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Selling your house? Realtors know that properly staging a house makes it sell twice as fast and for more money, according to research from Coldwell Banker real estate. This is especially true for properties stuffed with generations of family heirlooms and personal items, and showing decades of wear and tear.
By staging your home, you can highlight the unique features of the house to help potential buyers envision themselves and their loved ones fitting right in.

A prospective buyer may only see clutter and scruffiness where you see warmth and value. So how do you highlight your property’s potential to sell your home? Here are our top seven secrets for how to stage your house for a quick sale:

1. Create Curb Appeal

Prospective home buyers should want to come inside from first glance, so make sure the property is inviting from the street. Trim bushes, keep the lawn mowed and plant some flowers to add color. Focus on potential home improvement items, like the porch and entryway.

Are there any loose boards? Is the paint peeling? Make any necessary repairs and clean it thoroughly, including the light fixtures. Splurge on a bright new welcome mat to quickly set the tone of welcoming in potential buyers.

2. Let There Be Light

When buyers walk through the front door, the first impression should be light and bright. Make sure all the window coverings are open to let in as much natural light as possible, and keep every light in the house turned on.

For darker corners, add a floor lamp or replace bulbs with higher wattage options. A few strategically placed mirrors can amplify the light and make rooms feel bigger. By adding a natural glow to the home, the house can feel more inviting and spacious.

3. Less is More

The more furniture in a room, the smaller it feels. So go through every room and take out anything that doesn’t absolutely need to be there. For example, the living room should have just enough furniture to create a comfortable conversation area. A couch, a chair or two (depending on the size of the room), a coffee table and an end table with a lamp—that’s it. You also want to create an open, easy flow through the house, so get rid of any furniture in hallways.

4. Clear Out the Clutter

Items covering the surfaces in your house are easy to remove when staging a house for a quick sale. These odds and ends may be important to you, but it’s important to keep the focus on the flow of the house, rather than your personal items.

Attack closets and kitchen cabinets to remove clutter that may be hiding in the unseen spaces of your home. Boxing up the additional items to make the house feel more spacious is one of the first things professional stagers accomplish.

Clutter to remove includes:
• Knick-knacks
• Coasters
• Children’s toys
• Framed pictures
• Newspapers and magazines

5. Focus on Function

Each room should be staged based on its primary use. For example, if the spare bedroom is set up as a home office, consider replacing the desk with a bed. Instead of buying new furniture, financially savvy home stagers typically browse Craigslist for a used bedroom set for less than $200.

If you have a finished attic or basement, highlight these additional floors for added flexibility. From a burly man cave to a kid’s playroom, staging can make an impact on the functionality your home offers.

An organized storage room could also be a great differentiator, highlighting the additional square footage for holiday decorations, toys and seasonal items. Practicality and functionality will most likely be high on the list for potential buyers.

6. Dress up the Kitchen and Bathrooms

While renovations may not be necessary when putting your home for sale, it’s important to make the kitchen and bathrooms sparkle. If the cabinets are old and dated, think about repainting them in a fun color.

Small touches can go a long way. Try buying new, decorative hand and kitchen towels, clean the ceiling lights and polish the fixtures. Add a clean-scented candle or fancy soap dish to the bathroom. Removing items from the counters in both the kitchen and bathroom will enhance the space to feel larger.

7. Freshen Up the Paint

Nothing jazzes up an older house like a fresh coat of paint. This is one of the easiest ways to stage your house for a quick sale. For about $100 a room, you can paint the rooms yourself and save on labor costs.

Fresh color will erase decades of wear and tear, brightening up dingy or faded walls. The key is to choose warm, neutral colors so that prospective buyers can easily picture their furniture and belongings in the space. Try adding an accent wall for a fun use of color or texture.

Stage A House That Sells With The Help Of WayForth

Knowing how to stage your house for a quick sale helps reduce your monthly carrying costs such as insurance, mortgage, and utilities. These secrets for staging your home are all do-it-yourself, which means the biggest investment you’ll make will be your time and energy. The hard-earned payoff will be all cash.

Interested in our downsizing, moving, and house cleanout services? We also offer realtor or homeowner-directed staging and home-prep to get your house listing-ready! Use WayForth’s complete move solutions to help you with the moving process today!