Use these 4 easy tips to sell your home for money this Spring by staging your house
Staging your house for spring showings can be quite a taxing process but very rewarding if done right. It requires making several subtle changes and decorations that showcase your home’s best assets in a move aimed at impressing potential buyers. The goal is to help them envision themselves in the home, and make your home look better than your spring “selling frenzy” competitors. Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate agent to guide you through this process can help you sell your house quicker, and for more money. In addition, real estate agents work with home stagers on a regular basis and will be able to refer you to a great one that has already been proven and tested.
The biggest buyers during the Spring buying frenzy are the millennials who are known for their attention to details. Empty nesters also comprise a fair share of buyers during this season as they seek to establish homes for themselves. It is important to have these types of home buyers in mind when establishing your ideal target for your home showings, and when choosing the decorating style.
The following are four of the most vital tips to consider when staging your home for Spring showings.
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De-clutter your entire home
A jumbled, cluttered environment is unpleasant and undesirable, which can be a key factor that turns off your potential buyer’s interest. This is because it distracts them from seeing your home’s best features while also giving the impression of a home with inadequate space. When every closet and cabinet is full, it gives buyers the subconscious impression that your home doesn’t have enough storage space. It’s psychological, but a very important aspect of staging your home.
Because of that, it is important to pack and tidy up the house as soon as you decide to sell it, and well before the showings actually begin. You should then store all those possessions and boxes out of the buyer’s sight. Consider getting yourself a storage unit. Many Realtors will tell you to put them all in the garage, but then the buyers are sure to see them there. Again, they’ll get the impression that the house doesn’t have enough storage, which forced you to pack the garage with boxes. You can, however, allow your furniture to stay although it must be neutral and should not occupy excess space. Ask a trusted friend or family member to come take a look and tell you what needs to go. Make sure you pick someone who is a straight shooter and won’t sugar coat it to avoid hurting your feelings. You want their honest opinion. You should also have your Realtor walk through and do the same thing. This is why it’s so important to pick a Realtor who isn’t afraid to be brutally honest. A watered down version of the truth is a disservice to you, not just when staging your house. but in selling your house as well.
Tip: Pull the furniture away from the wall to make your room appear bigger and more appealing.
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Clean your house thoroughly
Cleaning your house well is another seemingly obvious yet valuable tip that significantly enhances the appeal of your home to potential buyers. Be sure to deeply clean all areas including the not-so-accessible spaces such as under-sink cabinets, storage areas, and closets.
You can definitely hire someone else to do the cleaning for you since you’re likely to ignore critical areas and smells due to having become accustom to them over time. We have some great Salt Lake City cleaning companies that we’ve worked with that we can refer to you if you’d like.
You may also want to clear your kitchen counters, leaving only a few items such as a scented candle or a bowl of fresh apples or pears.
Consider maintaining the outdoor areas as well by sweeping cobwebs, replacing burnt-out bulbs and power-wash sidings or decks where necessary. You can also use a new welcome mat or a simple fall wreath, inexpensive yet very effective additions to increase appeal.
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Depersonalize the house
Typically, potential buyers are looking for a conducive space they hope to call home soon. Which is why you should allow them to envision themselves living in the house. As such, remove all your family photographs and mementos that can easily prevent formation of this mindset. In a nutshell, you should put away everything that sends a strong message to the potential buyer regarding the existing home inhabitants and their influence on this space.
Consider hanging mirrors that add more light and life to the house in addition to making the room appear increasingly spacious. Besides, having a naturally illuminated house will go well with a majority of buyers. For this reason, ensure that the blinds and heavy curtains are opened to allow more light and fresh air enter the house. You can also use inexpensive sheers on your windows that easily light up the house from the interior. Be sure to set up a standby warm interior lighting system that will cover you during any stormy, overcast Spring days.
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Define your spaces
Huh? What the… ? What we mean is that you should ensure that each room in your house has a clearly defined purpose to allow potential buyers to envision themselves in it. Sometimes buyers have a hard time imagining living in the home, so if you have too many “multi-purpose rooms” they might not know what to do with them. Ensure that every room and space in the house has a definite purpose which helps the buyer visualize how to maximize the available space. As such, realign all the room arrangement that you might have altered over time to allow each area to regain its original purpose.
For example, a dining room that has since been converted into a catch-all station should now only serve the purpose of a dining room. Conversely, a deserted office space should be rearranged to portray the purpose of the area as it should be. This is especially important for millennials who will want to see a well-organized office space that helps them envision themselves working from home.
Implementing these 4 home staging tips outlined in this article will likely prove to be a little expensive and even inconveniencing in the short term. However, following them should be well worth the cost since they’ll help you command higher home sale prices and enjoy less time on the market. If you spend $3,000 staging your house, but it brings in an extra $12,000 in sales price, you’d be stoked as hell, right? That’s exactly why staging your house i such a great idea. Spend a little to make a lot more. Besides, having completed most of your packing and moving in preparation for staging your house helps you enjoy a smoother transition to your new home once the sale is completed.
MORE SPRING HOME SELLING RESOURCES
- 10 Critical Steps to Take Before Listing Your House for Sale by Andrew Fortune
- Salt Lake City Home Values – What is YOUR home worth?
- How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell – The Do Not List by Jeff Knox
- Staging Tips to Spruce Up the Exterior of Your Home by Anita Clark
- 5 Staging Tips to Help Maximize Price and Minimize Time on the Market by Kyle Hiscock
About the Author: The above article on 4 Easy Tips for Staging Your House For Spring Showings was written and provided by EAP Homes, a leader in the field of Real Estate sales, marketing, and smart home technology. Chris can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 801-455-8753. Chris has helped many people buy and sell Salt Lake City area homes for years.
Thinking of selling your home? I have a real passion for buying and selling Real Estate, as well as marketing & smart home technology. I’d love to share my expertise!
I help people buy and sell real estate in the following Salt Lake area cities & neighborhoods: Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, Millcreek, Olympus Cove, Canyon Rim, Sugarhouse, Midvale, Murray, East Millcreek, Sandy, White City, Draper, Riverton, Daybreak, South Jordan, West Jordan, Herriman, Bluffdale, South Salt Lake, The Avenues, Federal Heights, and of course, Salt Lake City.
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