A few months ago, James and I made a big decision– we decided we would be putting our house up for sale. We love LOVE our neighborhood, our block … our house! So, the decision definitely wasn’t easy and was filled with mixed emotions.
When you are putting your home up for sale, it is exciting – a new chapter…. but it is also stressful. Aside from the sale itself, there is a whole “prepping” process that is involved before the house officially hits the market. This process is called “staging”.
Staging is important because it showcases all of a home’s great features and helps paint a picture for potential buyers. And when staging is done right? Your house will looks so amazing, you will want to rip that “For Sale” sign right out of the ground– which is pretty much where I am. *sigh*
[Tweet “When staging is done right, your home will looks so amazing, youll want to rip that “For Sale” sign right off the lawn!”]
1. PURGE.
Invest in large black garbage bags, and maybe even a Bagster (which is a dumpster size bag that is delivered and removed from your driveway).
Separate into piles– donate, sell, throw away.
Purge not just your basement and garage, but your closets as well (potential buyers will be peaking in those!). It is amazing how much we accumulate when living in a space over a given time. Sometimes we end up holding on to things we don’t really need…. and if you forgot you owned it? Most likely, you do not need it.
[Tweet “{ Purging Tip! } If you forgot you owned it, you don’t need it!”]
2. De-clutter.
Potential buyers want to imagine their things in your home, so de-cluttering is key. Try to make as much space in every room and surface top as possible. We even took our Kitchen Aid mixer (that I use almost every day) off the counter and stored it in our pantry.
[Tweet “Potential home buyers was to imagine their things in your home. De-cluttering is key! #RealEstate”]
When it comes to the kids toys, don’t stress too much. It’s ok for the house to look lived in- especially in kid areas. We just tried to organize it a bit by hanging up costumes and maximizing the use of our bins and toy boxes.
3. Re-design On A Dime
Get a fresh perspective from someone not living in your home. Ask a friend to come over and take a look at your rooms to offer some suggestions on the decor.
Small but simple changes to a room can make a world of difference. For years we had our piano off to the side of the room, my friend Tammy came in and suggested putting it by the back window (something that never in 5 years crossed my mind) and it looked perfect!!
Window valences in place of long dark curtains allow a room to have more natural light. We found these hard to find on the cheap, but if you have some in the house- swap em’ out!
I wanted the house to be brighter all around, so I found some cute and inexpensive accents at TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and The Christmas Tree Shop that really brought life to the room– and the best part is, I love them so much I know I will be using them in the new house too.
Here is a peek at our before and after (please excuse the horrible ‘before’ lighting)
I did have some solid cream pillows on the couch too- but still, too bland.
5. A Little Touch Up Paint Goes A Long Way.
We’ve been meaning to touch up the moldings and doors in the house forever. It’s one of those things that just kept getting pushed aside. A little white paint can make a much cleaner, crisper look for your house and it doesn’t take much time at all.
6. Pictures, Candles, and Flowers- oh, my!
We all tend to have LOTS of personal pictures hung all over hour home, proudly displaying our gorgeous friends and family. However, when you are selling your home, it’s recommended you take them down. We left a few up because I loved the frames, but for the most part they are all gone and replaced with scenic pictures from our vacations and inexpensive canvas prints.
The scent of a nice candle can really make a house feel like home. I love candles burning all the time anyway, so staging the house only gave me more of an excuse to get some new jarred candles. Once again, I have to recommend checking out TJ Maxx and Marshalls (I shop there a lot if you haven’t noticed), they have the large Yankee Candles that are usually around $18 for only $10. Citrus and Vanilla candles are most recommended.
I’ve never been much of a flower girl, but flowers definitely make for an inviting home- especially on the kitchen or dining table. Supermarkets usually have bouquets on the cheap. I purchased one for $7 and was able to split it into 2 small arrangements.
More amazing? Those flowers have lasted over a week!! I don’t think I’ve ever kept a PLANT alive that long.
Those are just a few of the ways we got our home ready for showings. I’m sure there are dozens more.
Do you have any great tips for staging a home?
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These are all great tips! We've been talking about possibly selling our house and finding a bigger one but we're still on the fence because we're just not sure what we'll get out of it.
I've also heard that baking cookies is a good idea because it makes the house smell homey.
These are great tips! When I was looking for a home 2 years ago, I was frequently frustrated by homes whose owners DID NOT follow these simple steps. I can remember one home where the kids' toys were EVERYWHERE! Kinda made it hard for me to picture MY stuff in there, ya know?
Thanks for the good tips. I agree with every one of these. I would also recommend removing any furniture that blocks normal walk-through areas. Just put it in storage. Your family might be used to walking around that loveseat or china hutch, but potential buyers will just think the room is cramped and too small (they won't be able to put their finger on the reason why). Definitely de-clutter - even your linen closet - fold everything neatly and stack it on the shelves, but leave some space, so it appears like there's lots of storage for linens. Get cheap baskets to store odds and ends, like spare light bulbs. In addition to asking a friend for an honest opinion, ask your real estate agent what he or she thinks you should change. Stage your laundry room by getting a bold print fabric to recover your ironing board, then hang it in the laundry room - and make a matching curtain out of the same fabric and bring in solid-colored laundry baskets that pick up the color. Tie rooms together by staying with the same palette for your pops of color, such as throw pillows, flowers and place mats on the table (just set up two place mats across from each other with your best neutral-colored plates). We got six offers on the first day our house was shown!
Totally agree with these tips! My mom had a stager come in before selling the house and the slightest touches and rearrangements made a world of a difference!!
xoxo, Elena Michelle
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