DIY Project: How to Stage Your Home for Sale on a Budget

Experts agree that staging your home is a fail-safe way to gain a competitive advantage in the real estate marketplace. Setting the stage to showcase your home’s best assets (and downplay its shortcomings) gives buyers the ability to form an emotional connection to your space, and can be instrumental in getting your home sold faster and for top dollar.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a team of professionals to get your home ready for buyers’ eyes. There are many relatively simple DIY ways to stage your home for sale that won’t break the bank.

1. Take Yourself Out of the Picture (Literally)

When buyers tour your home, you want them to be able to envision themselves and their family there. This is less-easily done when all your personal belongings are clouding their view. Pack up personal effects like family photos and collections of knickknacks to present buyers with a blank canvas.

2. Cut the Clutter

Although you are likely still living in your home, your objective is to remove anything that might be a distraction to a buyer. Since the usual hiding places–drawers, cabinets and closets–are all fair game for house hunters, it’s best to remove all unnecessary items and store them elsewhere, at least temporarily. Think of it as a good first step towards packing up your home once it gets sold

3. Clear the Space

Removing larger furniture can go a long way towards creating the illusion of spaciousness in your home. Consider your décor with a critical eye—you want your space to appeal to the greatest number of home shoppers, so any pieces that scream a particular style should probably go for now.

4. Style the Space

Now that you’ve made some room in your home, add some neutral décor elements back to the space to add some style and charm. Think freshly cut flowers in a powder room, a bowl of lemons by the kitchen sink, prattle place settings at the table and a couple of bright throw pillows on the sofa.

Stage Your Home for Selling Success

Real estate experts say a well-staged home can dramatically increase the offer a potential buyer will make on it. Creating a space that is appealing and inviting to house hunters can be the key to getting your home sold fast.