When you are selling your house, the first impression the buyer gets when they walk through the door will have a huge impact or whether or not they’re interested. They will make a judgmentin the first few seconds of entering yourhouse based on how it makes them feel. Of course, other factors can influence this perception as well — but the first impression will always be important.
Staging is the art of making your house looks its best, from cleaning the carpets to letting in natural light to clearing out the clutter and updating the décor.
The following are some things you can do to ensure your house looks as good as it possibly can, so you will have a better chance of making that much-desired sale.
Clean From Top to Bottom
You need to give your house a full cleaning; this is not the type of superficial tidy-up job you do when you are having company come over at the last minute, but a full deep-down cleaning.
Many homeowners will have odors embedded deep in their carpets and upholstery, such as pet odors or cigarette smoke, that they are immune to after years of living in their house. When your potential buyers enter your house for the first time, they will pick up on these scents.
Give your house a full cleaning, including shampooing the carpets and upholstery. You may want to hire a professional cleaning service to help you with this step of staging your house.
Let Your Light Shine In
The more natural light that enters your house, the more spacious, attractive and comfortable it will look and feel. Having dark rooms is a turn-off for most buyers.
The first step to doing this isgetting rid of any heavy window coverings. Replace them with Venetian blinds or other sheer fabrics so that as much light as possible can come in.
If you have the budget for any larger-scale renovations, adding in a skylight can make a huge difference. Another great idea is to add more mirrors into your décor, because they reflect light and make it bounce around the room.
Clear Out Your Clutter
Take a look around your house — how much clutter has your house accumulated over the years? Piles of receipts, drawers full of odds and ends, bookshelves full of knickknacks you don’t even remember buying — all of these things will make your rooms appear crowded and messy to a potential buyer.
If you want to make your house look its best, sort through your clutter and make sure only the minimal amount of stuff is on display. Also, avoid having personal items, such as trophies or family photos, on display when you are showing off your house. You may think that it makes your house look welcoming, but in reality it makes it seem too personalized. Thus, it can be difficult for a potential buyer to imagine her family living there.
The Power of a Coat of Paint
Never underestimate the power of adding a new coat of paint to a few of the rooms in your house. This will make the rooms feel brighter and newer, especially if you stick to light, neutral shades. If you are limited when it comes to time and budget, choose the rooms that need a new coat of paint the most. Give them an update with a light color that will reflect light.
It will also make your home seem a lot more up to date; when you choose the right colour of paint, it brings together the décor and makes for an elegant finishing touch.
These are a few of the ways you can stage your house so that it makes potential buyers buyer.
About the Author: Phil Kearny lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and works at COIT Cleaning Services. To find out more about what COIT can do for your carpets, visit www.coit.com.
