Affordable Ways to Display Your Home for Buyers

The Modernly Real Estate Team aims to help people achieve their homeownership goals. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, contact the team for trustworthy, expert assistance.  

Sellers strive hard to present their home in the best light possible, but there are widely varied approaches. Some go to great expense, while others use creativity and technique. If you want to successfully showcase your home, you can do it without headaches and excessive spending. Just follow these useful steps:

Decluttering

Many people accumulate an abundance of things in their homes over the years. Sometimes these items were bought for an immediate need, and rather than being thrown away, they’re kept around in case they’re needed in the future. Stacks of items kept handy and stashed haphazardly in storage areas can even become the norm. While a “lived-in look” is fine for your home, anything resembling visual chaos is best avoided with prospective buyers. Decluttering can ensure your home looks spacious and inviting, which is one of the end goals of home staging.

Decluttering is commonly perceived as a major chore, but it doesn’t have to overwhelm you. The best way to approach it is by developing a solid plan. Write down an itinerary that details each task, and develop a timeline. Start with the most cluttered rooms, sorting all the items according to what you plan to do with them. Also, use four big boxes (affordable ones can be found at Home Depot for $2.48) and mark them “sell,” “give away,” “throw away” and “storage.” Then distribute the items appropriately.

Depersonalizing

As Creative Home Stagers explains, depersonalizing is essential to effectively staging your home. The potential buyers must be able to envision their lives within your home. So, everything that makes a personal statement should be removed or neutralized. 

Due to the emotional significance, this task can be emotional, so take your time. Start with all the family and individual photos, refrigerator art and the like. Then, remove trophies, rock collections, sports equipment, toys, games, etc. Seasonal items should also be removed. Look for cheap storage bins at stores like Walmart or Target and if you don’t have sufficient space to house them until your move, consider renting self-storage or locating them in a friend’s garage.

Ideas for Staging

Designing and arranging the rooms of your home can be a fun part of the home selling process. Creativity is useful but not necessary for making the home appealing to buyers. If staging is not your forte, you can overcome this by doing some scouting. You can search through photos of real estate listings in your area. Look for obvious trends and design ideas you can apply to your own home. Pay special attention to the market history in the area where you’re looking; in California, the median number of days on the market is 26. That’s a pretty quick turnaround, so be certain of your destination and start shopping for reliable moving companies early on. 

Money online magazine points out it’s generally a good idea to attend a few open houses to see how the competition handles the staging process. You can also check out virtual open houses and tours. Some of these tours allow you to see many different angles of a home, and you can definitely learn more about how the competition is staging their homes.

Practical Solutions

When it comes to staging your home, keep in mind that even minor flaws will be noticed. Start by completing any necessary repairs if they’re in your budget. You can cut corners with costs; for example, rather than retile, paint over bathroom tile floors. To create a universal feel throughout the home, use neutral hues in your color schemes. 

Furniture arrangements should suggest possible uses for their designated living spaces, so give flex rooms an identity (play area, office, etc.). To control the mood, use lighting to brighten or soften different home features. Meanwhile, the bathroom should reflect elegance and style, so include subtle, inexpensive finishing touches like bath towels and cute soaps. Additionally, make sure the entryway is tidy and inviting.

Staging your home can be done affordably. Keep in mind that you must make each area of your home a key selling point. Decluttering, depersonalizing and properly staging your home will help you achieve that. By making a great first impression, you’ll have your home sold in no time.