Why home staging

Or turn it into a playroom to inspire those with young children. Staging helps create meaning out of otherwise emp ty rooms. Believe it or not, a room with furniture can feel larger than an empty room. An empty room provides no spatial context, whereas a furnished room allows potential buyers to understand the dimensions of furniture in relation to the room size.

Similarly, they can compare the size of a dining room table or sofa in relation to their own furniture to make sure it will all fit nicely. This is a minor detail, but worth noting. This streamlines your process and makes it easier on moving day, as most of the packing will already be done!

Remove as much clutter as possible from your home, including trophies, books, signage, collections and other knickknacks on your counters, tables, shelves and walls. The simpler and cleaner the space, the better. Deep clean. Take some time — or hire someone — to deep clean your home from top to bottom to make it shine! Dust fan blades and light fixtures, wipe down walls and baseboards, vacuum behind furniture, mop the floors , and thoroughly clean each bathroom.

This is one of the most important elements when it comes to staging. It can be difficult for a potential buyer to imagine themselves living in your home if it is filled with family photos, signage with your last name, and other personal mementos. Make repairs. You know that squeaky door you always ignored? And that loose door handle?

How about that leaky faucet? The adage of time is money applies here, too: According to HomeAdvisor, staged homes spend between 33 percent and 50 percent less time on the market. Your agent should have a good understanding of how your home will look in the eyes of prospective buyers, and whether you need to spend on staging.

Here are some savvy strategies to save money:. How We Make Money. Lee Nelson. Written by. Lee Nelson is an award-winning writer specializing in mortgages, home improvement, real estate, financing and budgeting.

Edited By Suzanne De Vita. Edited by. Suzanne De Vita. Suzanne De Vita is the mortgage editor for Bankrate, focusing on mortgage and real estate topics for homebuyers, homeowners, investors and renters.

Share this page. Home staging is not the same as decorating. Decorating is about personal style, while staging makes your home appealing to the largest pool of buyers.

When dealing with such a significant financial transaction as selling a home, you don't want to settle for a lower selling price or a longer marketing period than you have to. Relative to the amount of time and money involved, staging may be one of the most lucrative projects you ever undertake. Potential buyers aren't just looking for a structure to inhabit—they're also looking for a way to fulfill their dreams and improve their lifestyle.

Staging can create a more emotional purchase for the buyer, which ultimately can generate more money for the seller. Home staging is also beneficial because potential buyers don't want to see work that needs to be done upon moving into the home.

For every problem they see, they'll deduct its cost from their offering price. If they see too many problems, they may pass completely on buying the home. According to the report, more than half of sellers' agents say staging decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market.

The events of the past year have changed the buying and selling process, including the way homes are staged. More homeowners are opting for DIY home staging as opposed to hiring a professional stager and limiting the number of buyers who come into the home for in-person showings.

Yet staging remains an important tool because a well-staged home looks better in photographs—and most buyers are looking for homes online. Of course, time and money determine the level of staging that is practical for your home. Try to employ the following techniques in as many rooms of the house as you can afford and have time for. A clean home shows potential buyers that you've taken good care of the property. Ideally, you should clean every part of the house, from the floors to the ceilings—and everything in between.

If you don't have new appliances in the kitchen , make sure the existing ones are spotless. Likewise, make sure your bathrooms sparkle, from the corners of the tub, to the sink drain, to that spot behind the toilet you don't think anyone can see.

Your goal should be to make everything look new. There are two major problems with clutter. One is that it distracts buyers from your home's features. The other is that it makes it seem like the home has less space. Now is the time to box up and put into storage the things you don't need on a day-to-day basis think: knickknacks, games, papers, seasonal clothes, and messy hobbies. It's also time to get rid of things you no longer need—like the expired food in the back of the cabinets, and the clothes and toys the kids have long since outgrown.

The more empty storage space you have, the better. Buyers need to be able to envision themselves in your home, so remove all the family photos, keepsakes, and refrigerator art. Keep clothes hidden away as much as possible, and make sure the bathroom counters are empty except for hand soap, of course. Likewise, put away all the toys and anything else that is highly personal or evocative of the home's current inhabitants. A few potted plants can do wonders to make your home feel fresh and inviting.

If you have a lot of plants, space them out strategically so they don't overwhelm any one area unless you have a greenhouse. Of course, dead and dying plants don't do much to make your home look well tended. Another way to make your home seem fresh is to get rid of odors. Pets, kids, last night's dinner, a damp bathroom, and many other conditions can make your home smell. Inexpensive tricks for ridding a home of odors and giving it an inviting aroma include baking cinnamon-coated apples or cookies in the oven be careful not to burn them , or burning vanilla-scented candles.

Essential oils mix one cup of water with eight to 10 drops of oil in a spray bottle, and spray toward the center of each room , herbs and flowers, beeswax candles, and air purifiers are chemical-free ways to freshen the air in your home.

It's also a good idea to wipe down the kitchen sink with half a lemon, then grind it in the garbage disposal to remove sink odors. While you could use an air freshener to deodorize your home, it's best to avoid these since they can trigger allergic reactions and asthma in sensitive people. Make sure all entrances are uncluttered, warm and welcoming. Invest some money in your front garden or potted plants by your front door. Define the path to your front door, give the door a lick of paint and shine the hardware.

Make sure the house numbers are clearly visible and that you have good lighting in case you are showing in the winter months. Pay close attention to the kitchen.

It is one of the most important rooms in the house for most buyers and its condition can often make or break a sale. Buyers often dread the expense of a kitchen remodel, however in many cases an inexpensive cosmetic face-lift can make it look nearly new.

This can be achieved with a fresh coat of paint or replacing the cabinetry doors, updating the flooring, lighting and window shades, and adding fresh new tea towels, floor mats and accessories.

Paint them in light, neutral colours and introduce splashes of colour with rugs, cushions, throws, table runners and flowers. Clear the clutter and clean : Daily mess all too easily becomes familiar junk, which we are used to having around. It makes rooms look smaller and distracts buyers from seeing the beauty of the space. Buyers can easily become distracted by your story, so pack away family photos, excess books and clothes. Once you have decluttered, clean like you have never cleaned before.

Elbow grease can add more value to your house than almost anything else. Dust every surface, ornament and window inside and out. Maximize space : As well as certain carpets making rooms feel smaller, too much furniture, or furniture which is too big, will also make a room feel cramped.

Too many disparate pictures on the walls make a room feel cluttered. Move your furniture around and remove unnecessary pieces to get the most spacious feel. What are the 5 worst mistakes that people make when preparing their homes for rental or sale? Over neutralizing. All colors have a neutral — there are neutral yellows, neutral blues, neutral greens etc, greys etc. These neutral colors should be selected for the larger surfaces walls, floors etc however pops of color are very much needed in the smaller accessories throws, rugs, flowers, pillows,artwork etc to bring the home alive and give it personality.