In most areas of the country, the prime home-selling season lasts about April through August. But smart sellers start preparing their homes for sale in the winter months, so they’ll be among the first in line when buyers are ready to shop.
Real estate marketing experts say that "staging” a home is also the smart way to ready a house for sale. Very simply, this means creating “scenes” that help highlight your home’s best features and camouflage its less desirable traits.
The following tips will help successfully stage a home:
v Clean, clean, and clean until every surface sparkles – including baseboards and the inside of kitchen drawers.
v If you’re showing the house on a chilly day, light up the fireplace. If it’s too warm, make sure the fireplace is clean and stacked with logs for display.
v To visually expand your home’s storage areas, purge every closet and built-in cabinet so that at least one-fourth of the space is unused. Put cedar chips in every closet.
v Hang artwork on the walls and place fresh flowers or potpourri throughout the house.
v Remove personal possessions like photos, trophies, tabletop knickknacks and refrigerator magnets. The house may look “stark” to you, but it will appear more appealing to a buyer.
v Set the dining room table for a dinner party.
v Unless the view from a particular window is extremely unattractive, open all blinds and drapes. Turn on every lamp to bring as much light as possible into every room.
v In the garage, clean up oily floors, straighten up tools and garden equipment.
v Even if you have used the basement or attic only as a “junk room,” remove all unnecessary items and organize what remains. One messy room can negate your staging efforts throughout the rest of the house.
v Tag or remove items not included in the sale, such as a chandelier or basement shelving unit that you plan to keep.
Email Jenny for specific advice on "Staging" your home to keep the most money in YOUR pocket! References from clients of Jenny's Home Staging can be provided.