Selling a home as is can pose challenges, but with the right strategy and tactics, you can maximize your chances of a quick sale. Use these home-staging tips to highlight your property’s strengths, downplay its weaknesses and appeal to a wider pool of prospective buyers.
For example, Riordan says, avoid fake props like stale biscotti or champagne glasses by the tub—they distract buyers and create an air of skepticism. Instead, choose taller decor items to draw eyes up and make rooms look bigger.
1. Curb Appeal Matters
As any real estate agent can tell you, the first impression a home buyer gets about your property is important. It takes them no more than three seconds to make an opinion about it, and that opinion could make or break the sale.
Curb appeal is the overall visual attractiveness of your home and yard, and it can have a significant impact on how much your house is worth. Studies show that homes with appealing curb appeal sell faster and for more money than those without. They also tend to attract higher-quality buyers.
That is why it is so important to invest time and effort in improving your home’s curb appeal before you decide to put it on the market. The good news is that most of the things you need to do to improve your home’s curb appeal are easy and affordable.
Start by making your front door and entryway welcoming by adding a bench, a flower bed, or some colorful plants. Next, pay attention to the driveway and walkways. These are the first up-close views buyers will have of your home, and they can say a lot about how well you care for your property.
2. Make Your Home Look Clean
A clean house is so much more appealing to potential buyers than a dirty one. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to make your home look clean before putting it on the market.
This means getting rid of any clutter, including toys, books, newspapers and other personal items. It also means decluttering surfaces and rearranging furniture so that it’s more symmetrical. Finally, it means making sure that everything is clean, from the corners of the tub and the sink drain to the dust under and behind your appliances.
It’s also a good idea to pressure wash the exterior of your home, removing any dirt and grime that may have built up over time. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to improve your curb appeal and make your home look more inviting.
Finally, it’s a good idea to paint the interior of your home in neutral colours, as this will allow potential buyers to see how they can customize the space to fit their own tastes. It’s also a good idea to remove any wallpaper, as it can look outdated and may turn off some potential buyers. Finally, it’s a good idea t o retouch any chipped paint or scratches on the walls and repaint them as needed.
3. Create a Warm and Comfortable Feel
Cozy homes feel welcoming and make people feel at home. They also make people feel at ease and relaxed. Creating a warm and comfortable feel in your home can help you sell it faster.
One way to create a cozy feeling is to use warm and inviting colors. Another way is to add some personal touches to the home. For example, you can put a decorative pillow on the sofa or a throw blanket on the bed.
However, it’s important to avoid fake props and overdoing it with the cozy decor. Fakery can actually discourage buyers from buying the home. For example, stale biscotti and empty mugs in the kitchen can be off-putting to potential buyers. Also, overdoing the cozy decor can give a staged look and feel that makes buyers skeptical of the home’s actual features.
4. Make Your Home Look Luxurious
You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home look luxurious. There are plenty of affordable finishing touches that can help your home feel more upscale, including using wallpaper or floor tiles. Adding these upgrades can give your home a sophisticated and expensive look that will impress potential buyers.
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Another simple way to add luxury to your home is by choosing high-quality window treatments. Using a wide swath of fabric and hanging them close to the ceiling can help create the illusion of a taller space and can really make your home look luxurious.
Similarly, you can choose to use just one large piece of artwork on your wall instead of multiple smaller ones. Creating an eclectic, quirky gallery wall can be fun, but if you want your home to look expensive it’s best to scale back on the variety of colors and shapes. You can also choose to frame photos in matching frames, or make use of picture rails to add an extra touch of elegance. This will give your home a swanky, elegant feel that can really appeal to the luxury-minded buyer.
5. Make Your Home Look Stylish
When it comes to staging your home for sale, there is a fine line between personal taste and effective property styling. For instance, your edgy black and white wallpaper may appeal to you but it’s not likely the style of buyers who are interested in your property. Avoid risky colour choices when selling your home and stick with neutral hues that are more appealing to a wider audience of potential buyers.
Similarly, your love of quirky homewares and decorative objects may make your house feel quaint and inviting but these items can be off-putting to buyers who are looking for a clean and modern home. Removing these items, storing them in storage or keeping them in the cupboard until you’re ready to put your property on the market will help your home to appear more polished and well-designed.
Maximising natural light is important when selling your home, and it’s something that buyers often cite as an important feature of a property. Open curtains and blinds, replace worn lampshades, increase the wattage of your lights, and cut back any bushes to let in more sunshine. Other small but effective changes include adding a new door mat, a fresh flower in the foyer and replacing day to day towels with fluffy, new ones for open homes.
6. Make Your Home Look Fresh
Buyers want to see that your home is well cared for and updated, and it can be easy to overlook small things. For example, a crack in the wall may send a bad message about the home’s foundation and could deter buyers from making an offer.
Similarly, if your wallpaper is outdated, you might think that just painting over it will suffice, but potential buyers are more likely to be put off by this and other signs of a lack of maintenance. It’s best to remove wallpaper and repaint with neutral colors instead.
Another way to make your home look fresh is to add some plants, which can boost mood and create a more welcoming environment. They can also filter the air and reduce stress, says Alexis Peters, strategic interior design advisor at Real Estate Bees.
In addition, be sure to accommodate as many showings as possible so that more people can view your home and make an offer. This will help your home sell quickly and at a higher price. If you are unable to accommodate all showings, try to offer flexible times that fit the needs of your potential buyers. Also, be prepared to answer any questions buyers may have about your home, such as the location of schools and shopping.