HOW TO STAGE ON A BUDGET

You’re putting your home up for sale.  How can you

shine?  How do you compete with your neighbors and make your home stand out?  STAGING!!!  It is a proven fact that people who stage their homes sell faster than those who don’t.  I’ve posted about this before so I won’t bore you with the same information.  However, I will suggest how to stage on a budget.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money.  The vast majority of staging can be done with what you already have and perhaps adding small things to change the feel in the home.

Here are a few tips from me and the REALTOR, April 2009 publication:

CLOSETS:  Here’s the thing, people tend to hide all manner of sins by throwing stuff into closets thinking that potential buyers are not looking in there.  HELLO, buyers have stuff and need to know if a home has enough space to store it in.  Clear the floor,  put things in bins or start to pack all together and put the boxes into the garage or a storage locker.  Make sure your belongings are neatly on the hangers; take things out if it looks overstuffed.  If there are items on the top shelves, make nice neat stacks, use boxes.  Remember, it does matter.

CLOSE ALL OPEN DOORS, ETC:  Believe it or not, people don’t want to walk into a room with the closet doors open, the garage cabinet doors open, the toilet lids up, etc.  The only doors that should be open are the ones leading into the room(s).  Open the window treatments; if you have curtains, pull them to the sides….let the sun shine in!

CREATING A FOCAL POINT:  Stand at your front door.  What is the first thing you see?  For example, if you have a fireplace, that is the focal point, highlight it….this is especially true in a home that has a family room and/or great room.  If you first walk into your home and you have the living room/dining room, clear them up.  Make the table in the dining room the focal point.  Put a nice center piece on the table with a runner.  Perhaps set the table as if waiting for your dinner guests.  

LIGHTS:  When showing your home, put ALL the lights on add wattage if necessary.  Even in the day time.  Light up the space.  People have more positive thoughts when it’s light inside….if it’s a dark space, it’s not happy!  Light is uplifting.

SITTING AREA:  Make sure that either in the living room or the family room there is a “sitting area” so that potential buyers can sit down and chat……this type of set up encourages people to feel comfortable in your home….they can better feel how the home fits them.   Have a space with sofas and/or chairs facing each other and no clutter around.  Clear off that coffee table.  This says “come in, sit down and relax”….very important.  You want your home to be welcoming.

BATHROOMS:  Put away all your stuff!  Nobody wants to see your toothbrush or deodorant.  Get a little basket and put all that stuff in that and then place it under the sink or in the linen closet.  Use one of your towel bars and put up “nice” towels that you don’t use.  Tie a ribbon in the center or use rafia to tie a bow.  Place little soaps in a little dish on the counter to add fragrance.  Make sure the bathroom is clean!  That means the tub/shower.  If you only have a plastic shower curtain, pull it to the side.  Remove all dirty/used towels and wash clothes.

REFRESH PAINT:  You may not need to paint the whole house, but perhaps the door frames, baseboards and painted doors need a little touch up.  It’s amazing what a little paint can do for a home.  You don’t want to have any marks on the walls, it makes the home looked abused or ill cared for….you don’t want that to be the first impression.

PETS:  We love our pets.  It’s ok to have pets and their beds and bowls.  Find a space where these items are out of the way.  Make sure the food dishes are clean and that there’s no food or water mess around.  If you have a cat, make sure the litter box is always clean.  When we live with animals, we get used to the odors.  Have someone you know walk into the house and tell you if they smell your animal.  If they do, deal with it….right away!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:  Whether driving up or walking up to a home, the front entrance is the first impression.  No turning back on this one.  You cannot take back what a person’s initial impression is of your home.  Make sure the front lawn is neat and mowed; all bushes and trees trimmed and not overhanging the walkway.  Do you have a bunch of live plants by the front door?  Is it blocking the entrance?  Move them…..put them in the back in a nice area.  Is the door and door frame clean and/or freshly painted/stained?  Is the hose out?  Roll it up and put it off to the side.  Are there toys lying about?  Put them away.  Make sure the garage door is closed and clean.  If you have a carport, clear up the clutter.  Get a planter (they are inexpensive at WalMart or Target)…plant seasonal flowers and place the pot at the walkway or if there’s room by the front door…..adding color to the front of a home is huge…..people love flowers.  

All in all you might have some of these supplies on hand.  If not, these are inexpensive fix-ups.  Get creative.  Be careful not to add more just take away clutter and enhance what you’ve got.  Step out of the home you’ve created and look at it like a house (a commodity) for sale.  If you were looking at houses would you buy your home?  Do you have expectations for a home you are seeing for the first time?  Well, buyers for your home are expecting the same thing!!

If you’re unsure of being objective ask a friend or relative.  Tell them to not worry about hurting your feelings…..remember you’re trying to sell the house…..strangers will be much more critical.  Be proud of what you’ve created and most of all have fun!