By Danielle Fu
Very simply, home staging is the act of preparing a private home for sale on the real estate market. The goal of home staging is to make the home more appealing to a buyer. Very often, a home seller has trouble viewing her home with an objective eye, having lived in the home for a period of time, and having become used to it the way it is. A home staging, done either by professional home stagers, or merely with the help of some willing friends, can help the homeowner view her home more objectively and increase the chances that the home will sell more quickly and for more money.
Home staging does not have to be expensive in order to be effective. In fact, the following five steps to home staging can be remarkably successful in helping a home seller achieve a contract.
1. Depersonalize your home. You've heard it before, but it cannot be overstated: a home buyer should be able to picture himself in your home rather than picturing you in it. Your home should show like a model home - attractively, but as much of a blank slate as possible. You want a buyer to be able to walk in and immediately be able to picture his family in the home. You don't want him to feel like he is a guest in your home.
2. Create an entryway that invites visitors into your home. The entryway is the first thing that a prospective buyer will see when she walks into your home. It should be completely free of clutter, and should be painted a neutral color. Accessories should be limited and tasteful, but should definitely be present. The flow of the entryway should be such that it leads the buyer further into your home, enticing her to see what delights your home has in store for her. Concentrate on making this area of your home especially pleasing.
3. The smell will tell! If you have pets, now is the time to send them to Grandma's house. It really is true that you can't smell what you live with all the time. It doesn't matter how clean you keep your house, people can tell that you have pets when they walk in off the street. Boarding the pets with friends will also aid you with keeping your house show-ready. (If you have pets, the next step is even more important.) In order to make your house smell inviting and tempting, light candles in strategic places just before a showing. Studies have shown that baking smells are the most likely to sell houses!
4. Spring for a professional cleaning service. Many cleaning services offer a package specifically designed for homes that are ready to go on the real estate market. Have your carpets cleaned, your walls washed or painted, your windows washed inside and out, and your bathrooms cleaned to a new condition. A prospective buyer will notice, and will feel like he is buying a new house - a huge incentive, especially in a buyer's market when there are many houses from which to choose.
5. Lights! Lights! Lights! After you have sprung for the professional cleaning, you want to show off your clean, beautiful home to its best advantage. Don't forget to turn on all of the lights before you leave for a showing. Put in new light bulbs, and make sure that the fixtures have been dusted. Open all the blinds and shades so that the natural light pours into your home. Home buyers love natural light, and, as a bonus, the light makes your home look bigger.
If you can afford a professional stager, good for you! It is a good move, and will probably serve you well in the home selling process. Even if you can't, though, following these five tips is sure to lead you to a seller's contract, with the help of a savvy real estate agent.
If you live in Henderson, Anthem, Green Valley, Seven Hills, or Las Vegas, find that savvy Las Vegas Realtor to advise you about home staging and every other aspect of the home selling process. Don't let fear of the unknown keep you from putting your home on the market.
Very simply, home staging is the act of preparing a private home for sale on the real estate market. The goal of home staging is to make the home more appealing to a buyer. Very often, a home seller has trouble viewing her home with an objective eye, having lived in the home for a period of time, and having become used to it the way it is. A home staging, done either by professional home stagers, or merely with the help of some willing friends, can help the homeowner view her home more objectively and increase the chances that the home will sell more quickly and for more money.
Home staging does not have to be expensive in order to be effective. In fact, the following five steps to home staging can be remarkably successful in helping a home seller achieve a contract.
1. Depersonalize your home. You've heard it before, but it cannot be overstated: a home buyer should be able to picture himself in your home rather than picturing you in it. Your home should show like a model home - attractively, but as much of a blank slate as possible. You want a buyer to be able to walk in and immediately be able to picture his family in the home. You don't want him to feel like he is a guest in your home.
2. Create an entryway that invites visitors into your home. The entryway is the first thing that a prospective buyer will see when she walks into your home. It should be completely free of clutter, and should be painted a neutral color. Accessories should be limited and tasteful, but should definitely be present. The flow of the entryway should be such that it leads the buyer further into your home, enticing her to see what delights your home has in store for her. Concentrate on making this area of your home especially pleasing.
3. The smell will tell! If you have pets, now is the time to send them to Grandma's house. It really is true that you can't smell what you live with all the time. It doesn't matter how clean you keep your house, people can tell that you have pets when they walk in off the street. Boarding the pets with friends will also aid you with keeping your house show-ready. (If you have pets, the next step is even more important.) In order to make your house smell inviting and tempting, light candles in strategic places just before a showing. Studies have shown that baking smells are the most likely to sell houses!
4. Spring for a professional cleaning service. Many cleaning services offer a package specifically designed for homes that are ready to go on the real estate market. Have your carpets cleaned, your walls washed or painted, your windows washed inside and out, and your bathrooms cleaned to a new condition. A prospective buyer will notice, and will feel like he is buying a new house - a huge incentive, especially in a buyer's market when there are many houses from which to choose.
5. Lights! Lights! Lights! After you have sprung for the professional cleaning, you want to show off your clean, beautiful home to its best advantage. Don't forget to turn on all of the lights before you leave for a showing. Put in new light bulbs, and make sure that the fixtures have been dusted. Open all the blinds and shades so that the natural light pours into your home. Home buyers love natural light, and, as a bonus, the light makes your home look bigger.
If you can afford a professional stager, good for you! It is a good move, and will probably serve you well in the home selling process. Even if you can't, though, following these five tips is sure to lead you to a seller's contract, with the help of a savvy real estate agent.
If you live in Henderson, Anthem, Green Valley, Seven Hills, or Las Vegas, find that savvy Las Vegas Realtor to advise you about home staging and every other aspect of the home selling process. Don't let fear of the unknown keep you from putting your home on the market.
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