Staging Your Occupied Home -

Challenging, But Done Right,

It Will Help You Sell Your Home!

So, you’ve put your home on the market or you’re thinking about it.  To give your home the best chance of a quick sale you MUST stage it.  When you’re home is on the market, you have to live differently.  You want to be ready to show your home at a moment’s notice.  The realtor may call while you’re away and want to show it.  Make sure it’s in great condition!

Bedroom before home staging.

Bedroom after home staging.

Follow these tips to get your home ready:              

• Check your curb appeal – this is what buyers see first, either on the internet when they are looking at possible houses, or when they drive by.  If it doesn’t look appealing, they may just tell the realtor to “keep on going”, I’m not interested!
• Get rid of clutter! Start packing.  Now is the time to pack away everything you won’t need until you move.  Empty out closets and cupboards.  Start using up food in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry. Make your home look as spacious as possible.
• Fix chipped paint or re-paint whole rooms if necessary.  It’s amazing how a fresh coat of paint can change a room.  And if you have “funky” colors on the walls, make them more neutral.  They will appeal to more people and you’ll sell faster.  This goes for the woodwork and trim as well.
• Make necessary repairs.  If you have projects that you’ve started, finish them.  If you can’t, get them to a point where they look presentable.  Fix those dripping faucets.  Check for chips in the sinks and tub.  If doorknobs are loose, fix them.  All of these things are distracting to buyers.

Basement room before home stagingBasement room after home staging.

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  Basement room after home staging – ready for anything!

  Clean everywhere!  You’ll need to come up with strategies to keep things in order.  Deep clean everything, then spend 20-30 minutes each day to maintain.  Don’t forget the hallways and stairs.  Make sure everyone puts away their belongings every night so you can show your home at a moments notice.  No laundry sitting all over.  Clear the piles of paper and books.  Have storage areas to quickly hide items so it looks clean, clear and open.

• Appliances should sparkle!  There’s nothing worse than showing your home with food baked onto the stove, or the refrigerator that has food spilled down the shelves.  Or worse yet, it smells from food gone bad inside.  Run the self-clean oven if you have it and replace stove burner rings.  Clean the inside of the dishwasher, and make sure there’s no dust underneath the appliances.  Move them out to clean. 
• What about your floors? Have carpets cleaned, re-finish wood floors if they need it. Keep them vaccumed or swept daily and pick up items that don’t belong on the floor.  Only furniture, plants, lamps and things that need to be there.  Remove anything that’s hiding behind furniture.  You may think it’s hidden, but buyers will just see clutter.
• Make the beds before you leave for the day.  And if you need new bedding, get some.  New bedding will freshen up a room in a hurry. 
• In the bathroom, pick up towels, accessories and junk! Clean off the counters, tub and shower.  Most of us have too much stuff so it should be packed up or used up.  Have clean, nice-looking towels on hand that you put up before you leave.  Use the old ones for everyday, and replace them with new ones that don’t get used!
• Think about your lighting.  Bring in lamps where necessary.  Most homes don’t have enough light and dark rooms don’t show well.  Open the drapes and let in natural light during the day.  Bright, light rooms look bigger and more open.
• Have some seasonal plants or flowers around for a touch of green and color.  If it’s summer, plant some colorful flowers in pots and have them on the deck or near the entrance.  If you can grow flowers inside, place them around the house.  If it’s winter or you just don’t have a green thumb, consider good quality silk plants to fill corners and give a little life to your rooms.  Not too much – they can look messy!
• Keep children’s toys out of the living room.  This may mean packing up a lot of the toys.  Keep only favorites out and have a place to quickly get them out of sight before showings.  Get the kids involved and let them take some responsibility.