The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is especially true in selling a home in today’s world, where practically all house shoppers start their search online.
Staging a home properly to both get great online pictures and get great showings, can be worth thousands of dollars to a seller’s bottom line. Most sellers don’t want to spend a lot of money to prepare their home for sale though. Here are some no-cost and low-cost tips for staging your home prior to a listing.
1. Freshen up bedding: When you live in a space day in and day out, you lose perspective on whether or not things are fresh and up-to-date. The relatively low cost of purchasing new bedding to include comforters, pillows and decorative shams can make a big difference.
2. Declutter, declutter, declutter: Remove nearly all items from countertops, storage containers should be neatly contained in closets/attic, and remove any over the door hangers throughout the house. When these items are left out, it leaves the impression that there’s not enough storage space.
3. Fresh and clean: Many buyers cannot get past “funky” smells and it clouds their whole perception of a property. These can include pet smells, food smells and dingy smells. Prior to listing, you should do a complete spring cleaning to include windows, dusting throughout house to include baseboards and ceiling fans, and shampooing carpets if needed.
4. Move furniture around: With repositioning furniture and possibly removing a piece or two, you can completely change the look of a room. Buyers need to be able to move freely through a space, or the living space will seem too confined. Fresh throw pillows on sofas are also a low-cost way to provide a fresh look.
5. Let the light in: Even if you normally like to keep curtains closed for privacy or energy efficiency—open them up and let the natural light in. Also choose wisely which lights to turn on when you have showings.
Purchase a few pieces to help freshen up your decorating, look for pieces that will make an impression. Lighting fixtures, wall décor, mirrors, and area rugs are good affordable choices that can help make big impressions.
Lauren Bunting is a Broker with Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva in Ocean City, Maryland.
