Staging Your Home

• Real Estate Tips
• encinitas real estate, encinitas realtor, home buying advice, real estate tips
• January 4, 2016

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, staging refers to the act of preparing a home for sale by making it as aesthetically appealing as possible. Staging, if done right, could not only bring in more offers, but also get your home off the marker more quickly. You may even want to consider having a professional stage your home, but it’s also something you can do yourself depending on your budget. A typical home staging can cost $5,000 or more, but the numbers say it’s well worth the price—studies show staged homes sell significantly faster than non-staged homes.

Keep potential buyers in mind

The goal is to make your home appealing to the majority of people who may see it—you’ll want to keep in mind the population demographic of the area your home is located in. Are there more young buyers? Is it in a beach town, or a busy urban area? These are all factors that can help you transform your home into a welcoming environment that any potential buyer would want. Choose design styles that are targeted toward these potential buyers: for example, industrial style will appeal more to buyers in an urban environment, and modern-beachy style will likely appeal more to buyers on the west coast. Make sure the décor you choose fits with both the style and listing price of your home as well.

Think simple, but not bare

Although one of the first things you should do when preparing your home to be staged is remove all clutter, don’t make the mistake of going too far and leaving each room bare and boring. Instead, strive to create a space where people could see themselves living in—neutral-painted walls, white shower curtain and matching towels in the bathroom, strategically placed armchair in the family room—it’s all about striking a balance between minimalism and comfort.

Take care of the tiniest details

Buyers will notice a streaky window or water spots on the ceiling. Remember, these are people looking to make one of the most significant investments of their life. They’re going to want to make sure everything is perfect, so that’s why you’ll need to clean as thoroughly as you can. That means replacing light fixtures, re-caulking the tub, waxing the floors, and replacing worn carpet.