As we are getting ready to sell our home I have been doing a lot of research and asking around on how to get the biggest bang for your buck. Staging a house to sell can be somewhat time consuming, but it ultimately pays off if you do it correctly.

Tips for Staging a House to Sell

I talked to my aunt who owns an appraisal company about what helps to sell a house. Here are some suggestions:

• Nice Kitchen and Bathrooms – I’m sure you have heard that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. Our home has been one project after another, but I agreed to do all the work because I loved the layout of my kitchen. Since these projects are the biggest cost expenses to remodel, people like to have it already done. However, that being said, an older kitchen or bathroom that are clean, staged and well-kept (even if older) can be just as appealing.

• Good Hard Surfaces – This is really specific to flooring and countertops. Most homes sell better when there is tile or wood floor in bathrooms, kitchens, and even the living areas. Carpet in bathrooms? Yuck. People will look for hard surfaces in the most heavily trafficked spaces. Having a nice, stone countertop in your kitchen is also a plus.

• Windows & Other Improvements –  I also asked her about changing out my windows, adding solar panels and other small improvements. She told me those things are great for a long term investment, if you are going to be staying in your home for a long time you can definitely recoup that money in utility savings. But as far as home values and getting that money out of your home when you are selling, that isn’t always likely.

I can say that is true. Our neighbors added solar to their home and then sold it. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the money back out of their solar and they actually took a loss on it.

So that is the technical side of things… now let’s talk about what you can do to make people fall in love with your home when they walk into your house.

• Clean – And I MEAN CLEAN. Deep clean moldings, cabinets, closets, anywhere that dirt collects. Pack up what you can to declutter and minimize “things” that are taking up space. You don’t want every wall jammed with furniture and pictures. This will make your home feel a lot smaller then it is and you want to maximize your space.
• Paint – touch up paint on walls or baseboards. This will really help in staging a house to sell by giving it a fresh new look.
• Replacing outlets/switch covers – If you can’t get these clean, then replacing is a good and cheap option.
• Smell – Scents are huge. This can also be a deterrent if you own a pet. Leave your home smelling clean, but nothing overly potent before you show it.
• Stage it – this includes inside and outside. Present your rooms staged and clean. Also, pick up and stage your outdoors as well.

Happy staging!

Brooke

For more ideas on creating curb appeal for staging a house to sell, see my post here.