Whether you want to sell your house quickly or get a higher price, making your home irresistible to buyers can be difficult. Here is a step-by-step guide what is called home staging in real estate jargon.

 

 

Step 1: clean

 

Without a doubt, cleaning is the easiest way to stage your home.

 

 

• First impressions are lasting, so pay attention to the front garden. Make sure that the lawn is mowed and the flower beds are maintained.
• A pool can really increase the value of your house, unless it reminds prospective buyers of the work involved! Make sure it is crystal clear, take out the pool floats and put away the pool cleaning equipment.
• Bathrooms should be the cleanest places in the house. Make sure there is no grime between the shower tiles.
• Use scented candles to trigger positive emotions or mask bad smells like smoke or pet odours.

 

 

 

 

Step 2: de-clutter

 

Maximise the space by de-cluttering. Keep the items you still need in storage and sell the ones you don’t on bidorbuy.

 

• All counter-tops should be cleared of everything except the essentials.
• Many believe that rooms will feel larger if the furniture is pushed against the walls. Rather keep your furniture away from the walls and in cozy conversational groups to make the traffic flow obvious and more user-friendly.
• Cupboards should be neat, organised and almost bare, to show off the space.
• Use matching hangers to modernise the cupboards and make it feel more luxurious.
• Remember that people are nosey! Declutter kitchen drawers and clean out the fridge.
• Declutter the garage and park a smaller size car in it, to show off the size.
• A bedroom should be a place of relaxation and comfort, so remove TVs and office related furniture.

 

Step 3: repair

 

Take a look through our home improvement category for all the tools you need.

 

• Any visible damages around the house should be your first priority as they can be an automatic turn-off for many buyers.
• Unfinished projects can scare off potential buyers. If you have an unfinished tree house, either tear it down, or finish it.
• If you have hardwood flooring that is in need of updating, consider replacing only the damaged boards or tiles and updating the rest with a sander and a coat of hardwood stain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4: de-personalise

 

Make your home completely devoid of personality, because you don’t want it conflicting with the buyers’. The aim is to make them picture themselves in the house – not you!

 

• Place family photos in storage. If the walls look bare after taking down all the photos, hang a large mirror.
• Using gender-neutral colours makes it easier for prospective buyers to visualise their own palette. The biggest mistake people make is painting a feature wall in a bright colour. All your buyer sees is a hassle in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 5: update

 

Spend a good portion of your budget on bathrooms and kitchens as these are the places where potential buyers are won over – or lost! Small touches to the bedroom or dining room will also make a big difference.

 

• A bathroom should have a spa-like feel. White rolled-up towels and decorative baskets are the best way to achieve this. Replace all toiletries with matching scented soaps.
• Modernise dated cabinets with a new wood stain, or even a good sanding, or a coat of paint.
• Set the dining room table! This creates points of visual interest, but be careful of over-staging. You don’t need to set out every piece of china.
• In the bedroom, adding a headboard to the bed is an affordable way to add sophistication.
• Add a few decorative items to create a focal point in a room (especially at eye level).
• Rugs tend to stop the eye and break up a space; remove them to make the floor space appear larger.
• Most people hang art in a straight line encircling the room, rendering them almost invisible. Rather vary the pattern to make them stand out and show off the wall space.

 

 

Step 6: lighten and brighten

 

Abundance of light is a major source of living room appeal for buyers.

 

• To make a room appear bigger, paint it the same colour as the adjacent room, creating a seamless look.
• To create the illusion of more space, stage the room with light coloured furniture and paint the walls the same colour as the curtains.
• Use large mirrors and clear glass tables to open up small rooms and give an illusion of space.
• If you want more colour in the living room and bedrooms, add cushions and throws.
• Open the blinds and replace all light bulbs with the highest wattage possible
• A patio can be made to look bigger and more inviting by using earthy colours that reflect the colour of the garden.

 

 

 

It may seem like a lot of work, but preparing your home well for potential buyers will mean a quicker sale and a higher price.