A Guide to Staging:

  1.  Clean, Clean, and then Clean the Clean!  Take out your bleach, toothbrush, and old rags!  Nothing sells a home better than having it absolutely shine.  Think of your efforts as a HUGE return on investment.  Make sure to complete your spring cleaning including your baseboards, crown moulding, cabinets, window frames, ect.  Also complete larger tasks such a carpet cleaning, it is a huge return on investment we promise!
  2. Make sure the potential buyers pull up and immediately recognise your curb appeal.  Cut the grass, take care of brown spots ahead of time, trim the hedges, and if you really want to go overboard add some colour with flowers.  Pressure wash the exterior of your house, you want your potential buyers to see shine throughout.  Also be very aware of your doorways, they get an up close and personal view of these!
  3. There is a reason why all homes on the market have no bright colours, stick to neutral!  You want your buyers to be able to view themselves in your home, not them to view your personality.  Leave the decorating up to the buyers; they will be able to enjoy your house without distractions in neutral.
  4. Update where necessary.  The whole reason to sell your home is to move on to something different so we are not suggestions spending your life savings to update your home but there are some major turn-offs that we want you to be aware of.  Some things that were once trendy quickly changed try to replace any wood panelling, old appliances, shag carpet, wall paper borders, or any floral laminate or carpeting.  Those types of things will immediately be spotted so it will be a good investment if you choose to update. 
  5. Remove personal touches.  This is absolutely the hardest part for most sellers’s to do as you are selling your home not a stage house.  However having personal photos, report cards, awards, grandkids drawings will only remind them of your presence in the house, not allowing them to visualise themselves living there. 
  6. No pets.  This is also heart-wrenching for sellers as they love their pet friendly home.  However buyers do not need to see Spot’s water dish, or Fluffy’s wet cat food.
  7. Keep toilet seats down.  Nobody needs to see inside your toilet.  So just keep them shut, the whole bathroom flows better aesthetically.
  8. Make it Dinner Party worthy.  Dinner parties are getting really trendy again; maybe too much “Mad Men” watching, however people want somewhere they can entertain.  Make your dining room table a show table it’ll pay off.