#1. Avoid the Titanic Principle.
Don’t position furniture or items in the room so they weigh down one side of it. Large, heavy furniture should be balanced with smaller, lighter objects throughout a room#2. Curb Appeal
Check gutters for roof moss and dry rot. Make sure they are swept and cleaned.#3. R&R (Remove and Rearrange)
As owners, we often have too much furniture in a room. This is wonderful for our own personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger#4. COLOR
Paint the house and have carpets, countertops and cabinets in the latest styles and colors. If you don`t have shutters, consider installing them. Another great touch is placing cone-shaped shrubs around the door.#5. In The Bathroom
Remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels to one or two colors only.#6. DE-CLUTTER, DE-PERSONALIZE
Remove a lot of furniture and knickknacks. Make your rooms appear larger and give the buyers space to picture their own furniture in the house. Pack away all those knickknack items and framed pictures on furniture that tend to personalize the home as well.#7. The Magic Number
Three is the magic number for Staging: three items on a table, three pieces of furniture in a vignette, and three framed pictures on a wall. A stack of three books with unique covers can give added dimension to a table, desk or shelf. Using items you already have, but mixing colors and textures to form interesting groups of three can give a room a whole new look.#8. In The Yard
Weed and then mulch all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove all dead plants or shrubs.#9. Snapshots
Before you stage, take pictures of your house during the day, inside and out. We're betting that what the camera sees and what you see are two different things. The camera won't spare your feelings. You'll see your home through unbiased eye.#10. Landscaping
Trees and shrubs can frame a property beautifully, but unless they're tamed, buyers won't be able to see your house and they will block the view from inside the house and keep light from streaming in. Your house will appear dark on the inside. Light sells houses by making all the rooms appear larger. Buyers seek bright houses that welcome them inside.#11. Grand Entrance
A trio of seasonal potted plants on the front porch, and a new coir or seagrass doormat can dramatically brighten and refresh your home's entry to buyers.#12. Speed Up Sale
Properly staged homes are shown much more often by REALTORS because they enjoy showing a property that is attractive and exciting to buyers. Well staged homes are always at the top of the list when it comes to which homes an agent will show.#13. More Showings
Homes which do not meet a buyers exact criteria, but which are well staged, often get shown anyway, because the agent feels that the beautifully staged home, may be an exception to the buyers criteria.#14. Make Room For Space
Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They're looking for storage space, too. Make sure your attic and basement are clean and free of unnecessary items.#15. Check The Little Things
Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks, and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Burned out bulbs or faulty wiring leave prospects in the dark. Don’t let little problems detract from what's right with your home.#16. Money Sitting On Your Counter-Tops
Buyers will always pay more for a spacious kitchen they feel they can move right into and set up shop. Make your kitchen as spacious as possible by removing as many extra cooking utensils, food, and counter-top appliances as you can. The more empty space, the more spacious your kitchen seems - and all those items just remind your buyer of work anyway. Substitute that toaster for a sexy bowl of fresh fruit and a green plant to enhance counter appeal.#17. The Eighty Per-Cent Solution
Most experts agree that only 20% of the clothing that hangs in our closets is worn on a regular basis. So GET RID OF THE OTHER 80% and make your closets seem larger. You're moving anyway - so get a head start on your packing as you 'stage' your home.#18. What About Wallpaper?
Think everyone loves wall paper? Perhaps, but be assured they will not like your's - and wallpaper borders are forbidden! Take wallpaper and borders down and paint in a neutral color. . . and white is not the only neutral color. You can neutralize with a wide variety of trendy beiges, tans, taupes, soft gold and greens that will work well with window treatments and furnishings.#19. Let e'm Shine
Hardwood floors are 'in' - big time! They are a major selling point when selling your home and can be your home's most compelling feature. Often they don't need complete refinishing, just cleaned, roughed up, and polyurethaned to obtain a dazzling shine using new liquid refinishing systems such as 'Restor-A-Floor' or 'Varathane Renewal Wood Floor-Restoring.' Don't expect products like these to repair deep scratches or bare wood spots but your floors will look so much better overall that these imperfections will be over looked.#20. Light Their Fire
Your fireplace, hearth, and mantle just might be the most compelling features of your home. Make these features standout. One easy way is to paint just the fireplace wall with an accent color that complements the material of the fireplace itself. Remove everything from the mantle except for a few accent pieces.#21. Sexy Sells!
Coordinating bedding and window treatments add instant style and class to a bedroom. Just go to a great bedding store, buy a new lush bead-spread or comforter and from it, cull a neutral, slightly off-beat, paint color and get matching window treatments. Instant sex-appeal! It'll look like a high-end bed and breakfast suite, for little cost and even less effort.#22. Ding Dong!
It takes less than a minute for buyers to decide if your home is for them, and they'll spend at least a full minute looking at your front door while the agent digs the key from the lockbox. Is your door up to it? A faded door screams, 'Tired house!' A fresh coat of high gloss paint, on a tired door and door sill will wake up the whole house. Varnished doors that are restained or revarnished look great too! Don't forget to polish that brass kick plate if you have one. Finally, make sure your doorbell works! Buyers try it out every time.#23. Fresh Flowers Rule
You don't need to take out a loan to put fresh flowers throughout your home. Even a daisy in a bud vase brightens a bathroom counter. Your florist can help you find blooms that will last a week. You can try potted flowering plants that are in season for a low-cost solution - but don't use plastic or obviously fake flowers.#24. Float Your Furniture
Placing furniture and accessories on an angle adds interest and makes the room more visually appealing. When the sofa and the chair are lined up against the wall and the coffee table is parallel, it all blends together and the room becomes bored. Try bringing them off the walls and 'float' them in the center of the room. The rooms will begin to feel more open, interesting and visually appealing.#25. Lub - Dub
The kitchen is the heartbeat of the home. The one room that can make or break a sale. It makes sense that kitchen upgrades will bring you the biggest returns on your money. But you don't have to spend a lot of it! Just paint or stain old cabinets to make them look new again and dress them up with some snazzy new (we didn't say ordinary) hardware. The pay-off can be huge.#26. Smart Accessories
Decorative soap bars are perfect for accessorizing your bath. Many specialty bars have lush fragrances and are available in countless colors.#27. Picture This
Pictures are often overlooked in bath rooms, however, they're very effective in setting mood and giving the bath a special ambiance.#28. Bath Talk - Tubs
Clean up old shower doors and dirty tubs for a sparkling sale. Tub refinishing is a great improvement to make, and it saves you a lot of money in labor because you don't have to pay someone to rip out your old bathtub.#29. Get On Your Pedestal
If you have the budget and you really want to increase your bathroom's appeal, consider installing a pedestal sink. They're nouveau chic with buyers right now, and can make the bathroom seem larger because they take up far less room than the typical vanity.#30. Don't Be 'Monk'
Experiment with angles and corners when moving furniture. Angle everything to create an unexpected and sophisticated feel for the home. Most people have an overpowering urge to square things up and make the room look uniform, but just putting furniture on an angle may be the simplest way to stage.#31. Put Your Money Where You Park
After you remove the boat or the RV (or both) from the driveway - be sure to give it a fresh dress coat of sealer if you have an asphalt drive. A newly sealed driveway not only looks great, but indicates how well you have kept the whole house. If it's concrete, make sure all oil stains are removed and large cracks filled.#32. If You Got 'em - Show 'em
Is your wall to wall carpeting worn, discolored, or stained? Buyers will instantly be turned off. If that old carpeting is laying over hidden hardwood floors, however, your in luck. Just rip up the old carpeting and expose the wood. The rich look and feel of the hardwood will give your home a whole new look. . . and probably a sale!#33. Take It Outside
Your patio or backyard deck area is as important to be staged as any room in your house. The same rules apply (de-clutter & de-personalize) but the real key is to create a leizure scene that the buyers will play over and over in their mind. Include potted plants and plenty of flowers for color. Cover a table with a brightly covered table cloth and set it using bold colored plates and cloth napkins in expectation of an outdoor feté.#34. Remember the Magic Rule of Three
Group accessory items, such as on your mantle, in threes. A pair of candlesticks is symmetrical, and what you'd expect. But add a third piece, a bowl, vase, or a small framed picture and you've added an element of surprise. Using items you already have, but mixing colors and textures to form interesting groups of three can give a room a whole new look. Note: groups of five and seven also work, but not as hard as three.#35. Pillow Talk!
Pillow staging is an easy way to help create a spectacular bedroom. Mix-and-match sizes, patterns, fabric textures and colors. Naturally place the pillows on the bed, starting with the largest on the back headboard area, then working size wise down with the smallest sizes in the front#36. EXPAND THE CEILING
First, make sure the color of the ceiling is white - flat white - no gloss here. Now, create the illusion of a raised ceiling by adding a crown molding around the top of the walls. Paint the molding, but this time use a satin white (just a hint of gloss). This adds visual texture to the ceiling creating the impression of height. In the mind's eye, the whole room appears larger.#37. Let There Be Light!
Lighting is an important tool for the home stager. Any room appears larger if it is well lit. Add light naturally by pulling down heavy draperies; or artificially by adding more lamps (especially torch lamps to directly light the ceiling). Track lighting can be very effective if your ceiling height is 9 feet or more. If not, showering an entire wall with canned uplighting from the floor can visually expand a room dramatically too.#38. Counter Wisdom
All the horizontal surfaces in your house, whether built in kithen and bath counters or furniture tops, should be cleared. Pack away all your old magazines, knick-knacks and what-nots. Counters need to be clear and clean. Do add small arrangements of three accent pieces (tall, medium, and short) here and there for color and style, but don't over do it. Flower arrangements or potted plants are also a nice touch.#39. Get A Home Inspection.
You know the buyer will have one, and will often turn their inspection into a 'want' list for renegotiation. So, do it first and make those nuisance repairs before you put the home on the market. It will almost always cost you less than renegotiating the price or getting it done to buyers' high-end standards. Inspections usually run about $150 to $350 depending on the suze of your house. Ask your RE/MAX Valley REALTOR to recommend two or three good inspectors.#40. Avoid The Provocative.
Got a 12 point buck's head proudly displayed in the middle of your family room wall? You probably should take it down. Home decoration aside, it could be offensive to some buyers. Also play it cool with the books, magazines, and pictures you display while showing your home. Indelicate or suggestive material could be a turn off to some buyers. Better to steer clear of all things political and religious.#41. Bring It Inside.
Pro stagers almost always make use of fresh flowers. But these don't have to be pricey orchid or rose arrangements. You can get effective and sometimes dramatic results simply by looting your back yard. Clippings of branches or twigs in a large colorful vase in the corner of a room can add height and interest. Add color and style with any well-placed floral arrangement from your own yard.#42. The Power Of Orange!
Orange Oil is all natural, non-combustible, made from real orange rinds, and in its pure form a powerful industrial solvent. Watered down for consumers, it can be used on any finish and does a marvelous job of removing grease, grime, and wax build-up. It's a remarkable rejuvenator for your kitchen or bath cabinetry. Your buyers will love its fresh orange scent, too. Two products we recommend are made by 'Howard' and 'Pledge'.#43. Apply The Pressure.
If your exterior needs a fresh look, consider getting it power pressure washed. Pressure washing will clean and brighten the trim and siding of your home. It's also a great way to renew your walks, driveway, patio, fencing and the deck. (If you have brick walks or a wooden deck apply a coat of linseed oil sealer to the surface after you pressure wash. They will look as new as day they were installed.)#44. Mulch Ado.
Think your yard looks great. Take another look after you've newly mulched all your bedding and planting areas! Next to painting your house, nothing will enhance the curb appeal of your home more than a fresh layer of mulch.#45. Mirror, Mirror. On the Wall!
Mirrors can "open up" a room. Mirrors reflect everything they see - light, color, and movement. ● Put a mirror on the back of any door, especially if that door has been damaged or scarred. You'll cover the blemishes while creating the illusion of a larger room. ● A framed mirror in place of art can add visual depth, and brighten the whole room. ● Prop up a large, oversized mirror reflecting a particularly compelling outside view to bring that bright, sunny vista right into the house.#46. Mow Money!
Mow the lawn to a height of about 3 inches and soak in about 1.0 to 1.5 inches of water twice a week (measured in a coffee can). You're selling your house, so make a committment not to let your lawn go dormant. Water when the morning dew is still on the grass. Yes, you will have to mow more often, but your lawn will be lush, green, attractive, and worth more money in the eyes of the buyer. ● This is no time for dandelions, patches of brown, or bare spots. Many lawn care treatments are available to keep your lawn looking its best. ● Edge sidewalks, driveways, and at the street. ● Remove weeds and moss between concrete and bricks.#47. Screen Those Screens!
Don't let dirty, torn, or sagging window screens spoil the view through your windows and doors. Repairing and replacing window or door screens is a fast and easy home repair that really makes a difference!#48. Not Too Hard! Not Too Soft!
Examples of things with hard surfaces might be a coffee table or a hardwood floor. Soft surface examples are carpets, sofas, and lounging chairs. If your room is all hard with hardwood floor, dining room table and six straight-back wooden chairs, adding a rug will soften the look. On the other hand, if your room is carpeted with a 10 foot sofa, two reclining chairs, a love seat and a foot stool - you have to harden things up a bit. The cushy recliners, foot stool and love seat should go. Replace them with a smaller wingback chair (or two) and a hard surface end table, or coffee table. Strive for balance.#49. Dramatize!
Add drama to a bottleneck or a dead end space. Prop an oversize mirror against the wall. It visually opens a space and adds drama.
' quotes[49]='#50. De-Clutter and De-Personalize
When your REALTOR suggests that you pack up you 603 piece classic car collection before you show your home, don't resist. Displaying your personal collections, no matter how cute and precious, is not home staging. Remember, de-clutter and de-personalize.
' quotes[50]='#51. Hardware Hard Look!
Replace older house numbers and older hardware that's simply out-of-date. Don't forget the mailbox and the house numbers. In the case of tired and out of style doorknobs, doorbells, kickplates, and exterior light fixtures - invest in making a better impression by doing as much as you can afford to freshen them up.
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