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Staging Tips 101

Now it’s important to shift your perspective. Your home is now a house—a product for sale. Viewing it this way will help minimize your time on the market and maximize your sales price.

One of the most effective strategies we can use is staging.

Unlike a decorator, a professional stager’s goal is to de-personalize the home in order to appeal to any buyer’s tastes. We understand that these steps require some effort, but they are proven to significantly affect how quickly and profitably your house sells.

Be sure your photos reflect any changes you make to your home. Photos are showing #1!

**Clutter eats equity**

Here are tips to stage your home:

First, stand in the doorway and look at the room. What is the focal point of this room? Is it hidden or blocked by furniture or things?

Interior Staging:

  • Clean!! This sweat equity will pay off, showing the buyer you care about your home. If you can afford a professional cleaner, you will get this money back in the sale of your home.
  • Pack away any items smaller than a bowling ball. Use odd-numbered items when doing groupings. 3 is the magic number with different heights
  • Give all items breathing space
  • Be sure the room is not too dark, let natural light in.
  • Add lamps to dark corners.
  • Be sure all lightbulbs work.
  • Repair and repaint cracks on walls and ceilings.
  • Add a small amount of greenery to each room
  • Keep walls and floors neutral to create a spacious feel
  • Use color for accent pieces if your walls and floors are neutral. (Bedspreads, towels, artwork, etc).
  • If your walls are not neutral, use neutral accent pieces.
  • Remove furniture to create more space.
  • Rearrange furniture and items to make a room feel bigger.
  • Clean light switches
  • Reduce the number of pillows to 2 or less on your couch.
  • Clean the fireplace if it has been used.
  • Mantels and hearths need to be cleared off except for a few items.
  • Pack away all collections.
  • Remove most rugs unless it serves a purpose other than decor.
  • Reduce the number of family photos
  • Ask a trusted friend if there are any odors in your home
  • Clean all windows
  • Clear off coffee tables and end tables to 1 or 2 items
  • Clear the Dining Room table to one nice centerpiece
  • Remove tablecloths
  • Remove extra leaves in tables to maximize the space in the room.
  • Remove extra dining room chairs if they crowd the table or room
  • Clear off kitchen counters, only leaving a few items you have to use daily
  • Clean tile grout
  • Remove all magnets, photos, drawings, etc from the refrigerator. If you must have 1-2 items put them on the side.
  • Clean the Stovetop.
  • Keep all soaps, towels, cleaning supplies, etc under the sink.
  • Remove pet dishes for showings
  • Make the bed every day.
  • Clear off bedside tables
  • Remove all items from the floor of your closet to give a larger appearance. Pack away all clothes that are not in the current season.
  • Remove all posters from kid rooms.
  • Clear off bathroom counters. Everything goes under the sink, hopefully organized.
  • Neatly fold towels.
  • Close toilet lids
  • Use one large rug in the middle of the bathroom or none at all.
  • Hide all cleaning supplies.

Exterior Staging

  • Clean the front door, touch up or repaint as needed
  • Add a wreath for the season
  • Sweep all exterior spaces
  • Pressure Wash the driveway, walkway, etc as needed.
  • Have the roof professionally cleaned.
  • Remove moss or mold from all decks, patios and walks.
  • Reduce any clutter on the patio or deck.
  • Trim back overgrown shrubs and trees that hide the house
  • Rake and weed flower beds. Add new mulch
  • Keep the lawn mowed
  • Remove any tree branches that touch your roof or are very close to the roof.

Vacant Homes

  • Floors clean
  • Walls clean, sweep as needed to remove cobwebs
  • Remove all furniture unless it has a purpose in the room for staging.
  • Remove all curtains
  • Open all blinds
  • Counters in the kitchen and bathroom completely empty, unless staged
  • Windows Clean
  • Mirrors Clean
  • Check regularly for dead bugs
  • Set the thermostat to 74 in the summer and 65 in the winter
  • Have all ceiling fans going to keep the house from smelling musty
  • Provide toilet paper in the bathrooms or close the lids and tape the toilet shut with a note on the top of the lid “Not in use”.