Top 25 Staging Tips
March 7, 2010
With the cable networks’ staging shows becoming ever more popular, it’s clear that many homeowners are looking to staging to help them sell their homes. The goal of staging is to emotionally connect a prospective buyer to the house – to make him or her want to move in. Part common sense and part art, it’s done by highlighting the best features of the house and removing distractions that may interfere with achieving that emotional connection.
Here are some basic staging tips, more common sense than art, that sellers should use to better present their homes.
- Remove front lawn debris, toys, trash cans, etc.
- Remove and replace dead shrubbery
- Paint or replace the front door; and replace its hardware
- Paint or replace the mailbox
- Replace the front porch light, door mat and house numbers
- Wash the windows, inside and outside
- Pack up contents of bookcases and knick-knack shelves
- Remove all personal photos; patch nail holes in walls
- Remove excess furniture to reduce clutter and improve traffic flow
- Clean out your closets
- Clean off the kitchen counter
- Remove all refrigerator magnets and notes
- Remove any pet blankets, dishes, litter boxes
- Empty all garbage cans and waste baskets daily
- Clean your house thoroughly including carpets and tops of door and window frames
- Buy new kitchen cabinet pulls
- Remove dust-collecting fake plants
- Replace old faucets; fix all leaks
- Repaint rooms a neutral color (beige, tan, cream, gray-green) — not bold or white.
- Replace bath linens and shower curtains
- Hide personal bath items in a drawer or cabinet
- Remove stuff from floors
- Remove heavy draperies; replace with budget bamboo, grass, shears or nothing
- Max the wattage of light bulbs and turn them on
- Ask a friend or neighbor to sniff for odors
We hope that these tips help, though for the art of staging and a thorough evaluation of the home, seek the advice of a professional stager.