How to Stage Your Home to Sell Faster

Are you thinking about selling your property this year? Today we will be sharing how to stage your home to ensure a quick sale.

Staging your home can attract buyers, speed up your sale and even get you a higher price. Here are 16 DIY home staging tips to help your home look its best.

1. Tidy up the front garden

Kerb appeal is a major factor when selling your home. It’s all about that first impression when buyers rock up to view it.

Get rid of weeds, power-clean the paving, sweep the drive and hide the wheelie bins.

You could consider painting your front door and adding a smart new house number to make the entrance memorable.

2. Make sure each room has a clear purpose

We all make rooms multi-task for us, whether it’s a home office in the spare bedroom or a makeshift laundry space in the conservatory.

But home stagers recommend reverting rooms back to their main purpose. If your home’s listed with 3 bedrooms, make sure buyers will find 3 bedrooms at their viewing.

If you have an open plan design, split the room into zones and make it clear how you use each space.

3. Play to all the senses

Home staging tends to be about boosting visual appeal but playing on other senses can have a big impact.

A great way to create an inviting home is to light some scented candles to make each room smell nice.

Make sure your home is at a comfortable temperature too. That might mean putting the heating on for viewings in winter or throwing open windows and switching on a fan in the summer.

4. Clear clutter

Everyone has a bit of clutter lying around. A home’s there to be lived in, right?

But potential buyers want a blank canvas so they can imagine their nick-nacks in it. 

Clearing clutter and personal items is home staging 101.

It leaves more floor and shelf space, contributing to a clean and minimalist feel.

A good rule of thumb is to remove half of the items in the room. The feeling of spaciousness will be worth any storage costs.

5. Use cushions and throws to revive old furniture

Professional home staging often involves wheeling in new sofas, beds and tables. 

But you don’t have to go to the extreme of buying new furniture.

A knitted blanket and cosy cushions can give an old sofa an instant update. A patterned runner is a clever way to cover marks on the kitchen table.

6. Add mirrors to reflect light

Mirrors are an excellent way to make rooms feel bigger, lighter and more open.

When staging your home, place mirrors opposite windows for the best effect. 

If you don’t have many mirrors, see if you can pick one or two up at a second hand shop.

7. Put fresh linen on beds and in bathroom

It’s tricky to get the balance between hotel and homey when you’re staging a house for sale.

Don’t feel like everything has to be matching, but clean and coordinated linen can create a pulled together look.

Fresh bed sheets and fluffy bath towels are easy ways to give rooms a quick makeover.

8. Dress the dining table

Setting the dining table is one of the oldest tricks in the home staging book.

A dressed table will conjure images of cosy family teatimes and fun dinner parties.

A simple tray or basket in the centre of the table might be all you need.

Or, if you want to go all out, add pretty placemats, matching cutlery and polished glasses.

If you’re selling in the summer, you could even consider dressing an outdoor table. It’ll get your buyers thinking of al fresco brunches and afternoon barbecues.

9. Add life with plants and flowers

Home stagers always recommend adding life to your home with houseplants and fresh flowers.

A simple vase on the kitchen table or a potted plant in the lounge can create a feeling of freshness in an instant.

And they don’t have to be real. Fake plants and flowers can create the same atmosphere, and you won’t need to worry about watering them.

10. Hide electric cables and extension leads

Electric leads can look a bit messy, and they get the buyer thinking about whether you have plugs in the right places.

If in doubt, unplug electrical appliances and tuck the leads out of sight.

11. Clear the kitchen worktops

Clear counters work wonders in making a kitchen feel bigger and more liveable. 

If you can, store away any washing up brushes, utensils, fridge magnets and phone chargers.

Buyers will expect to see a toaster and kettle on the side, but see if you could pop the microwave in a cupboard. It’ll open up valuable worktop space.

12. Clean the windows

Sparkling windows can finish off a room and make the whole house look fresher. 

Give all your windows a good scrub, including the frames and sills. Pull the curtains back and let as much light in as possible.

13. Give tired walls a fresh lick of paint

Fresh paint can transform a room, even if you’re going for the same colour. 

It’ll clear any marks and stains on the walls that you might have missed.

Soft and light colours reflect light well and are likely to appeal to a variety of people. A strong statement wall can add interest and depth to a room.

14. Put away any extra TVs

One thing that most staged homes have in common? They don’t have a TV.

A TV becomes a focal point. It can take over the room and draw the eye away from the things you want buyers to notice.

Buyers will expect to see a telly in your lounge. But if you have TVs in bedrooms or the kitchen, think about packing them away while you hold viewings. It’ll make the room feel more relaxed and balanced.

15. Give your home a deep clean

One of the most important parts of home staging is to clean, clean, clean.

Do a deep clean of the whole house – from the carpets to the back of the cupboards to the cobwebs in the corners.

And don’t forget to have a quick touch up before every viewing.

If your viewings are spread over a few weeks, a quick dust and sweep will make sure buyers all get the same spotless experience.

16. Add a couple of special finishing touches

You’ve decluttered, depersonalised, scrubbed, smartened, toned things down and spruced things up. What’s next?

Well, the trick to home staging is hitting the right note between subtle and memorable.

See if you can add a statement item, unique display or pop of colour that will make a room stand out.

You don’t have to spend a lot to make a difference either. 

You could paint the kitchen handles with a metallic spray, create a coffee table display or add an interesting piece of art in the hallway.

Are you thinking about moving home? Speak to one of our property professionals today on 01332 383838.

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