Avoid these Home-Staging Mistakes

When selling your home, there is plenty of work to accomplish. One task that should never be overlooked or placed low on your list of priorities is home-staging. This process involves beautifying and perfecting your home so it makes a strong impression and attracts potential buyers. It will make it easy for individuals to walk throughout your house and envision themselves living in this space. Unfortunately, when staging your home, there are several home-staging mistakes that you can make, that can discourage a sale. It can deter potential buyers from placing an offer and from falling in love with your property.

Several home-staging mistakes to avoid when Selling your House

Keeping Personal Belongings in Plain Sight

Do you have a lot of knick-knacks that you keep on the shelves? What about family photos on the wall? One of the purposes of home staging is to create a space where potential buyers can imagine themselves living. If they see a large number of personal belongings and unusual knick-knacks, this becomes a challenge. If you are selling your home, strive to remove as many personal belongings as possible throughout your entire home.

It is too Cluttered

Buyers want large and open spaces. If they walk into a room that is full of unnecessary furniture, cluttered shelves, and covered tables, they will be disappointed. As you work to stage your home, it is important that you declutter it. Take the time to remove all unnecessary furniture from each room. Clear bookshelves and tables. Remove stacks of paper in the corner. These things will make a difference in your listing photos as well as during each showing.

Not only should you declutter open spaces, but also those behind closed doors as well. Spend time deep cleaning and decluttering all closets, cupboards, drawers, etc. Buyers will look into these spaces and you want to show that there is ample storage throughout your home. To do this, remove at least 50% or more of the belongings in these areas. You may want to pack these items early, donate them, or throw old belongings away.

It is not well Lit

A home that is bright and well lit is inviting and welcoming. It makes you want to stay in the space for as long as possible. When staging your home, look at the amount of light in each room. Could the window treatments be cleaned or updated? Could you add more light to the room? Do light bulbs need to be replaced?

Additionally, during showings, you will want to open each window treatment and let in as much natural light as possible. This also means you must ensure both the interior and exterior of your home’s windows are clean and free from water spots, fingerprints, etc.

You forget your Home’s Exterior

When staging your property, many sellers focus exclusively on the interior of their home. This is a large mistake. The exterior of your property is the first impression that buyers will receive from your home. You want to make sure it is a strong one. If buyers fall in love with your property as they drive up to your home, they will be anxious to get inside and see the rest of the property. A few ideas to help you enhance the curb appeal of your home and properly stage it include:

• Perform basic home maintenance tasks such as mowing, trimming the trees, weeding, etc.
• Sweep all pathways and the driveway.
• Spruce up your front porch. Take the time to sweep it, lay down a new welcome mat, place a new wreath on the door, etc.
• Paint the trim, shutters, window boxes, etc.
• Create a comfortable gathering area in the backyard with patio furniture, planters filled with fresh flowers, and more.

Avoid these home-staging mistakes by taking your time to properly stage your home, you will make it easy for all buyers to fall in love with your property. Inside and Out!