Properly staging your home can make a huge difference in the time it takes to sell. In a 2019 National Association of Realtors report, a quarter of buyers’ agents said that staging a home increased the buyer’s offer by 1-5% compared to similar homes that weren’t staged. It’s safe to say that going the extra mile is worth the time and money.
DO Enhance Your Curb Appeal
The outside of your home is a potential buyer’s first impression, so you have to make it count. Spruce up your landscaping and your home’s exterior appearance. Plant flowers, mow your lawn, trim the hedges, repaint the shutters and front door, and add a charming welcome mat.
DO Declutter
Clutter is your kryptonite when staging. The goal of home staging is for the buyer to imagine themselves living in your home. That’s difficult when rooms are overcrowded with too much furniture and personal belongings. Keep it simple and declutter each room. This will not only help keep the buyer focused on the home’s amenities, but also make your rooms look bigger.
Do Remove Personal Items
You are more likely to make a sale if the buyer can visualize themselves in the home. This can be difficult if your listed property feels like your home instead of their home. While you cannot predict the tastes of each individual, you can create a tasteful but neutral aesthetic that is appealing to most buyers. Remove any personal items, artwork, photos, or other decorations that reflect your unique personality and interests.
DON’T Overstage
While staging is important, don’t overdo it. You don’t need to buy a bunch of new furniture and cover every inch of space on the wall. Remember, the goal is to appeal to the most buyers by keeping it simple and spacious. Today’s buyers often prefer neutral paint and uncluttered furniture spaces. This will leave more opportunity for them to easily imagine themselves living in your house. Staging can be as simple as rearranging furniture and displaying tasteful items you already own to present your home favorably online and in-person.
DO Focus On The Rooms That Count
Don’t feel the need to perfect every room. The 2019 NARs report also found that staging the living room was found to be most important for buyers, followed by staging the master bedroom, and the kitchen. Focus your energy on making sure these rooms capture buyers’ attention the most.
DON’T Do Major Renovations
We understand the pressure is on when selling your home. But most likely, there’s no need to turn your home into an HGTV project. Best practices are to make improvements where they have the most impact like re-painting, replacing old flooring, and updating fixtures.
At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we offer professional home staging for listings as a value-added service to help our clients sell faster at top dollar. If you’re looking to sell a home in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, or the North Atlanta area, give us a call us at 770-352-9658 or send us an email at info@KarenCannon.com. Check out our current listings here.
