RE/MAX Premier Group’s Blog

Many buyers make a decision about a home within 15 seconds of walking through the front door. To make a great first impression, many homeowners are turning to Home Staging. Home Staging is the process of setting the scene throughout your home to create immediate buyer interest.

Benefits of Home Staging

Donna Dazzo, a New York-based home stager, pointed out that staging moves up sell dates and adds more money to sellers’ pockets. She noted a recent study performed by The Real Estate Staging Association, which showed that after they’d been on the market for quite some time, occupied homes that were staged sold on average within six days, while unoccupied homes sold within 28 days after staging. “Home staging results in a higher price, all other things being equal,” she said, adding that the money that clients invest in staging usually results in a 350-percent return on investment in terms of getting a number closer to their sale price. “An investment in staging will always be less than the first price reduction,” she said.

Clean Up and Remove All Clutter

Potential buyers don’t want to see how you live. They want to picture themselves living in your home. When cleaning for home staging, you should plan to clean your home better than you ever have before. Clean every surface including windows (inside and out) and window sills, ledges, door knobs, ceiling fans, shelves, mini blinds, ceiling and floor corners, and baseboards. Remove all tile grout with bleach. Caulk areas around sinks and bathtubs. If the job seems overwhelming, consider hiring a maid service or cleaning crew. The benefits of home staging will be worth the cost.

Get your carpets professionally cleaned. If you have pets, this is absolutely necessary. Even if you don’t, professionally cleaned carpets are far more appealing than worn out, stained ones.

When considering purchasing your home, people will open your cupboards and closets. Make sure they’re organized neatly. Every storage area in your home should be neat, clean, organized, and clutter-free.

To Decorate or Not to Decorate

You need to show your home at its best potential to buyers. Lori Matzke, Professional Home Stager and Founder of “Center Stage Home” states, “Keep in mind that what you are selling is the house, not its contents. . . If you remove throw or area rugs, eliminate clutter and collections, and cut down on furniture and accessories, the room will appear to be more airy and spacious. . . It’s all about flow.”

Make your home look as spacious as possible. Rearrange furniture so it is conducive to a smooth traffic flow. Store away any excess furniture and knick knacks. Take down your wedding photos, religious items, school pictures, and collection of refrigerator art.

Consider replacing the towels in your bathrooms and kitchen with a couple of fresh new ones. Remove all personal items from countertops, and place a plant on the bathroom vanity. Remove all dirty laundry from sight. Add a centerpiece to your dining room table if you don’t already have one. Take a close look at your houseplants. If they are dying or unsightly, remove them or replace them. Place plants in clean, attractive containers. Add a fresh, non-offensive fragrance to your home using potpourri, scented oils, or scented wax (as candle smoke can stain walls) such as cinnamon or vanilla. Many agents are even advising homeowners to bake a fresh batch of cookies if they know they will be showing their home. A fresh coat of paint in a neutral color will also go a long way.

Your front porch is the first thing people see. If you have any dead or tattered planters, replace them with fresh ones. Keep all planters watered and trimmed. Keep your porch clean and inviting. Replace your front door handle if necessary, and put a stylish wreath on the door.

Ms. Dazzo states, “Even though people’s clutter is a turn-off to potential buyers, the opposite problem – a vacant home – is one that really keeps houses on the market longer. If there is nothing left in the house, buyers sense desperation and begin trying to whittle down prices, and as the listing gets more stale, the house becomes even harder to sell. . . If it doesn’t have furniture, people notice cracks in the walls, scuffs in the floor.”

Home Staging can be a project you can do yourself, but if you want to invest in a professional Home Stager, the benefits are often worth the cost.

For more information please do not hesitate to contact us.