Home Sellers: Important Staging Mistakes to Avoid
As you prepare to put your house on the market, it's important to keep in mind that home buyers coming to see your house won't see it in the same way you do. What may be "charming" or "antique-looking" to you may evoke different feelings in a prospective buyer.
With today's market challenges and more competition than ever before for home sales, home staging has become a necessity and an intergral part of selling real estate. If it's done right, your house will sell more quickly.
For those attempting to stage a house themselves, there are quite a few common mistakes that can undermine a successful sale. The key to good home staging is not to get too personal. Home staging is meant to create a neutral canvas that'll appeal to the majority of buyers. It's all about de-personalizing the space and creating more of a luxury hotel or a model home look.
You want buyers to picture themselves moving into the home without being influenced by your personal taste. If the color palette or decorating style is too far out, people will be put off by the personality of the home and it'll be difficult for them to visualize themselves and their own belongings in the house. This means putting away all the photos, children's artwork, trophies, and other knickknacks. You want the buyers to look at your house, not your children's baby photos.
A common staging mistake is not taking advantage of the natural light that your house has. Blocking off any light with heavy curtains or furniture can hurt your sale, especially if the house has an attractive view. If the drapes are from the early to mid-90s, chances are they're too heavy and too dated. Remove them and replace them with panel drapes on a rod.
Big mistakes can be made with furniture as well. The size of the furniture needs to be in balance with the scale of the room and other furniture in it. Think "less is more." Remember that the purpose of furniture when selling a home is to define the purpose of the room and to show what will fit where. It's not meant to show that you can provide seating for 15 in your living room and every seat has a side table to rest drinks on.
Home staging is also not a way to simply cover up for poor maintenance and structural problems. It's important to ensure your house is in good condition for the sale and use the staging to make your house more appealing.
For more staging ideas and other home selling strategies, contact me.