Tips for Inexpensive Home Staging

Many real estate experts agree that before putting your house on the market, staging your home is an important part of the selling process. Showing off the home’s qualities is the best way to increase your final selling price. On average, people receive $2 in increased sale price for every $1 invested in staging. With that statistic in mind, according to RISMedia’s Housecall, here are the Five Golden Rules to consider when staging your home (The Five Golden Rules of Home Staging on a Budget).

1. Depersonalize – Buyers need to envision themselves in your home. Your wedding photos or those of your children will distract the prospective buyer from seeing your home as theirs.
2. Maximize – Declutter in order to maximize the space in your home. Clothes packed together in closets tend to make the space look small. Store the overflow temporarily offsite.
3. Sanitize – The easiest and least expensive way to stage your home is to first clean it! Obviously, dirty dishes should not be in the sink. Be sure your windows, ceiling fans, floors and baseboards are dust-free.
4. Modernize – Look around your home and see where it might need some updating. Simple, inexpensive changes, such as replacing cabinet pulls or gold fixtures with nickel or chrome, can give your home a more modern look.
5. Neutralize – Prospective buyers are greatly influenced by the colors they see when viewing your home. Despite your delight in a brightly colored wall, it may be shocking to others. A fresh coat of neutral paint is an easy and inexpensive way to change the appearance of your home.

In addition to the five rules, here are some more helpful tips.

1. Bedrooms – Use gender neutral colors on walls. Color co-ordinate bedspreads, curtains, etc. Add a headboard to provide focal point where needed. A few decorative items atop bureaus adds a nice touch.
2. Bathrooms – Clear countertops of everything except essentials, such as soap dish, hand towel, etc. White towels will give the bathroom a cleaner, spa-like feel and make the space feel larger. Scour grimy shower doors.
3. Kitchen – Clean refrigerator, sink, inside of oven since these items will be staying with your home. Declutter “junk” and other drawers. Be sure cabinets are clean and organized on inside shelves. Remove any rug which may be in front of sink. This will make the floor space feel bigger.
4. Dining Room – Set the table! This creates a lived-in feel (after all the decluttering!) and helps the buyer see how their things might look. A vase of fresh flowers will also add a lovely focal point.
5. Living Room – Be sure the shades are up and drapes are open to allow as much light in as possible. A plant placed in an unusually large room is a great focal point.