8 Home Staging Tips That Will Take You from Red-Flag to Red-Hot

Ever wonder what successful sellers do to prepare their homes for sale? From researching and cleaning to learning how to arrange furniture and leverage the positive and negative features of a home, preparation begins with a plan. Although this might seem obvious, too many sellers skip the prep step and hit the market without batting an eye. But when it comes to quickly selling your home at the right price, appearance is everything.

Sure, we realize that might sound a bit superficial, but in the world of real estate, it’s one of the most important things. Whether you’re thinking about selling your home or just want to freshen up your space, check out these eight must-ask questions that are sure to benefit your bottom line and put a “sold” sign on your property!

Stand Out from the Competition

You’ve heard that first impressions are everything, but do you realize just how important they are? Considering buyers spend an average of 6 minutes at a home, but form an opinion in the first 15 seconds, you need to make a good impression fast.

Chances are, if you’re selling your home, you’re also looking for a new home to buy. What’s on your own list? Use the same standards you use to look for a new home to sell your current one. As you’re probably aware, a buyer’s gut reaction never really goes away, so, make the time to critique each area of your home (or recruit a judgmental neighbor to help you).

Take a walk through your house using a buyer’s eye and ask yourself the following questions to give your audience what they want.

1. Do you have a positive or negative sense when you first arrive?

When you walk in your home, notice how it feels. While everyone has their own style, new homeowners are looking for a simple, clean home to call their own. To create a lasting first impression, your home needs to exude a positive energy that excites buyers, grabs their attention and helps them feel comfortable right away. Simple updates like adjusting the temperature, adding vibrant living plants and replacing a yucky shower door can help your space go from drab to dynamic in no time.

2. Does your space look clean (or cluttered)?

Curb appeal matters more than you may think. Buyers will only see what’s in front of them- if your home is cluttered and dirty, that’s all they’re going to see. Help them see what your space can become (for them) and pay attention to the details. Stay on top of landscaping, remove clutter, clean and vacuum floors daily…a well-staged home says, “I’m ready for you to move in!”

3. Does anything need repairs?

Fix it before you list it. If you have a leaky faucet, fix it. Broken window glass? Replace it. Minor repairs like these can add up fast (and scare buyers away even faster). Assess your home and make a list of property repairs to address before your home hits the market.

4. Are the walls and ceiling eye-appealing (or outdated)?

Look up, look down. Fill all the holes in the walls, touch up paint and replace any missing molding or tiles. Buyers spend more time than you would think staring at walls and ceilings. Mostly they’re looking for any signs of a leaky roof, but you also don’t want them staring at ceiling cracks, ugly stains or outdated wallpaper. Nothing says, “buy me” more than a coat of fresh paint.

5. Is it too personalized?

Walk into each room and take note of the first things you notice. Remove any personal items such as family photos, children’s artwork, knickknacks and anything that hints at pets. Don’t forget about clothes closets and medicine cabinets; buyers are going to look there, too.

6. Does your home exude lightness or darkness?

Determine the purpose of each room and notice if it has the right balance. Open blinds and curtains to allow natural light to flood your space, clean the windows and update lighting fixtures to give it the “wow” factor that buyers desire.

7. Is your furniture updated and in proportion to one another?

Look around at the items in each room. Furniture shouldn’t be too big for your space; rooms need to feel spacious. If you have too many pieces of furniture or the pieces are old and worn out, place them in storage temporarily. Furnish your space for entertaining and watch your open house come alive.

8. Can you tell who lives there?

Profile your space. Make sure your home doesn’t tell too much about your age, tastes, religion, hobbies or habits. It’s important to stage your house so it looks inviting, open and airy allowing potential buyers to see themselves living there (not you).

Take the answers to the questions above and start visualizing a fresh, new space. Watch your home go straight from “red flag” to “red-hot” and attract buyers fast.