Staging your house the right way could be your ticket to multiple offers, resulting in a super fast sale. As we are cash house buyers (in Connecticut) it is imperative we get our houses sold fast after we buy them from home owners, renovate them and put them back on the market. The longer we hold on to the house the less money we make (holding costs, taxis, utilities, lawn care SNOW PLOWING… I am writing this article smack in the middle of a snow storm). Needless to say, getting our houses sold fast guaranteed is a must or we would be out of business.
8 Tips On How To Stage Your House For A Fast Sale.
Selling your house in Connecticut, or anywhere else for that matter can feel like a daunting task. Not only are you parting with a house that you’ve created memories in, but you’ve also likely invested a lot of money in it. Still, in a competitive CT housing market, how do you make sure your house stands out above the rest?
Learning how to stage a house will save you a lot of trouble. Staging your home can help make sure your house makes a lasting impression on potential buyers.
What Is Staging?
Staging is the process of setting up your house for viewings. The goal is to make your house look like a model home or the “stage” that prospective buyers will create their new home. Viewing is like auditions, and you want your house to be the one that gets the starring role.
Staging your house covers a wide variety of changes, from something as big as renovations and remodeling to minor changes like changing to fluorescent lightbulbs. How to stage a house for sale can seem like a never-ending to-do list, but going the extra mile can make a difference in the impression your home makes.
How To Stage A House: 6 Best Practices
If you’re not schooled in the world of realtors and interior design, you may find staging your house for sale a little overwhelming. Where do you start? What changes matter? What can be left out? How do you know when your home is “ready”? But learning the extent you need to go is relatively simple. Here are some tips to show you some of the best practices to stage a house:
1. Spruce Up The Outside
Let’s face it: first impressions are the most crucial factor in house shopping. That’s why you need to make sure the outside of your house is in the best possible shape. The first part of your home that prospective buyers will see—whether it’s on the street or in the listings—will be the view from the sidewalk.
How to stage a house for selling starts with you preparing the outside of your house for viewing starting from the yard. We often neglect our yards when we’re focused on making the inside of our home the star of the show.
You don’t need to have a green thumb to make your yard look appealing; mowing your lawn, pruning unruly trees and bushes, and other basic maintenance jobs will go a long way in making your yard look appealing. Remember: a big yard is only a selling feature if it you keep it in good condition.
Once your yard is in good shape, you can begin working on the exterior of the house. Ensure that you have washed the walls and windows and cleared out the eaves troughs. Once everything is clean, give the doors, trim, and shutters a fresh coat of paint.
If you’re unsure what color to choose, neutral shades are always a safe bet. Bright colors can be bold and striking but border on standing out for the wrong reasons. As long as the color scheme is uniform, it will tie the exterior together and make it aesthetically pleasing.
2. Appearances Matter
Now that the exterior has been taken care of, it’s time to focus on the interior. House viewings are all about appearances, which is the main factor that potential buyers will be looking at while in your house. Even if you’re unsure precisely what buyers will be looking for in a home, you can guarantee that they will be looking at everything in your house.
The quickest and most comfortable fix is making sure that every room has been detail cleaned. The goal here is to make the house look and feel new, even if it’s not.
Once you have cleaned everything, each room will need a fresh coat of paint. Not only will this give the rooms a fresh new feel, but the paint will also cover up any marks on the walls. Just like with the exterior, it’s best to choose a neutral color. Off-white is an excellent choice, as it allows buyers to imagine what they will do with space without the stark, impersonal quality of pure white walls.
Once you’ve done the cleaning and painting, do another sweep of the house. Make sure all the lights are in working order, shine the doorknobs, and so on. Look for all of the minor things and places that the average person may overlook. Potential buyers will be looking at every little detail of your home, so make sure every one of them is in perfect condition.
3. It’s All About Balance
Now that things are looking clean and refreshed, it’s time to look at each room individually. Interior design is all about balance and complementary forces. A vast open space in the living room may make an ideal play space for your kids, but having furniture concentrated on one side of the room can make that area look cluttered or claustrophobic.
The goal here is to make sure you are using your space effectively. Keeping your furniture orientation balanced is more pleasing to the eye and will ensure nothing is standing out in a bad way. The last thing you want is for your furniture to be taking away from the appeal of your house.
The number one rule of thumb for furniture orientation is to use symmetry where ever possible. Balance out a large couch by having matching side tables on either side and making sure you are making use of the center of the room so that it doesn’t feel like all the furniture is crowding the room’s edges.
Finding the right balance for each room can be difficult and may involve a lot of trial and error on your end. Once you’ve found the proper orientation, you will feel everything click together—plus buyers will respond better to an aesthetically pleasing setup.
4. Invest In The Major Selling Points
In terms of significant renovations, it’s best to focus your money and energy on the most popular features that buyers will be looking at. Bedrooms are mainly personal spaces, so unless they need significant fixes, you can leave those spaces for the new owners to customize to their liking.
Spaces like the kitchen and bathrooms are major selling points that most prospective buyers will be looking for. They are the rooms that will be getting the most foot traffic—both from the new owners and their guests. Investing in a state-of-the-art kitchen or a luxury bathroom can push your home to the top of the list for many buyers.
Do your research into the current housing market. This will give you an idea of what buyers are looking for and the trending themes so that you can plan out your renovations accordingly. The right renovations will not only make your home more appealing to buyers but will also increase the overall value of your home.
Renovations can be costly, but most consumers are less likely to invest in a house they feel needs significant work done. Walking into a place that feels ready to live in is a major plus for future buyers.
5. Nothing Personal
When buyers walk into your house for the first time, they want to be able to picture themselves living there. But if you’ve lined the mantles with photos of your family, that might be a bit difficult for them. Before you open your house for viewing, you will need to get rid of all of the personal touches that made the house your home. This is called depersonalization, and it’s essential for selling your home.
Your goal is to make buyers feel like they are walking into a new home that is just for them. Getting rid of your artifacts will create that ‘new home illusion’ that shoppers are looking for. Personal items such as pictures can distract viewers from the house’s overall look and feel, causing them to miss all the other areas that you worked hard to perfect.
Remember: this isn’t your house anymore. It doesn’t need to have your stamp on it.
6. Clean The Tub!
You would think that is obvious no? Well, you’d be surprised. No one wants to imagine themselves stepping into a shower or bathtub with dark brown goo and hair in the drain. Clean that thang… and then clean it again! We all know the saying: “Kitchens and Bathrooms Sell Houses”. Well it is more than true. We buy houses all over Connecticut as and in cash. A lot of how sellers find us and ask us if we can please make an offer on their house. In that case, sure you do not have to do a thing. Don’t bother cleaning it is all for nothing as we will probably have to renovate the bathroom and kitchen anyways. BUT, if you are selling your house yourself or list it with an agent, targeting the average traditional home buyer, you better put in the work!
7. Make Sure Everything Works
There you are in an open house. You are loving the house, huge closets, nice kitchen, clean bathrooms, you flip a light switch to fully admire the size of that closet and the light doesn’t turn on. Hmmm… is it just a faulty lightbulb or is there an electrical wiring issue. Now you start wondering if the appropriate permits have been pulled, and you start to wonder what else could be wrong. Don’t be on the other end of this scenario, when a potential home buyer is now forded to double check everything and is suspicious of everything all because of a 2 dollar little lightbulb you should have replaced!
Make sure everything works.
8. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Fixing up your house in preparation for viewing can be a lot of work, especially if you’re doing it all on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Even if you’re just asking a friend for some advice or help with rearranging your furniture, sometimes you just need a helping hand. If you’re lost, you can always contact us, and we’ll help you any way we can. Yes we are THAT awesome!
Get Your Free Offer TODAY!
Just Fill In This Form To Get Your No-Obligation All Cash Offer Started!In Conclusion
There are a lot of things that go into you learning how to stage a house to sell. Properly staging your home will make it more appealing to buyers, ultimately making it easier to sell. Refreshing your house makes a big difference, and knowing what areas need work will make your job a lot easier.
You might be considering, “how much does staging a house cost?” While staging can be a significant investment for a homeowner, you’re trying to sell, and it will ultimately ease the anxiety that comes with selling your home. Staging your house will ensure that it sells quickly, at the best price.
In our next post, we will talk about the cost of selling your house in Connecticut. Don’t Miss It!!! We are a legitimate New Haven CT homebuyers and we offer a hassle-free and agent-free service. We will make the process simple so you can quickly sell your house in CT and move on.
SUGGESTED PAGES
