Staging your home to SELL !

It's great that you are interested in more information on Home Staging!

 

The approach that I have taken to all my training with Staging and preparing a home to sell is geared towards, using what you have, and adding the finishing touches, or polishing the presentation of your home in a way that will appeal to the majority, and not just you and your current life style, we need to make the property appealing to the majority of today's buyers!

 

Use my step by step check list, starting with the exterior and the ever most important “First Impression” you house gives as you and the prospective buyers approach it. Does it say “Honey, Stop the Car” or does it say, “Let’s not waste our time on this one”?

 

Here are some basics I use when advising my clients on preparing their home for marketing: Basically De-Clutter, De-Odorize and Down Size! Pack up 50% of you house now! After all, it will have to be done eventually, why not sooner than later? Create lots of flat spots, on tables, the kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, etc. Less clutter makes the area appear larger.

 

Start putting away any and all the items you don’t or won't need for the next 60 days. Do this room by room. Put all the boxes in the garage or storage unit. (Or call PODS # 888-776-7637, and remember to ask for our RE/MAX discount) If push comes to shove have one room with these boxes along the wall, so buyers can see it is your moving stuff, and they can still see the size of the room, and access the closets.

 

So, as you go room by room, here are a few of the basics for re-arranging items for a better flow and energy, sometimes referred to as Feng Shui, although not near as in depth. Consider some of those basis tips to improve the flow & energy of your home.

 

#1) Balance - Balance means using furniture and other objects to make each part of a room roughly equal in visual weight, so that it harmoniously complements the others areas of the room.

 

#2) Harmony - Harmony in a room occurs when all parts of the arrangement, from the furniture to accessories & wall color - combine to create a pleasing whole. The easiest way to achieve this harmony is through repetition - in color, texture or shape. (The Feng Shui believers like the color red on doors & door mats)

 

#3) Emphases - Every well-designed room needs a “Focal Point” - a fireplace, a terrific view framed by a compelling window treatment, or a powerful piece of art - to draw the eye to the space. You also want to make sure that you do not have a negative focal point – such as a stain on the ceiling or wall, a fogged or damaged window, etc.

 

Now let’s start to de-clutter and rearrange what you haven’t packed! (Use my Checklist)

 

1#) Use what you have, left over paint, use it to touch up the paint around the front door, foyer & high traffic areas. Great a good first impression. A bunch of small items can build up to a big "No Thank You" from the buyer or buyer’s agent!

 

#2) Ask yourself, would that piece look better in a different place? Maybe another room or even the closet? Remember it not a matter of “it’s convenient or conducive to your life style", but does it make the room / home look or show better?

 

#3) Neutralize. & minimize everything that you can. Neutralize Odors from cooking, pets, wood stoves, etc. and Minimize the Clutter, knick knacks, books, items on the kitchen counters & bathroom vanity's, etc. (It may be inconvenient to pull the toaster & coffee pot every day, but if you have a small amount of counter space it could free up as much as 50%, and make it look twice as much space!)

 

#4) Wallpaper is out! If it is starting to curl, or is from the 1980's get rid of it, and paint the area a neutral color.

 

Please give these tips some serious consideration. I know that you may not be able to make all of them right away, however we need to better position your property to be the next one sold! I will be glad to come by and personally go through your home again, and point out some in-expensive things we can do to better stage your home to SELL!

 

By,

Mark A Rusnak,

ABR, CLHMS, e-Pro, SRES