Putting your house on the market can be a very stressful time. The
uncertainty of the process can be overwhelming. According to Zillow, 36%
of all sellers cry during the sale of their home.
Staging helps sell homes. In 2019, the National Association of REALTORS
surveyed real estate agents and 22% of sellers’ agents reported an increase
of 1 to 5% of the dollar value offered by buyers when the home is staged, in
comparison to similar homes. Seventeen percent of respondents stated that
staging a home increased the dollar value of the home between 6 and 10%.
The median dollar value spent on home staging was $400. Looking at that
data, it makes sense to stage your house. But what if you don’t have any
extra funds to stage a home. How do you stage for free?
The first step is to de-clutter. According to Decluttr, 54 percent of
Americans are overwhelmed by the amount of clutter they have, but 78
percent have no idea what to do with it or find it too complicated to deal
with, so they let it build up, taking over their homes and offices. You are not
alone in decluttering.
I like to take a notebook with me when I go to the seller’s home. You can do
the same: go outside and then walk into your home as a “buyer”. Take notes
of what you see. If you can’t look past yourself, then have a friend come
over and look at your home with fresh eyes. You can also video chat a friend
or take a video and send it. One mantra you need to say: Less is
more…more space is more money.
How many pictures or plaques do you have out on the counters and tables?
They tend to be a dust magnet so pack them up. You are going to have to do
it eventually, so why not start now? Books can be beautiful arranged by
color. It looks almost like art. Speaking of art, what is on the walls? Please
remove the dead animals if you have them. I once showed a house that had
stuffed their pet husky. It was placed inside a glass enclosure. I could not
look past it, and neither could my buyers. The buyers stopped looking at the
house immediately.
Now, look at the floors. Are there rugs and are they tired? Removing them
can open a space up. If they are dirty, then that is not going to help at all.
Spacing is also important. Do you have too much furniture? Can you put a
chair into a bedroom and create a reading nook? Move an end table out? Do
you have too many couches? Look at Pinterest, Houzz.com, or HGTV for
inspiration.
Bedrooms need to feel spacious. Is the bed placed properly? Is it made?
Can you walk around? Are there too many dressers, end tables, or toys? Do
your kids have posters on the walls? The closet…it is time for you to get in
there and clean it out. The hanger should be the same color if possible. If
not, color-coordinate them like books. Make sure there are no dust balls
on the floor.
The bathroom counters need to be cleared off. Buyers don’t want to see
every product that you use. Please remove the toilet plungers. It can hint at
issues with the plumbing. The towels need to be properly folded or you can
roll them. They cannot be stacked to the top. Less is more.
The kitchen is the heart of the home. It needs to be treated as such. The
counter should be cleared of clutter. The tupperware cabinet needs to be
paired down. If it is missing a lid, recycle it. You are never going to find it. It
went missing with the socks. How many plastic cups, coffee mugs, and
mismatched glasses do you really need? You are going to have to pack them
up.
Next is cleaning. Clean the house. That’s it.
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