10 Steps to Stage Your Home and WOW Your Buyers

What's the difference between a home that sells fast and for top dollar... and a home that sits on the market, unwanted? A lot of times, it's simply a matter of staging! If you're thinking of selling your Triangle home, don't let staging be the difference between selling your home and losing money. These DIY tips will help transform your home and WOW those buyers.

The Exterior

The outside of your home is just as important as the inside. Spend some time giving your home's exterior some love to create a sense of welcoming so that your buyers are impressed before they even leave the car.

Create curb appeal

Before a buyer will set foot inside, they have to be impressed by the exterior of your home. So spend some time making your home welcoming and attractive. Power wash your siding and driveway, mow the lawn, weed or prune the garden, or plant some bright flowers. Wash your windows, replace old house numbers, or update a tired mailbox.

Make your porch welcoming

Make buyers eager to get inside with a tidy, welcoming front porch. A cozy chair or seasonal wreath, some potted flowers, and a shiny new doorknob will help make your home bright and beautiful.

Don't forget those outdoor areas

Buyers in the Triangle know they're going to want to spend some time outdoors, which means they'll be looking for a nice deck, patio, or backyard for sitting outside and enjoying some sunshine. Make sure yours are dressed to impress! Make sure your lawn is mowed, and keep your deck neat and clear of clutter.

Cleaning & Repairs

Nothing turns off a buyer like a long list of maintenance problems, unfinished repairs, or a home that's just not clean. Don't lose out on a sale for an easily preventable reason.

Finish repair projects

Would you want to move into a new house with a long list of problems? Neither do your buyers. Take care of those unfinished maintenance projects to prevent those from deterring potential buyers.

Clear out the clutter

Just as messy, overstuffed closets seem smaller, homes with a lot of clutter seem smaller and less open. Take some time to clear out your closets, attic, basement, garage, and any other areas that have accumulated unused items over the years.

Deep clean EVERYTHING

A dirty house is possibly the #1 deterrent to buyers. Not only is it a haven for dirt, dust, and even mildew or mold, but unclean homes may give buyers the impression that they're not well cared for... which could mean maintenance issues.

Interior Decor

Now that you've created curb appeal and tackled the basics, it's time to start looking for ways to impress your buyers and make your home stand apart from the crowd.

Depersonalize your decor

Your home might have a certain style that you find tasteful, but not all home buyers have the same tastes in decor. Neutral and simple are always best. Repaint any bold or bright colored walls with neutral colors. Remove any personal decor and replace with tasteful yet neutral art and centerpieces. You want to create the sense of a home that's lived in but not yours, as the idea is to allow buyers to imagine their own personalizations in your home.

Create balance with furniture

Placement of furniture can change the whole feel of a room. Your furniture should not overcrowd the room or leave it feeling too open. Floating the furniture away from the walls can actually make rooms feel larger and create a cozy, conversational feel.

The Final Details

Now's the fun part—the detailed staging and decorating that adds that "wow" factor, that sparkle, that little bit of something special. Just be sure to keep it simple!

Increase your lighting

Make your home warm and welcoming by increasing the lighting—both natural and artificial—throughout your home. Open windows if the weather is nice, or at least pull back the drapes to let in as much natural light as possible. Increase the wattage of the bulbs in your lamps and fixtures, and aim for three types of lighting in every room—ambient (overhead), task (reading or under-cabinet lights), and accent (table or floor lamps).

Bring the outdoors inside

Your decor might be neutral, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Bring in bright splashes of color in the form of potted plants, clipped flowers, or fall branches. This can help increase the sense of warmth and welcoming throughout the home.

Your Triangle Selling Resource

If you're ready to sell your home in the Triangle, then it's time to contact Gilliam & Associates Realty. These staging tips are just the beginning of the expert advice and knowledge we can use to help you successfully sell your home. Contact us today and let's list your home.

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