Just opening your doors and inviting in the public isn't going to sell your home fast, or for the price you want. In order to present your home in the best light possible, you will have to do something called "home staging". Home staging is quickly gaining a foothold on the real estate selling consciousness, with "professional home stagers" available for just about any kind of staging, from residential real estate to office buildings. There are some tips that you can benefit by if you decide to stage your home yourself.
The first task is to declutter. Taking as much visual distraction out of the prospective buyer's eye encourages them to focus on the house, not the trappings. This is an excellent time to hold a moving sale and get some money from as much of your unwanted items as possible. The rest can be given to charity - don't let them back into the house! For belongings that you don't want to part with, yet are interfering with the staging, you can make room in the garage or rent a storage locker and store your extra belongings there until the house sells.
Home staging is the process of creating an atmosphere where a buyer can visualize the house as theirs. You may think that staging will be no problem if your home is always a show case and everything is kept in its place. However, this isn't the focus of staging. In fact, one of the best things you can do in order to sell your home is to remove all your personal photos and ornaments and just present the bare home for inspection.
Sometimes this can be hard, especially if you have children. Provide your children with a large hamper in which they can toss all the clutter in their rooms before a buyer tours the home. This makes cleaning up easy for children and frees you to take charge of other preparations. No one is going to expect that your child's room is going to be completely devoid of their personality and belongings, but taking down garish posters and making sure that the room is reasonably neat will go a long way.
You don't have to remove all your toothbrushes, shampoos and cosmetics from the bathroom, but put them in the cabinet or in a neat, lidded box for the duration of the tour or open house. Make sure that there is no stray mess in the bathroom; you may want to avoid taking baths and just use the shower, as it is easier to keep clean. Remove used soaps and/or replace with a fresh bar. Store extra bottles of shampoo, bubble bath and shower scrubs in another lidded box.
Hallways can appear larger with the removal of shoes and coats that may be hanging on the wall. Pack up as much as you can of clothing and ensure that the clothing hanging in the closets is neat and clean. Many buyers will want to inspect closets, basements and garages, so try to ensure that your stored belongings don't interfere too much with that goal.
Pleasant smells in the house can help make a positive impression. Avoid chemical air fresheners, which can trigger allergies. One "instant" trick is to open up all the doors and windows in a house for 10 minutes, so that the air is "freshened" naturally. Simmering a combination of apple juice, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg immediately beforehand can add a refreshing scent to the air (and provide a nice cider!).
Of course, the number one part of your house that should get the most attention is the front 'view' of the house. 'View' will mean the whole front of your house: the front yard, the side gate, fences, driveway, garage, garbage bins and anything else visible from the front. A neat front yard and a coat of paint on the outside can make all the difference, but these are not the only things you can do to enhance the appeal of your home.
Your real estate agent will point out any areas that need attention. For instance, it may be suggested that you keep your garbage bins at the back of the house, as it will look better than seeing them at the front; another pointer is to keep your garage door closed for a neater look.
Staging your home can be part of the whole moving endeavour, encouraging you to get rid of clutter and items that you no longer want or use. Most importantly, it can help you sell your house by removing all obstacles to potential owners thinking of it as 'theirs'.
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