The time has come and you have decided to put your home on the market. Time to get it in tip top shape, to make it the best that it can be. But what does that actually mean?  What is a seller supposed to do? How do they separate themselves from all the other homes on the market? It’s simple. The answer is staging.  Staging is presenting the home in the best possible light to make it look warm and inviting. That doesn’t mean that you have to rent a house full of furniture and get rid of all of your stuff. It means simply presenting the house in the most neutral way. The purpose is to allow the potential buyer to see themselves in the home and therefore, want to make an offer.  So what happens when a house is staged?

The most important thing to remember is that a home for sale is not the same home that you live in. When you are selling your home you want to appeal to as many buyers as possible. That means keeping things clean and simple. This way the buyer is not distracted by what’s in the house and can actually see the house itself.

There are several things you should consider doing when staging your home.

1. Try to detach yourself from the home…emotionally. No matter how long you’ve lived in the home, when it is for sale it now becomes a product and you must treat it as such.
2. A buyer doesn’t need to see everything you own…. Sometimes homes can have too much stuff in them. The furniture should be positioned to show the best features of the house. Show off the focal point of the room or create one if there isn’t one already there. There should be ample space to move around the house. You never want the home to look cluttered or messy. The benefit here is that by clearing the space, it also allows you to start the packing process.
3. We love our family and friends but…. you want a potential buyer to see your home and not browse around looking at your pictures. It is best to remove your personal photos from the space. The point is for the buyer to feel themselves living in the space and not feel as if they’re imposing on you. So remove the photos of friends and family from the walls, tables, and even the refrigerator.
4. People are nosy…. Closets and cabinets should be neat and tidy. Buyers will open all doors including closets, cabinets in the kitchen and medicine cabinets. So make sure to clean them out and remove anything that you don’t want strangers to see.
5. If want it, remove it….Outside of major appliances, if there are things in the home that you would like to keep such as curtains, chandeliers, light fixtures, etc. remove and replace them before the open houses. Once the buyers see them they will expect them to be part of the sale and for them to be there when they move in. So to avoid any problems replace anything that you would like to take with you.
6. Lastly, keep the place spotless. If buyers see any dust and dirt they will assume that the home has not been taken care of which can potentially get you lowball offers.

You want as many people as possible fighting over your home…. all in a good way in the form of offers.