Home staging is about highlighting your property’s strengths, downplaying its weaknesses and appealing to the greatest possible number of prospective buyers.
Pack away extra bits and pieces and present a spacious, tidy and fresh home.
Imagine a first date without the makeup or perfectly sculpted hair; without dressing up and looking your best. When you put your home on show, think of it as a first date with the prospective buyer. Here are a few tips on how to make a good first impression…
1. Clean! Clean! Clean!
And we’re not just talking about a quick once-over like you do regularly. It’s time for a deep clean. Do you ever wipe down your light switches? Dirt and grime can build up and, while it’s not easily noticeable, it can add to the general feel of the home.
Start tackling all those little things you’ve been meaning to do around the house. Bulbs that need replacing or doors that get a little stuck. Things we’re quite happy to live with in our own homes, can often detract from that ‘I can move in here tomorrow’ feeling we want from the buyer.
2. Play dress-up
Reposition sofas and chairs into cosy conversational groups and place pieces so that the flow in a room is obvious. Not only will this make the space user-friendly, but it will also open the room and make it seem larger.
Move furniture, artwork and accessories around. Just because you bought an armchair for the living room doesn’t mean it won’t look great in the bedroom. Perch a little-used dining room table in front of a window, top it with accessories and use it as a writing desk or library table.
3. Furniture groupings
There’s a belief that rooms feel larger and are easier to use if the furniture is against the walls, but that isn’t the case. Instead of doing things the ‘old’ way, furnish your space by floating furniture away from the walls.
Reposition sofas and chairs into cosy conversational groups and place pieces so that the flow in a room is obvious. Not only will this make the space user-friendly, but it will also open the room and make it seem larger.
4. Declutter
Pack away extra bits and pieces and present a spacious, tidy and fresh home. That old treadmill that doubles as a drying rack? Consider asking a friend to store it for a while and open up the space you have.
One of the things that make homes look warm and welcoming is great lighting.
5. Room transformations
If you have a room that only gathers junk, repurpose it into something that will add to the value of your home like a reading room, a study or meditation room.
6. Home lighting
One of the things that makes homes look warm and welcoming is great lighting. Don’t depend on just one or two fixtures per room. Make sure you have three types of lighting: ambient which is general or overhead lighting, task lighting which can be achieved through pendant, under-cabinet or reading lamps and accent lighting, which is normally found on tables and walls.
7. Finish with a beautiful scent
As a finishing touch, add a beautiful scent. Studies have shown that a fresh scent of citrus, vanilla or lemon can help endear your home to a potential buyer.
Be careful not to over-do your scent though. Further studies have shown that the old favourite smell of baked goods can do more harm than good by distracting a potential buyer rather than engaging their attention.
Stick with the classic, simple scents and add a touch of freshly cut flowers to brighten up the space.
SOURCE: www.property24.com
