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Staging: No Funds, No Problem

Updated: Jan 11, 2021


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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