Home Staging on a Budget
Selling your home is a very emotional process. Whether you are moving on to a bigger place, downsizing, splitting up or having troubles with finances, its a buyers market and you need to sell your home - fast. Your home is your biggest asset and each day it sits on the market, costs you money.
Here is a list of the proven methods to get the most out of your home:
1) The first and arguably the most important step in selling your home is to detach your memories from the house. Yes, Ana took her first steps in the kitchen, Aaron scored his first 3 pointer in the driveway and Madison and you loved to cuddle in the blanket fort in the living room. However, these are just memories; Memories that will be with you for a lifetime. They do not belong to the house. They would have happened in any house. Detach yourself, realize new buyers will be looking to make their own new memories and this will free you to look forward to making new memories in your new space.
2) Declutter and depersonalize your rooms, cabinets and closets. Put your winter clothes etc into storage, take down most of the personal pictures and keepsakes and store your nicknacks. Keep your space as neutral as possible so potential buyers can imagine their own possessions in the space. Decluttering also makes the space appear bigger - a big plus if square footage is limited.
3) Deep clean the space. Keep your home as clean as possible! Keep it dusted and smelling clean and clear of pet hair. Nothing will detract potential buyers faster than a dirty space.
4) Freshen up the paint. Yeah, buyers will likely still want to add their own colours but filling in nail holes, having crisp baseboards and painting over the rose colour paint will give them a better pallet to envision their own life in your home.
5) Rearrange your furniture so it is inviting to the eye by creating focal points. This includes positioning couches and chairs so you are able to maintain a face-to-face conversation, downsize that extremely large couch that faces the TV and if need-be, borrow smaller pieces that "fit" the room. Remember, you are creating a space for another family, not you. Put your ripped up arm-chair and extra pieces in storage.
6) Get that repair list completed. Potential buyers will notice and this will cost you money.
7) Replace your window coverings with nice, clean neutral ones. Chose coverings that let in the sun and make your space feel bright and airy.
8) Make your bed everyday. Yup, I said it. When a potential buyer calls, you may only have an hour to freshen up. Making the beds in the morning will save you time later. A quick cheat is to sleep with your old comforters and use new or borrowed nicer bedding, to make the beds with in the morning.
9) Take care to replace worn out or dated rugs and keep with a neutral theme. A new area rug will frame the conversation space and bring warmth back into the space. Investing in a nice, well-priced rug can have a great return on your dollar.
Investing back into your home when selling is an extremely important process. You want people to walk into your home and be able to immediately envision themselves living there. Taking the time and money to follow these quick steps will pay off in the long-run.
Written by Alicia Elliston
CEO Horseshoe Home Treasures Inc.