There are a few simple guidelines for staging your house for a successful sale, and they needn’t be expensive or time consuming. First of all, you should solicit the help of your Realtor®. Their years of expertise in knowing what makes a house show well can help you gain the objectivity you need to promote your house.

 

And speaking of objectivity, you must now begin to see your home through the eyes of a buyer. When they look at your house, they are already trying to picture how to make it their own. So take a good look in every room to see what might detract a buyer from viewing your house in a positive light. What impression is your house making on prospective buyers?

 

The place to start is the front door. Make sure the door is clean or freshly painted. Does the doorbell work? Is the porch/steps swept and cleaned? While the buyer’s realtor is unlocking the door, the buyer has a lot of time to look at the entry and begin assessing the house.  

 

In walking through the house, make sure that that there are no obstacles in your path such as furniture other impediments that you have to squeeze by. Remove a chair and store it somewhere if it frees access to the living room.

 

You want the house as light and bright as possible. Keep drapes and shades open and buy higher intensity light bulbs. Clean and dress up the windows.

 

Neutralize the house. If you paint use neutral and warm colors. Remove distracting and bold artwork and personal photos. Remember, you want the buyer to imagine themselves in the house.

 

Declutter! If the house is cluttered it appears smaller and will not show well. Remove clutter in closets, bookshelves, kitchen, bathroom vanities, living areas, laundry areas, children’s play areas, and the garage. If in doubt, store it, give it away, have a garage sale, recycle it. Donate items to the Salvation Army or other charity. The Tompkins County Recycling Center has an excellent booklet on a myriad of items that can be recycled. Contact Linnett Short at the recycling center for more information.  

For more suggestions or help to get your home ready for show time, contact me!