There’s more to making a home open house-ready than deep cleaning. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 47% of home buyers’ agents cited that home staging had an effect on most buyers’ view of the home (Source). Previous real estate studies by NAR showed that staged homes spend 90% less time on the market, increase the home’s sale price by up to 10%, and allow buyers to mentally move in.
Home sellers often ask if a professional stager is needed to sell their home. That’s usually a case-by-case recommendation, but there are plenty of ways that you can DIY to create a beautifully staged home. Here are some tips we collected from various real estate staging professionals, as well as our own experiences and feedback from open houses, to highlight your home’s best features.
1 – Declutter
Months before that for sale sign goes up is the best time to start decluttering. Touch every
surface, check every cranny — look inside, outside, beneath, over, and under. Potential buyers may open closets, pantries, and cabinets to get a feel for storage space, so there’s really no hiding clutter. If it looks like your house is bursting at the seams, buyers will probably pick up on that.
That’s why decluttering both visible areas like countertops and shelves, as well as covered areas like closets and pantries, is key. Go through closets and donate or sell anything your family’s outgrown. Check pantries for food items you don’t think you’ll use. Have your kids gather up toys they no longer play with.
And don’t forget the garage. Buyers will want to go in there, too, so make tidying it up a priority as well.
2 – Depersonalize
Your family means the world to you, so of course you’re going to fill your home with pictures of their smiling faces. It’s those personal pictures and family photos that help make a house a home. When it comes time to show it, though, any personal items should be put away.
We know it’s hard to depersonalize your home to the point that it doesn’t even feel like your own, but potential buyers will better be able to picture themselves living there if they don’t see another family staring back at them in every room of the house.
3 – Invest in storage
Some houses don’t boast the best storage. And that’s okay. That’s where spending a little money on storage can really pay off. Hop over to Ikea and grab some storage cabinets, containers, or drawers. See what you can find secondhand on Facebook marketplace. Some people list items for free because they need to get rid of them fast. Anything to help lighten up the load in your closets and pantries.
A great way to organize the garage? Storage shelves. There are some nice heavy-duty options that can hold the weight of all your outdoor toys, etc. Most are easy to install and can be done in a day.
4 – Use real plants
If your home is already packed with real plants, great! We applaud your green thumb. If not, buy or borrow some from a friend and place them in all of the main rooms including the dining room. Beautiful blooming plants will help freshen up the space and bring a calming element to the home. It’s a little something you can do to make your home even more inviting.
5 – Fix what you can
We’ve all got that checklist of things we could do to touch up, brighten, or improve elements of our home. That list becomes even more pressing when you’re looking to sell your home in the near future So, grab some spackle and cover up any holes. Clean scuff marks off the baseboards. Try to tackle that carpet coffee stain you’ve been meaning to get to.
For touchups that require a little more finesse, reach out to a handy friend or neighbor who can help. Buyers will appreciate the time you’ve put into caring for your home.
6 – Say bye bye to Fido for a few hours
Not everyone’s a cat or dog person. And some people have bad allergies to pet dander. As much as you love snuggling up with your pets, buyers may not. Put your pup in doggie daycare for the day or ask someone to watch your pets during showings.
Consider putting away their food and water bowls, toys, and beds. Remember the kitty litter and scratching posts, too. Strategically place the pet food in the back of the pantry so it’s not the first thing you see when you open the door.
It’s nothing personal — you may have the sweetest, most well-trained pets in the universe — but some buyers may be turned off by their scent and dander. Woof!
7 – Rethink furniture placement
What works for your family may not for another. Grab a few interior design magazines or hop on Pinterest for some ideas on how to set up your living room to make it more social. Pay attention to where people naturally gravitate to in your home during get-togethers and move furniture around to make those spaces feel as open as possible.
Maybe set the dining room table to make it more inviting. Fresh baked cookies, anyone?
8 – Refresh rooms
Pump up the personality of a room by adding new accessories and pops of color (e.g. throw pillows) on neutral backgrounds. Consider a fresh coat of paint if you’ve personalized a room with distinctive color schemes or bold colors. Assess any wallpaper for peeling. Open windows to make sure that there’s plenty of light, particularly natural light and fresh air, before showings.
9 – Focus on curb appeal
A first impression is made right when a potential buyer drives up. So be sure all the work you’ve put into preparing the inside of your home is reflected on the outside. Freshen up the front yard and trim the landscaping. Spend some time sprucing up the backyard. The buyer will probably look around the corner, so don’t hide anything. How does the deck look? Is it creakier than you’d like?
Pop a wreath on the front door and touch up the paint to make it more welcoming.
10 – Pay special attention to the kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where family meals are shared and many memories are made. Try not to test out a new, particularly pungent recipe the day of a showing, though.
And whether you’ve got ample kitchen countertops or not, try not to load them up with gadgets, recipe books, or alcohol bottles. The more kitchen counter space buyers see the better.
Will doing this prep work take time? Yes. Will it pay off during closing? That’s also a yes. Selling your home is a big deal that involves a mountain of paperwork on top of all the tidying up, organizing, and packing that comes along with moving. Once you get top dollar, though, you’ll see how staging your home before it hits the market makes all the difference.