How to Stage Your House to Make It Sell Fast

You’ve decided to move out of your home and into the carefree lifestyle of a retirement community. The first order of business? Get that house sold fast and for the best price.

While 2021 has sparked one of the hottest real estate markets in a long while, there’s still much to know about how to sell a house. Perhaps most important is knowing how to stage a house to ensure it “shows” well when buyers come looking.

Home Staging Explained

What exactly is staging? A properly staged home brings out the property’s best assets and takes the focus off flaws that can detract from a great first impression. Staging a house is different from decorating because it’s not about reflecting your personal style. Rather, staging is about making your home appeal to the widest variety of shoppers much like furniture stores try to do when they set up a display.

As you consider how to stage your house, remember your main goal is to elicit an emotional response from buyers. For example, “Ooh, I can see myself curling up with a book in that corner,” or “I can envision hosting wonderful holiday dinners in this room.” When it comes to how to sell a house quickly, these are just the kind of responses you want to hear from potential buyers!

Successful staging can increase a home’s selling price by as much as 5%, according to a real estate industry report. The same report also found that 83% of buyers’ agents say staging makes it easier for buyers to visualize a property as their future home.

That said, it pays to get your house in shape inside and out. Some sellers choose to hire a staging professional, especially if they’ve moved out already and their home is empty. If you’re planning to move to one of the leading independent living communities like Crestwood Manor, their Move Ahead program can help with home staging and other moving services. 

Of course, you know your home best. With a little creativity and focus on your part, the following staging tips can help place your home in the best light for a speedy sale.

7 Staging Tips to Keep in Mind:

Focus on staging key rooms — Real estate experts say the key rooms to stage include the primary bedroom and bath, kitchen, guest bathroom, and living room. Make them inviting, airy, and fresh looking. Add a few special touches like flowers, decorator pillows, a pretty bubble bath bottle set, etc. Think minimalist — keep personal items like toothbrushes, makeup, and small appliances out of sight.

Get your house squeaky clean and keep it that way — Hire a cleaning crew to make your home spic ‘n’ span, from the floorboards to the cabinets, carpets, etc. Fix chipped paint, wall and wood scratches, and anything that looks like it might need repair or touch-up. Keep the beds made, and store laundry baskets out of sight. Don’t pile stuff in your closets — buyers will be looking in those, too!

Depersonalize and declutter — Replace that wall of family photos with framed art, and remove most family photos from shelves and counters. Bookshelves are appealing to buyers, but if they’re stuffed to the gills, reduce the number of books and trinkets on display. 

Add universal homey touches — Fresh flowers in a couple of spots, a few potted plants, a plate of cookies that just came out of the oven, vanilla-scented candles. The trick is to make your home feel well tended and have it be odor-free, but not overdone.

Take the guesswork out of a room’s purpose — You’ve turned a bedroom into an office,  workout space, or place to hide leftover furniture. That won’t do. Consider adding a full-size or twin bed, and bring it up to guest room status. Buyers need to be able to envision what purpose a room can serve and how their furnishings might fit the spaces.

Neutralize walls and floors — You love your dark navy walls, but when it comes to selling a home, neutral colors allow for buyers to let their vision and imagination run more freely. Same goes for carpeting. Make sure it’s clean and neutral. If you have finished hardwood floors under there, now’s the time to show them off with simple area rugs. A fresh coat of cream or light gray can do wonders to help a space feel open to everyone’s taste.

Ensure the exterior is welcoming — Don’t neglect the most important first impression! If your shrubs, exterior paint, steps, walking path, etc., are looking a little tired, it’s time for a makeover. A couple of potted plants and a welcome mat at the door can also make your entry more inviting.

Welcome to the Best Chapter of Your Life

With your home sold, we’ve got a great life in store for you at Crestwood Manor. We suggest checking out our Move Ahead services first to help with a smooth transition. Then explore our array of great floor plans so you can begin the fun of starting fresh in a new home. There are new friends to meet, new experiences to enjoy, great dining, and plenty of ways to live life to the fullest. We look forward to showing you around, so give us a call, and let’s set up a tour soon.