If you are planning to sell your house as quickly as possible, it would behoove you to spruce things up a bit and put its best foot forward. When it comes to staging your home, there are many options available to you, from bringing in totally new furniture to simpler, more DIY strategies. Ultimately, it will depend on your budget and how ‘buyer-friendly’ the home is now. If you are looking for simpler, less expensive options you can do yourself, here are just a few to consider.
Clean Like You Have Never Cleaned Before
This tip may seem obvious, but it is easy to overlook it. Sure, you’ll dust here and there and make things look presentable, but this will likely not be enough for the average home, unless you are an absolute neat freak who always strove for an immaculate space. If you’re not, there is probably all sorts of grim and grossness you don’t even notice anymore, but that potential buyers will spot immediately. You have no idea what you can do for a house with a good, thorough cleaning. We are talking professional carpet cleaning, scrubbing every nook and cranny, type cleaning. This also applies to the outside. This is the first part of the house people will see, and a bad taste here can taint the rest of the tour. Get a power washer and run it over the driveway, deck, and siding. Trim overgrown bushes, get rid of the dead plants.
Neutralize the Space as Much as Possible
The one piece of advice that most home buyers overlook is try to look past what is to the possibilities of what can be. It’s understandable since emotions can run high when looking for a house, and first impressions are powerful. If you have eclectic tastes that might not have broad appeal, you may want to try and make things a bit more neutral. You may love your lime green bathroom or collection of kooky figurines, but other people not so much. If your bedroom is particularly feminine or masculine, it can be a good idea to tone things down a bit there especially since the master bedroom is a major point of interest for the average buyer.
Small Changes Can Make a Big Splash
If you don’t have the funds to do total overhauls, don’t underestimate the impact lots of little changes can make. A fresh coat of paint can do wonders. A new tablecloth and place settings can transform a dining room table. A new bathroom vanity or shiny new fixtures can breathe new life into the bathroom. A new throw rug and pillows can refresh your living room. Go through your house and make note of little things that you could do to make the house look nicer.
Get a Fresh Set of Eyes
You are probably at least a little bit emotionally attached to your house. You live in it all the time and there are things you just wouldn’t notice or take issue with because you are used to it. To get the most out of staging your home, it is a good idea to get a second set of eyes for feedback. Make sure you pick someone who will have no trouble being honest, or this little exercise will be of little use to you. You will get valuable input that will help transform your house into one someone would be more likely to buy.