When selling your home, it’s important to remember that you’re selling a lifestyle, but not necessarily your one.
Home Staging Helps Sell Your HomeHome Staging Helps Sell Your Home
Home staging is all about presenting potential buyers with a glimpse of what life could be like on a property. It goes beyond simple cleaning and decorating and seeks to trigger emotion in a home buyer, making them want to buy it instantly.
Staging is a new concept, but it has gained more significant popularity in recent years with the present market.
Exact statistics for the difference home staging makes are hard to come by, but thankfully a survey for 2019 has recently come in. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) caused a wave among home stagers when releasing its report in 2015. While not much has changed, the value of home staging is still pretty straightforward.
Some Main findingsSome Main findings
- 39% of seller’s agents said that staging a home decreases its time on the market.
- When staging, 29% of seller’s agents reported an increase of 1-5% compared to other homes on the market, while 21% reported a 6-10% rise.
- 49% of buyer’s agents say that home staging affected most buyers’ view of the home.
If you’re in a hurry to sell or looking for ways to increase your home’s value, then a small investment in home staging could be what your property needs to find a buyer.
The Mindset for Home StagingThe Mindset for Home Staging
Many people think that home staging is little more than decorating each room to make it look as appealing as possible. Your aesthetic taste, though, may be very different from most buyers.
You want to make your home appeal to a broader audience of people, which means knowing what the buyer’s market needs. Usually, this means a modern look, but that can change depending on your location. When hiring a professional home, a stager can pay off as they know the buyer’s market and how to make your homes appeal to the highest percentage of buyers.
If you’re unsure, then go for a minimalist approach. You should stage each room to emphasize how it can be lived in and enjoyed. Also, display what the design possibilities are. The key is to entice buyers’ imagination and make them feel like this could be their home.
Top Tips for Staging Your HomeTop Tips for Staging Your Home
You can do small-scale or large-scale home staging. Of course, hiring a professional home stager would be best, but if you’re on a tight budget, there are a few key areas you can focus on that will make the most significant difference in selling price and appeal. Also, if you are on a shoestring budget, perhaps consider virtually staging your home.
The NAR survey on home staging reported that, for buyers, the most important room to stage was the living room (55%), followed by the main bedroom (51%) and the kitchen (41%). So even if you’re limited by time and budget, you should try to stage as many rooms as possible by using these techniques.
Perform a Deep cleanPerform a Deep clean
If you can’t afford any new appliances, make sure the ones you have are spotlessly clean. Go through the entire room and make everything look as unique as possible. Your bathroom sink should shine, and your kitchen should be grease-free. It may be worth having a professional deep clean done if you have a carpet.
Keeping your apartment clean is a given (and it should be sparkling clean); what about getting rid of the clutter?
Depending on how you live, finding a place for your tchotchkes and those sentimental items could take some time. First, you might need to rent a storage unit outside your apartment. Of course, putting everything in your closets (or oven) for cleaning isn’t the answer, either, which brings me to the next point.
Eliminate the dog or cat smell.Eliminate the dog or cat smell.
Living in a pet-friendly building is often considered an amenity to dog and cat owners, but you don’t want to smell a dog or cat when entering your home. Use air fresheners, candles, and home fragrances to keep your nest smelling fresh for any lookers or buyers. Be sure to keep the litter box extra tidy and bathe your dog if he needs it.
Remove all clutterRemove all clutter
Get rid of everything that doesn’t serve a purpose or add to the aesthetics. Too much clutter distracts buyers and makes rooms seem smaller. All this clutter should be stored well away, so there’s no chance of a buyer coming across it in a wardrobe.
Organize your closetsOrganize your closets
Potential buyers open your cabinets, and if the space in closets is packed to the gills, your apartment will give the impression that it’s not large enough. Try to part with useless trinkets and seasonal items, as harsh as it sounds. Keep those knick-knacks and accessories that you must, and send the rest to storage. Every piece should have its place in your closets, and those necessities that don’t fit should find a home elsewhere.
DepersonalizeDepersonalize
The whole point of home staging is to help buyers envision themselves living in your home. It’s hard to do that if you’ve got family photos hanging everywhere or a distinctive style. To remove all personal items, and if you have a unique style or theme, scale it back a bit—the key to neutralizing each room and emphasizing its functionality. The final look should be organized, welcoming, and straightforward.
LightingLighting
Make as much use of natural lighting as you can. Curtin’s and blinds should be left open, and supplemental light added where needed. Try to organize each room’s layout according to the lighting to show the best features.
Look at your floorsLook at your floors
Floors are crucial in the sale of any home. You most likely have hardwoods or parquet floors in a New York City apartment. First, be sure that the wood is in good shape. If you have holes, cracks, or rough spots, call a specialist and consider filling and possibly refinishing, depending on what the expert recommends. If redoing the floors isn’t possible, consider purchasing area rugs to cover the worst spots.
Touch up the paintTouch up the paint
A fresh coat of paint can do wonders. Touch up walls, baseboards, doors, trim, and ceilings. If you choose the bargain route and do it yourself, be careful not to drip paint on the floors.
If you have any dark or bold colors, you might consider painting a lighter neutral in its place before you list your apartment on the market. Light colors create a brighter space, making rooms feel more abundant.
FurnitureFurniture
If it’s been a while since you last redid your furniture, you may need to update it with the latest tastes for a modern feel. You don’t need to throw out a lot of cash to switch your existing furniture; you might even be able to rent it, but it should look new and inviting.
Fresh flowersFresh flowers
Flowers breathe life into the dullest interiors. So add fresh flowers; to your living room, dining room, and perhaps a little greenery in the bedroom. Rather than choosing unique arrangements, select small vases and group them with the exact flowers or similarly colored buds. Try and color your home with flowers if you can, and if the color isn’t your forte, creamy white works with almost anything.
Finishing TouchesFinishing Touches
Before opening the doors for the first showing, add finishing touches to make your home feel welcoming. A bowl of fresh fruit, a pleasant scent, fresh flowers, and nicely folded new towels in the bathroom.
How Much Does Home Staging Cost?How Much Does Home Staging Cost?
Unless you’re putting a multi-million dollar property up for sale, there’s little need to go crazy with home staging. You want to emphasize the home’s best features while appealing to the broadest range of buyers. The more people you can entice, the higher the selling price. Prices vary between $1,000 – $100,000+, depending on the staging company, your location, property size, and local demand for staging.