Remember back in the day, where the Realtor would bake cookies or an apple pie to help put prospective buyers in a buying frame of mind.  Well, now days it takes more than making your house smell warm and inviting to make it more appealing to those who come to look at it.  It’s take careful planning and knowing how to leave a lasting impression on the home buyers.

Two simple words for you, Home staging is the act of preparing a home (and the contents of the home) for sale, with a special emphasis on presentation and appearance.  By decorating and arranging a home’s interior to present an ideal way of life, buyers are assisted in visualizing themselves in your home. 

Basically, there are five steps to home staging.

• Clean it up
• Getting rid of clutter
• Depersonalizing
• Decorating and accessorizing Maintaining

Clean it up

Even though it may be tough to live in a spotless home ALL the time, this is a necessary change when selling your house.  Make sure you maintain the clean you’ve achieved, even if it requires hiring a house cleaning company.

Getting rid of clutter

Remember that how you live in your home and how you sell your house are two entirely different things. You’re going for a “show home” look! Go room by room, closet by closet, and look at every item. Then decide whether or not you will keep it or donate/sell it!

Depersonalizing

Your charming family pictures, children’s artwork on the refrigerator, and shelves full of sports trophies may mean a lot to your family, but it makes buyers feel as if they are intruding in personalized home. Pack away your personal items into storage.  This help buyers picture their things in your home without having to get past your personal belongings.

Decorating and accessorizing Maintaining

You don’t need to spend a fortune. Even fresh flowers in a vase brighten a bathroom counter. A fresh coat of paint doesn’t cost very much but will add a lot of impact.  New window treatments, fresh flowers, green plants and pretty accessories all pack a punch without breaking the wallet.