If you’re considering selling your home, you might worry that staging it will make it feel too empty. That missing couch! Those bare walls! But we promise it won’t feel like that at all. On the contrary, removing clutter and adding little touches like fresh paint or new furniture can make the home look more inviting and comfortable—not less so! That’s because staging is meant to give buyers a sense of what life could be like in your home if they bought it. Below are tips on how to prepare for a home sale.
Tidy up your home’s curb appeal
Your home’s curb appeal is the buyer’s first impression when they pull up to your house. The front of your home should look crisp and clean, so you should:
- Trim any overgrown shrubs or hedges
- Clean windows inside and out
- Clean gutters, downspouts, and drainpipes (you can use a garden hose)
- Clean the garage floor (you can rent a steam cleaner)
De-clutter your home
If you’re like most people, your home probably has too much stuff. So to sell your house quickly and at the best price possible, you’ll have to de-clutter it before putting it on the market.
Here are some tips for getting rid of the clutter:
- Get rid of all the stuff that you don’t need anymore. You may love them, but if they haven’t been used for a long time and there’s no room for them in your life, then get rid of them! Don’t keep anything just because someone gave it to you – unless it’s something unique or valuable.
- Get rid of any furniture or decor that doesn’t fit your style or current lifestyle. You might want those old college posters hanging on your walls, but buyers won’t appreciate them when deciding what kind of person lives there!
Get rid of pets or pet odours.
- Get rid of pet hair. If you have a pet, it’s essential to ensure its fur is not all over the place. It will make the home look dirtier than it actually is and will also be more expensive to clean because of all that extra fur flying around. So get on your hands and knees and start vacuuming and brushing up as much as possible before putting up signs or pictures around town to sell your home.
- Clean pet areas thoroughly. If you want someone else to buy your house, they need to see what they’re getting into by visiting where the pet lives—or lived in this case! You don’t want them thinking about how bad things could smell when they come back from work every day after having been out with friends all night, so do some deep cleaning in those areas before showing anyone else around!
- Get rid of pet odours. At the same time, we’re talking about pets here, too. This one tends to go hand-in-hand with number two above since most people like dogs at least somewhat but don’t necessarily love cat odours unless there’s something wrong with their senses.
Paint your interior walls in neutral colours
If you’re planning to sell your home, it’s time to give your walls a neutral makeover.
Most buyers prefer the look of neutral-coloured walls because they help them envision themselves living there. After all, when you buy a house, you want it to feel like yours—and white isn’t exactly an exciting colour that screams “me.” Additionally, neutral colours are more accessible for other people to decorate with later on down the line. If some interior designer comes along and wants to throw in her touches (after spending hard-earned money), at least she’ll have something on which she can work! Finally, if you ever decide (or need) to repaint your house in the future—which happens more often than most homeowners realize—going with grey or beige will ensure minimal disruption during renovations.
Make minor repairs
Fixing up your home may be a great way to turn heads on the open market. To avoid excess clutter, start by repairing minor issues like leaky faucets and broken windows. Then move on to larger projects like squeaky doors and leaky pipes. You’ll also want to make sure any appliances or light fixtures are in working order before putting your house on the market; after all, no one wants to buy an empty fridge! This is essential on how to prepare for a home sale.
Finally, consider making some cosmetic changes as well—this could mean repairing flooring or walls (and even doors!) around the house so that everything inside is clean and professional looking when potential buyers come through for their appointments.
Maximize sightlines, especially in bedrooms and bathrooms
When maximizing sightlines, you want to ensure you get the most bang for your buck. It means ensuring that your home has a wide range of sightlines and is not cluttered with unnecessary furniture or objects. Instead, it’s best to focus on the assets in a home, like large windows and beautiful views.
The main bedroom should be the enormous room in your house. Make sure it has an oversized bathroom with plenty of counter space and storage options for toiletries and towels, as well as plenty of light from large windows or skylights (if applicable). You don’t want any rooms that are dark or uninviting! If possible, try adding an extra window near where someone would sit on their bed reading so they can get plenty of natural light during their waking hours–this will help them sleep better at night too! Don’t forget this on how to prepare for a home sale.
Check for functions in each room.
Once you’ve had your home professionally cleaned and inspected, it’s time to look for any other obvious issues that may need fixing before putting your house on the market. Check each room for function by turning on the lights and checking for water damage, leaks, heating and cooling systems working correctly (or not), electrical outlets working, and pet odours lingering in the air. If there are plumbing issues, such as a clogged toilet or sink, take care of them now, so they don’t become a problem later during showings or after closing escrow. This is an important thing in how to prepare for a home sale.
Staging allows you to de-clutter and spruce things up so buyers can envision themselves living in your home.
Staging allows you to de-clutter and spruce things up so buyers can envision themselves living in your home. You should consider hiring a professional stager, primarily if you sell your house while it’s on the market. Many online resources can help you find an affordable stager in your area (like this one!)
A good staging professional will be able to make your home feel spacious, light and airy (even when it might not feel like that to you). They have experience with various interior design styles and know what works for different kinds of homes. They can also advise on how best to showcase the unique features of any room: do those beautiful hardwood floors need more light? What about making sure there are enough windows? Are there any decorative elements or pieces of furniture that could be moved around? And don’t forget about storage options! Stagers know how important it is to have enough storage space and ensure everything is well organized so buyers can easily find what they need.
With so much to do, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So take this advice from us: Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Dealing with the logistics of staging your home can be stressful, especially if you have other big things going on in life. So why not enlist the help of a professional stager? They’ve got plenty of experience and will know exactly what needs to be done before placing your house on the market—allowing you more time off during this busy season.
