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"Staging" a home that's for sale involves preparing the house so it makes a good impression and is emotionally appealing to prospective buyers. Staging a home doesn't mean decorating, which adds your personal style. Instead, it depersonalizes the space so buyers can see themselves living in the house you're hoping to sell. This step of the home-selling process can reduce the number of days that your property is on the market.
If you're looking to increase your house's emotional appeal, check out the following areas of improvement:
- Kitchen: Aromas from fragrant goodies like freshly baked gingerbread or just-brewed coffee bring back wonderful memories of home. Conversely, many people find odors from pungent foods such as liver, fish, and cabbage a turnoff. Be careful about the foods you cook throughout the marketing process; you never know when prospective buyers may tour your house.
- Bathrooms: Always have fresh towels and potpourri in bathrooms. Buy new shower curtains; old ones may have water spots or mildew on them. Put new soap in the soap dishes. Take toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, prescription bottles, and rubber duckies off the bathroom counter. Clear out the medicine cabinet, make sure the toilets are flushed and cleaned, and remove the tub mat and rug in front of the toilet.
- Collections: Everyone has collections — family photos on the wall, autographed baseballs, dolls, CDs and DVDs, sports and school trophies, model airplanes, whatever. Unfortunately, now isn't the time to have prospective buyers thinking about your family living in the house. You want them to focus on their family living in it. Depersonalize your property. Clear everything off the top and sides of your refrigerator. Put away your collections so people focus on the task at hand — buying your house.
- Comfort: Keep your house warm in winter and cool in summer. A house that's too hot or too cold isn't inviting.
- Fireplace: Functioning fireplaces are utilitarian and romantic. If you have a fireplace, spotlight it. Polish your fireplace tools. Pile logs neatly in the fireplace. When your house is shown on cold fall or winter days, nothing says "Welcome" like the warmth, glow, crackle, and smell of a blazing fire in the fireplace.
- Flowers: Vases of colorful, fresh flowers spotted throughout the house make a wonderful impression on prospective buyers. You don't have to spend a fortune on hothouse orchids. Bouquets of daisies, tulips, or other seasonal flowers from your local supermarket are fine.
- Furniture: Rearrange furniture to create a warm, inviting feeling. If you're selling a vacant house, consider renting furniture to create a homey atmosphere.
- Light: Bright, well-lit houses seem more spacious and cheerful. Wash all your windows. Clean the window screens. During the day, open all your curtains and drapes (unless you overlook the city dump or your view is a brick wall). If the view is unattractive, get sheer window coverings that let light through but mask the view. Don't force buyers and agents to grope around in the dark looking for light switches. When you show your house, brighten up rooms by turning on all your lamps, even during the day. Be sure hallways and stairways are brightly lit. Don't forget to turn on closet lights, oven lights, and the lights over your stove and kitchen counter.
 | Prospective buyers often drop in or drive by in the evening to see how your house looks at night. Interior lights that can be seen from the street make a house look cozy and inviting. From sunset until you go to bed, keep at least one light on in each room that faces the street. |
Staging is the last step in preparing a home for sale. As with the first three steps (cleaning up, decluttering, and making cosmetic improvements), you don't have to spend wads of cash to stage your property. Small bucks spent on staging can bring big rewards.
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