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Maximizing Your Greatest Asset:

How to Stage a Home for Sale

 There aren’t a lot of homes on the market these days, which means buyers can’t afford to take their time when finding the home of their dreams. However, you can still expect prospective buyers to look into every corner of your home and critique any flaw they see. As any realtor will tell you, your property has to be in pristine condition if you hope to turn heads and get a deal done. Making that happen depends to a very large extent on how well your home has been staged and whether you’re able to make a lasting and positive impression. Consider these tips from your REALTOR® Gabe Sanders for getting a home in tip-top shape.

Delight the Drive-Bys

The first thing passersby see, and your best chance for creating initial interest, is your property’s exterior. Chipped and dingy paint, indifferently cared-for landscaping and dirty siding can mean the “For Sale” sign will probably remain in the front yard for more time than you would like. Do everything you can to delight the drive-bys, the people out looking for a house that jumps out at them. Give the front door a nice, fresh coat of paint, add a new stand of colorful flowers near the entryway, and keep the yard picked up and well-manicured. If house numbers are falling off or damaged, replace them with shiny, reflective ones. It’s well worth your while to ensure your home’s exterior is immaculate. It’s your chance to make a great first impression and leave buyers anxious to see more.

Declutter and Organize

Buyers are looking for a home with plenty of space and flow, which means you should declutter and keep the number of items in each room to a minimum. Oversized furniture should be stored away while your home is being shown, loose objects must be picked up and organized, and personal items should be removed or de-emphasized. Buyers want to see an organized space, one that conveys a positive message about the job you’ve done maintaining the property. Consider having your home professionally cleaned, including carpeting, air ducts, vents, and furniture. The average price of a one-time house cleaning ranges from $93 to $171, in Stuart, Florida, and is a small price to pay to save time and sanity.

Take Care of Basic Maintenance

Visitors will certainly notice if you have leaky faucets or chipped tile in the kitchen. Take the time to make a room-by-room assessment of problems that would jump out if you were a buyer. Prepping a home for sale doesn’t mean you have to make expensive renovations, but it does mean you have to take care of repair issues — even insignificant ones. Left unattended, they send a negative message about the overall condition of your home.

Bath and Kitchen Improvements

Most homeowners will be more interested in your kitchen and bathroom space than any other part of the house. While it probably isn’t a good idea to invest heavily in new cabinets or install a jacuzzi, it’s a great idea to make minor improvements. Consider replacing faucet fixtures and doorknobs, replace your kitchen countertops with an appealing granite countertop, and upgrade the lighting.

Fresh Paint

Nothing freshens up a lived-in property quite like a new coat of paint. It makes your home look clean and new and, with a neutral or light shade applied throughout your home’s interior, potential buyers will be able to imagine how they’d transform your space. Consider repainting a room that has an experimental shade of lavender with a light gray or beige; you don’t want an outrageous color to distract a potential buyer.

A well-staged house can help you get maximum value from your home. It’s an essential step in the selling process and perhaps the single most important thing you can do to market your property. Make the most of the opportunity.

Article provided by Natalie Jones from HomeownerBliss.info.