3 Home Staging Tips to Help You Sell Your Property (And 3 Mistakes You Should Avoid)
As the saying goes, home is where the heart is. That is why whenever you are looking to sell a house, you want to prioritise the home staging and decoration of the property in order to capture that feeling for potential buyers.
Many people look at their homes as an extension of themselves, so you want to create an environment that people can picture themselves in for the long-term. This is why home staging is so important to the selling process.
So, to help you create a home that people would like to walk through and buy, here are three home staging tips to get the job done. (And three critical mistakes you should avoid.)
However, before we dive in, did you know that by investing in careful home staging, you can potentially increase your property value on a refinance. To learn more, click the link below to book a free strategy call today.
Home Staging Tips
Home staging is an art, which means it is greatly influenced by personal preference. So, instead of trying to find a single style that suits everyone, here are some tips to help you appeal more people without getting tied up with the specifics.
Emphasize Family and Comfort
People want to buy homes that they can picture living in with their families. So, when you are staging your home for sale, you should arrange the furniture with that in mind.
That includes focusing on open living and dining spaces and comfy-looking bedrooms. Try filling these rooms with things such as throw pillows and blankets to further increase the comfortable home-style feel in these spaces. You can even include small details such as books and boardgames on the shelves or a barbeque in the yard to provide the image of activities and life in the home.
Finally, if you can consider including a TV in the living space. You would be surprised but if you take a look at many homes on the markets, they are staged as if most people do not have TVs in their homes.
Focus on Curb Appeal
For most people, home staging stops the second you step outside of the front door, but that does not have to be the case. By taking the time to emphasize the curb appeal and fix up the yard, you can make the drive up to the home feel just as inviting as the interior. Think about it, if a home was dark and grey with a worn-down lawn would you feel excited about buying it? How about a house with a nicely trimmed lawn with flowers and lawn decorations?
By taking the time to improve the curb appeal on the property, you can easily attract more potential buyers who would have otherwise driven by and never looked at your property in the first place.
Consider Using Scents
One of the masterful marketing techniques employed by bakeries and retail stores is called scent marketing. By filling the air with smells like lavender, lilac or freshly baked cookies, people find themselves relaxed and more willing to spend their time and money in the store. The same trick can work in real estate.
By freshening up the scent of a home, you can create positive images for your buyers that will increase their interest in buying the home. This can be done with air fresheners, freshly washed fabrics, or other means. For example, if you want to highlight the kitchen and draw people in, you can get creative and bake a batch of cookies. Not only will the scent be pleasant and attractive, but you can also provide a snack at the open house which will entice people to stay longer.
Discover How To Stage A Home With This Step By Step Guide
Mistakes to Avoid
While home staging is a very personal part of the selling process, there are a few general guidelines you should consider increasing your odds of making the sale while turning away the fewest number of prospective buyers.
Keep Your Home Staging Balanced
Regardless of how you like to live, whether you are a minimalist or prefer to fill every space in your home, you should always strive for balance when staging a home.
If you keep the home too sparsely decorated and empty, you leave a lot of room for the buyer’s mind to wander. While this can be useful to help them imagine their own belongings in the space, it can also give them more time to notice smaller flaws in the home that can detract from the overall appeal. On the other hand, if you over-decorate the property, it can feel lived-in and cramped which can deter people from buying the home.
Keep a Neutral Tone
You may love bright colours and extravagant and unique decorations, but it is not for everyone. Instead, try to strive for a neutral tone when staging your property. Bold, heavily saturated colours can draw people’s eyes but if overdone, they can make rooms feel smaller and distract people from the real charm of the home.
By primarily using muted colours and neutral tones, you can create a relaxing feel that can act as a blank canvas for buyers to paint a mental picture of how they would like the home to look once they move in.
Avoid Offensive or Controversial Decorations
Regardless of your own personal stances, you should always strive to eliminate offensive or potentially controversial elements in your home staging. This can include political messaging, religious symbols, or vulgar images.
Remember that everyone comes from different backgrounds, and you do not want to alienate any buyers by offending them or making them feel out-of-place.
Bonus: What to do About Your Mortgage When Selling a Home
If you need help finding out what to do regarding your mortgage when you sell, take the time to speak with a qualified mortgage agent to look at your options. Sometimes you can port your mortgage to a new property, while others you may need a bridge loan to help you buy your next home while selling the first.
Regardless of your needs, our team here at LendCity is here to help you. To help you find the option that is best suited to your specific needs, give us a call at 519-960-0370 or visit us online at LendCity.ca Alternatively, click the link below for a free strategy call today.