4 Key Details That Make a Difference When Staging Your Home

You’ve had some great years in your current home. It’s provided a relaxing shelter from life’s hustle and bustle and joyous space for family good times. But now, you’re ready to move into your brand new Melia Home, so it’s time to sell. That means looking at your home with new eyes. No matter how perfect your current home’s layout, or how tasteful its furnishings and decor, your house will benefit from extra attention to make it more attractive in the marketplace. Enter the art of staging, which means thinking like a buyer instead of an owner. The goal? To make those little bells and whistles go off in a stranger’s head that say, “I want to live here.” They’re the same bells and whistles you heard when you moved in. They go off the moment you start envisioning what your life will be like in a great new space.

When staging to show off your home’s striking potential, the details matter.

1. Declutter
Go from room to room and clear away all the items you won’t need between now and moving day. Pay special attention to storage spaces. Buyers like to see ample space for all their stuff. Here’s a tip: Vacant closets look bigger with a few empty hangers in them. While you declutter, also look for ways to de-personalize the space. Your family photos and keepsakes prevent the next person from imagining the lives they want to live.

2. Deep Clean
Go beyond the company-is-coming level to make your house sparkle as if it’s empty and waiting for that new resident to walk right in. While you’re at it, tackle small maintenance issues. Repair old grout. Replace tired hardware. Meticulous cleaning signals to buyers that the property is well-cared-for from top to bottom. There’s another subliminal message. Deep cleaning makes a house smell fresh and inviting even beneath the fragrant flowers you’ve placed in the living room or brownies you’ve baked that morning.

3. Let There Be Light
The amount of light is one of the first things potential buyers notice. Replace burned-out bulbs and swap out current bulbs for a matching set with higher wattage. Just in case you missed this step during your deep cleaning, make sure the windows are clear. Then open the also-squeaky-clean blinds and turn on the lamps. Let buyers play with the dimmers in the dining area. If you want to show off the possibilities for mood lighting, set the table, beautifully, and don’t forget to light the candles.

4. Maximize Curb Appeal
Nothing impresses like a first impression. Pressure-clean dingy areas. Add flower boxes to windows. Tidy up the outdoor furniture. Sweep the walk. Roll out a new welcome mat But above all, trim the hedges and trees, weed the flower beds and mow and maintain the lawn. Good lawn care is one of the most cost-effective investments in home staging. It signals the care you’ve given the entire property and beckons people to their next great home.

Successful home staging is the key to getting the most bang for your buck. You aren’t fixing every flaw for the next owners. You are showcasing your home’s best features to appeal to the widest range of buyers.

Yuna Miller is a freelance writer who has lived in eight cities in 16 years. She finds a community that interests her, finds an old house, fixes it, flips it and gets out her map again.

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