When it comes time to sell your home, first impressions are everything! Potential buyers are most emotionally impacted within the first 5 minutes of looking at a new property. And with today’s challenging housing market it’s more important than ever to create that WOW factor to set your home apart from the competition!
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- Foyer: The first first-impression a buyer receives when entering the home. Replace a frayed or dirty door mat with a fresh new sisal mat for contemporary spaces or a synthetic faux-Persian mat for more traditional interiors. Place a vase filled with fresh-cut flowers on the foyer table for a welcoming touch. Touch up any scrapes or scratches on the walls or doors.
- Kitchen: Remove magnets and clutter from the refrigerator and countertops. The scent of fresh baked cinnamon rolls or cookies creates a warm, homey feeling (bake the real thing if you’re up for it, or use scented room sprays or air fresheners if time is at a premium).
- Living Room: Furniture shouldn’t be placed directly against the wall. If space allows, create a conversation grouping by arranging your furniture in the center of the room. For smaller spaces, leaving 3-4″ space between the wall and your furniture will create a subtle drop-shadow effect and make the room appear substantially larger.
- Bathroom/Powder Room: A set of crisp, white, spa-quality white towels on the towel bar and towel ring coordinate with any decor and give a fresh, clean look. Also, tuck away all your cleaning supplies, plunger, toilet brush, and wastebasket either under the sink or in a closet.
- Bedrooms: Neutral colored bedding (white, ivory, taupe, or grey) creates a pleasing, sedate impression. Keep your blinds/curtains open for daytime showings to let in as much light as possible. Remove any clutter or overly personal items, and make sure that closets are neatly organized and not overstuffed.
- Basement: Try to keep all storage and clutter out of the line of sight when people first reach the foot of the stairs. Use plug in air-fresheners to create a pleasing, fresh impression and to mask that dank basement smell.
- Pets: Even the most enthusiastic pet-lover can be turned off by a property that shows obvious signs of pet wear and tear. Remove all pet dishes, litter boxes, and toys from sight, and make sure to clean up all traces of pet hair, stains, and odors prior to the viewing.
- Color: Bold, dominant color-schemes can often be a detriment when it comes to selling your home. If a potential buyer has an aversion to a certain color it can create a negative emotional impact and they may write-off the entire property based on one room. Stick with neutral tones wherever possible and repaint those overly vibrant walls if time and budget allow.
Kids Rooms: Keep toys neatly organized in plastic bins or tucked into the closet. Make sure the beds are made and all clothes and clutter are orderly arranged and off the floor. Make sure to scrub down the walls to remove fingerprints, crayon marks, etc. or do a quick repaint if necessary.- Lighting: Several low-wattage light sources in a room will always show better than one overly bright source. Replace high-wattage incandescent bulbs with 40W bulbs, and swap those eery blue-white efficiency bulbs for color-corrected fluorescents. Dimmer-switches are wonderful for dining rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms. For daytime showings try to bring in as much natural light as possible; for evening showings, “stage” your lighting beforehand by leaving a couple of lamps on in each room to create a warm, inviting glow.
For more personalized home-staging solutions designed to create that SHOW HOME look and maximize your resale value check out our fabulous stageIT and stageIT 3D portfolio packages on the SERVICES page!
