Staging to Sell: 7 Tips to Turn Heads

From Lynn on January 11th, 2010 in General Remodel

Make ‘em notice, make ‘em care! Check out these 7 tips for staging your home that are sure to improve potential buyers’ impressions.

Get Rid of Your Stuff

Pictures of grandma on the mantle, dusty knickknacks on the counters and an abundance of toiletries piled on the bathroom counter leave no space in buyers’ minds for them to imagine their own personal items. Lose it all!

Create Activity-Specific Areas

A reading nook, a breakfast bar, a home gym… all are impressive extras. Chances are, your home has the capacity to offer these amenities if you look at the space in a different way. Try sectioning off an area of a larger room for a few pieces of equipment (i.e. a cozy library), or a few stools and a long bench.

Let in the Light

People are affected by light quality without even realizing it; the amount of light your home gets can make or break their few minutes spent there. Open the blinds, get rid of dark, heavy draperies and add window treatments where necessary to play up the indoor-outdoor connection.

Add Colorful Accents

Judicious use of color is a surefire way to up the style of a tired old space. While paint is risky due to style preferences, colored vases, abstract paintings, and throw pillows can add lightness and create the upbeat vibe you want the house to exude.

Arrange What You Have More Stylishly

From furniture to artwork, take a fresh look at your available design elements, and then try them in new patterns. Ask a friend to help you with this, and you may be surprised by what they come up with.

Bring Nature Indoors

Especially in winter, you want to make your home feel lively. Well-groomed all-season plants (not poinsettias and holly) or flowers add freshness. Cheery yellow flowers in the kitchen or classy white ones in the dining room really set the stage.

Spruce up the Outside

And finally, now’s the time to put the old wheelbarrow in the garage, get rid of the pile of bricks and mound of dirt from your old project and do a bit of landscaping. Some carefully placed pops of color from flowers and trimmed borders will make all the difference. Make potential buyers’ first thought, “I could live here,” not “I think I could live here if I cleaned this up.”

Photo Credits: Set to Sell, Adobe and Stars, & House to Home