Staging is an extremely important step in selling your home. We have a great list of tips that will make your home more attractive to potential buyers.
1. Replace all light bulbs in your home to make your home brighter and appear larger.
2. Also when lighting, it is a good rule of thumb to have 3 low lights (lamps) in a room.
3. Get stainless steel appliances looking brand new by cleaning with soap and water and then polish with baby oil following the grain when rubbing on the oil.
4. Make furniture and stained cabinets, windows & doors look brand new with Old English scratch cover. This comes in multiple shades and a little goes a long way. Even though your furniture goes with you, if it appears well cared for so does your home.
5. When purchasing decor or furniture to assist in staging your home, make sure it is something you love and will be happy to use in your new home. Try to choose current items that appeal to the most buyers.
6. Add a white or light colored soft/furry blanket to your sofa.Add new & current light colored throw pillows.
7. Remove all personal photos, diplomas, and personalized certificates. Buyers will frequently become distracted by your photos and will also feel more like they are invading someone's space and less like they can visualize themselves living in the home.
8. Remove all items from the surface of your refrigerator. Remove anything stored on top of the fridge as well. Clean off all kitchen and bathroom counters. The emptier the surfaces are the larger they will appear.
9. In master bath go for a spa-like feel with a cute basket filled with rolled white hand towels. If there is a garden or whirlpool tub, clean off the sides and leave one candle and one decorative soap.
10. Tidy and organize all closets and pantry and when possible get items off the floor. Group like items in baskets for added buyer appeal. The more organized the closets are the larger they will appear.
11. Remove all evidence of your pets for showings. This includes bowls, beds, toys, kennels, etc.
12. Make sure all dirty clothes are contained in a hamper or in a laundry basket in the laundry room
13. Make your home smell nice with Paris or Venice scented sachets from Kirkland's.
14. Put new mulch in all freshly weeded flower beds. Make sure all plants are pruned and all sidewalks are edged and neat. Remove overgrown and unsightly plants.
15. Remove window screens from all windows. This will help the home appear brighter and the windows will look cleaner. Store the screens in a storage room or attic, so that they can be re-installed prior to closing.
16. In your dining space, remove the leaf from your dining table if you have one and set up fewer chairs around the table. Move the spare chairs to the corners of the room near the table. This will make the space look larger and easier to navigate. Throw a decorative pillow on one of the spare chairs.
17. Pressure wash driveways, sidewalks, patios and any siding with mold or mildew. A pressure washed driveway looks like new concrete and new construction!
18. Turn all blinds horizontally for showings. Raise any window shades to the same level. Remove all style specific drapes.
19. Change all bed linens to solid white.
20. Deep clean all windows, mirrors, and shower glass.
21. Repaint all non-neutral room colors to Benjamin Moore Ballet White or Sherwin Williams Alabaster.
22. Try to leave no more than three items of decor per surface(dressers, desks, counters, mantels, etc).
23. If the item is smaller than a golf ball, pack it up.
24. A large leaf(think philodendron, monstera, palm) in a vase will last for weeks without changing the water. Bringing in something living and green makes your space look fresh. Use a light colored rug to help define a space in an open floor plan.
25. When decorating for Christmas or other holidays while selling your home consider scaling back, so as not to overwhelm your buyer. Have listing photos of the home done before you add seasonal decor.
26. If your home is starting to feel more boring and neutral, you are on the right track!
27. Remove all dated fake floral accents from your home. Consider replacing with more current artificial plants or easy to care for live indoor plants(zz plant, monstera, ferns).
28. Remove all items from the top of kitchen cabinets and refrigerator.
Your biggest competition as a seller will be new construction. Keep in mind that taking care of all deferred maintenance and doing a thorough cleaning will help your home show at its highest level and sell for the most money.