Top 5 Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Property Fast

Make That Sale! Top 5 Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Property Fast

We've all heard the horror stories of houses for sale that stay on the market for months and never seem to sell. It can be tough to make the decision to finally sell your home, but it’s even worse when no one else seems to want it either! 

1.    Maximize Your Curb Appeal

While it’s well-known how important a good first impression is, that mantra also holds true for your house as well. The first thing a potential Maui home or condo buyer sees is the outside, so make sure your yard is well maintained by regularly mowing and trimming your lawn, plus maintaining the bushes and the surrounding flowerbeds. Don’t forget to also touch up the exterior paint job and power-wash the sidewalks if needed. Most importantly, make sure your house number is easily seen from the street so buyers know when they’ve found you.

2.    Declutter and Depersonalize The House

While your home may be filled with memory-laden knick-knacks, photos, and personal touches that make it “home,” potential buyers are trying to imagine themselves there. Help them do that by removing those special touches that you love. Think of it as the early stages of packing: purge the bookshelves, lovingly pack away those treasures you want to move to your new home, and give serious thought to what decorations you can live without. This includes the closets and cabinets. People are naturally curious and want to know what kind of storage space the house has (especially on Maui), so purge your closets and cabinets, make them tidy, and show off the storage space available. Remember, storage space sells! The cleaner and more organized the house is, the more buyers can visualize how they might set up their own furniture, photos and decorations to make it their own.

3.    Stage Each Room Thoughtfully

While in our second point of this post we recommend depersonalizing your home, that doesn’t mean it needs to be a completely empty box. Create a lifestyle throughout the house that is warm and inviting to buyers. It sounds simple, but you can use furniture, a touch of color, and purposeful decor accents to show each room’s primary purpose.

Paint is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to freshen up a room. We recommend using neutral colors as people want to visualize themselves in the house, but this doesn’t mean you have make the house feel like a sterile rental unit: simply replace your bright colorful walls with warm neutral colors. Don’t feel like you are stuck with the traditional eggshell or beige either; warm blues and greens are great ways to give some personality to the room. If the new look is still a bit stale for your taste (and your realtor agrees), try painting just one accent wall in a room a slightly brighter color, or use accents like patterned pillows and lamps for a pop of color.

4.    Make Some Space

Turn a large open floor plan into distinct spaces with cozy conversation areas by floating furniture away from the wall. This will also help you identify excess furniture to remove that will help give your home a new look and feel. Try different pieces in different settings or rooms and you’ll quickly notice what pieces of furniture need to be donated right away.

Lighting is one of the most crucial items to check and double check when selling your home. First, open the windows and pull the curtains back to let natural light in and brighten up the room.  Then make sure your home is properly lit by changing out light bulbs where needed and installing dimmers so you can adjust the lighting depending on time of day and the mood you want to set. Another way to set the mood is by emphasizing the size of each room by hanging art in non-traditional ways. Gather photos into unusual groupings or hang art at an angle that highlights high ceilings.

5.    Make it Shine

A dirty, run-down looking house is an immediate turn off to potential buyers. You may have already tidied up, but take another look through each room, this time with a fine-tooth comb. Grimy bathroom walls, cracked tiles in the kitchen, and dirty grout throughout the house are all red flags.  A clean house sends a subliminal message to prospective buyers that you take good care of your home, including the structural parts that aren’t as obvious, and gives them the confidence to purchase your house.

In addition to a deep clean, don’t forget the small details: make the beds and vacuum every day; hang clean towels in the bathrooms; and dust the ceiling fan blades, furniture, and light fixtures. Remember also to open the windows (when the weather favors it) to air out the house, especially interior rooms and spaces that might be a little stale, and get rid of any pet or tobacco odors, which are major turn offs to potential buyers.

Bonus tip – Think Seasonally

Add a special touch to your condo or home for sale depending on the time of year. In winter have a batch of apple cider simmering on the stove. During the spring and summer make sure your garden is tidy and highlight the patio with cheerful accents. Don’t forget the power of fresh flowers both inside and out to make the prospective buyers literally stop to smell the roses.

Need help staging your home or condo properly and getting it on the market? Call the highly experienced Realtors at The J Team at (954) 235-3589 to help you sell your property today!