How To Stage Your Home While Living In It
There are some challenges that face those trying to sell their home while still living in it. Home staging can be tricky but it is a necessity. This is how bidding wars are started and how you can get more for your home.
Here are the top tips for staging your home while still living in it:
De-clutter
Before you list the home, you need to sort through your items and keep only those that are the most valuable around. If you have less clutter it gives the home a more spacious and expensive feel which is highly appealing to potential homebuyers.
If you have items that you don’t want to part with but you know can’t stay for the showings, consider getting a storage unit. You can keep all of your things there until you have moved into your new home.
Clean like never before
Let’s face it, most of us take the odd shortcut when cleaning the house. Don’t do this when you will be showing it. Give the whole house the white glove treatment and watch how excited people get when they walk through it.
Here are just a few of the things you can do in terms of cleaning:
- Wax/polish the floors
- Wash the walls
- Polish the furnishings
Since you are going to be living in your home while you sell it, you might want to consider getting a cleaning service that can help you keep up to everything. You want it to look perfect each time it is shown to potential buyers.
Neutral colors
If you have some bold wall colors, change them. Stick with neutral colors and tones. While they may seem like “boring” colors, they are the best for allowing people to envision their lives in the home. This is actually key to getting the most for your home. Think of the home as a blank canvas for buyers.
Make rooms feel bigger
Small rooms can instantly feel bigger just by getting rid of big, bulky furniture. Again, the less cluttered a room is, the more expansive it will look.
Improve your furniture groupings
The way you have the furniture laid out in each room is important to the first impression would be buyers will have. For example, don’t face the back of your couch to the doorway. This makes the entrance less inviting.
If your furniture does not match, you don’t need to get new pieces, simply get matching furniture coverings.
Cosmetic improvements
A lot of the biggest, most impactful tips are to make small cosmetic improvements. Oftentimes these don’t cost much and can drastically improve the look of your home.
For example, instead of getting all new cabinets, paint the ones you have. Paint all your porch railings and get rid of old dated fixtures while replacing them with newer more modern designs.
Make over your entry
The first thing a buyer sees when they walk into your home is the entryway. This is their first impression. If you have an old door, consider painting or even replacing it.
If your front entrance has old, dated tile, replace it. That will make a huge improvement to the overall look of the home.
As you can see, there are lots of ways you can stage your home for the market while still living in it. Just remember that you want the home to look live in ready for anyone who walks through those doors.