Home Staging - Proven to Help Homes Sell Faster For More

By Jennifer Wezensky


With more than 2.1 million foreclosed homes already this year and a 9.9 percent unemployment rate, the outlook is still a bit grim. For homeowners who just can't come up with the mortgage every month, selling may be the only option. Their homes very likely are worth less than what they paid. Now their backs are against a wall and they have to sell for the best price.

With little, if anything, to spend on home improvement to get a better price, the seller can improve the home's appeal with some home staging techniques recommended by decorating pros. Some of these pros say that the return on investment for home staging can be between 200 and 500 percent, and the home may sell up to 35 percent faster.

According to the Home Buying Institute, staging a home for sale normally involves things of an aesthetic nature, such as design, organization and overall appearance - not mechanical or functional improvements.

There are some easy, inexpensive ways to stage a home for sale without a big expense:

De-personalize and de-clutter. Eliminate distractions. One of the biggest mistakes home sellers make is expecting that potential buyers will recognize the value of the home despite the personal belongings. Buyers want to be able to see themselves in the home. If they are distracted by knick knacks and excessive family photos, they have a more difficult time visualizing their family in it.

Simply rearranging your cupboards and closets can help. You may think that what is behind closed doors stays behind closed doors, but not to potential buyers. Many people will look in cupboards and closets simply to see how much storage space is available. By arranging your belongings you will create a more inviting feel, which can easily equate to a more comfortable living space.

Make necessary home repairs. Buyers will notice cracks in paint and tile. A leaky faucet could easily turn a buyer off. Spice up your home with easy and inexpensive renovations. If you have a hard time pin pointing potential problems, ask an objective third party. It is unlikely that a serious bidder will not ask for necessary home improvements.

It's important to create a clean, neat atmosphere. There is a laundry list of cleaning that should be done from window washing to re-caulking. Waxing floors, dusting cobwebs, and putting up decorative towels are simple yet crucial to creating a desirable appearance to your home.

Staging does not have to be expensive, but it does have to follow some guidelines. A vacant home leaves very little to the imagination. Adding the right amount of décor can create the atmosphere of the perfect home. Proper staging will make small rooms look large and awkward rooms look like the perfect niche. Keeping your home light with neutral tones will appeal to more buyers than dark colors. Add hints of color and excitement with primary colored throw pillow or a vibrant bouquet of flowers. Do not try to get too eccentric; you may make certain buyers uncomfortable.

Platinum author Jennifer Wezensky is editor of BudgetDecoratingOnline.com, the one-stop resource for how to decorate on any budget. She leads a team of interior decorators to offer tips, trends and ideas for the budget decorator. Wezensky also creator of the popular Facebook page, Decorating on a Dime.

Insider Home Staging Tips From a Former Realtor

By Alex Devonish


Staging your home for sale can make a huge difference, both in the price you ultimately receive for your home and in finding the right buyers more quickly.

Staging your house means setting it up to show in the best light possible, before you put your home on the market. One thing to remember is that the way you've lived in your home is not necessarily the same way you want it to show to prospective buyers. Buyers are not interested in your hobbies, your kids' toys, nor your eccentric (but appealing to you) color schemes. Buyers want to see neutral decor, a welcoming atmosphere and a clean, problem-free house they can picture calling home. If the buyer's Realtor has done their job, they will be bringing only qualified buyers (who are pre-approved for an appropriate mortgage, want the number of bedrooms and neighborhood you live in, etc.), and thus your job is to make your home stand out in the buyers' eyes as the one to go for.

There are many ways to accomplish this, and in truth many Realtors don't always bring the right buyers to the right houses, so you are looking to make a great impression on that perfect-for-your-home purchaser when they walk in your door. Here are a couple of tips:

Paint: Make sure everything is neutral. As much as it may pain you, those coral walls you love will not appeal to the majority of buyers, and investing a weekend and some money into some paint will pay off, big time (or hire a painter). Choose neutral colors such as stone, grey or a warm off-white - never stark white as that creates too sterile of an atmosphere. Check existing paint on the exterior and interior, ensuring it is not peeling or in need of a touch-up, and also check all walls and doors, paying special attention to areas where hands have been touching such as near light switches and door handles. Clean as necessary - it only takes a wipe with some cleaner.

Focal Points: Every home has good points and bad points, and as the current resident you know them best. Ensure your visitors are drawn to the best features of your home by making them focal points. For instance, if you have a beautiful bay window, keep it clear of curtains and furniture so it can be in full view when the buyers walk in. Be sure the window panes are sparkling clean, add a touch of warm light with a lamp nearby (for the view from the outside), and make the outside view as pleasant as possible by keeping your yard clean and possibly adding a plant or two within view.

Find many more tips for staging your home for sale at HomeResource.ca.
Alex Devonish writes about strategic thinking chess ideas and more for niche clients.

Five Home Staging Tips You May Not Have Thought Of

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.