Home Staging:  To Do or Not to Do?

 

Do This…

• Hang a mirror on the wall opposite the front door - or in a location close to the front door - so that prospective buyers can ‘see themselves’ in your home.
  
• De-personalize and add breathing room by removing family photos, trophies, souvenirs and children’s artwork. Clean out drawers so they’re no more than 30-percent full.
• Place only a few pieces of furniture in each room and pull them away from the walls to make the room look bigger.
• While neutrals are the de facto palette when selling your home, add a couple of pops of color to an accent wall or cabinets to bring depth and personality to your home.
• Highlight tech and green features. Today’s homebuyers are keeping an eye out for smart-home features and green-friendly elements, such as smartphone-controlled thermostats and energy-saving appliances.

Not This!

• Don’t crowd a room with too-large furniture. If you crammed a king-size bed into your not-so-king-size bedroom, replace it with a queen.
• Don’t try to mask unpleasant odors with perfumed candles or baked goods in the oven. Have a professional cleaner get to the root of pet smells and musty scents.
• Don’t use colors randomly. Use a variety of neutral colors that flow nicely from one room to the next.
• Don’t confuse a room’s purpose. Make sure every room’s primary function is obvious, i.e., a bedroom should look like a bedroom, not a home office.
• Don’t neglect your home’s exterior. Even if you’re listing your home in the middle of a dreary winter, make sure porches and patios are neat and tastefully accented with outdoor furniture and planters.