Selling a home or apartment can be a time-consuming and stressful task, but fortunately there are some things you can do to make the process easier without breaking the bank. Preparing the home by deep-cleaning, decorating, depersonalizing, and staging to ensure it’s a welcoming space are important parts of the selling process that will help attract more buyers and get you the best sale price. Consider these steps from Del Grande Homes when you’re ready to get started!
1. Set the Stage
Staging a home for sale is an important part of drawing a buyer in and fetching a better sale price, and it should be done in two parts: staging for listing pictures and staging for an open house. For photos, you’ll want natural light, clean surfaces, and attractive furnishings that don’t overwhelm the space. For in-person open houses, you should think about all five senses. What will potential buyers hear, smell, taste, see, and touch during their walk-through?
A deep-clean is necessary beforehand to eliminate odors and to ensure that each room smells fresh; if you have a dog, it might be a good idea to have a friend care for him during this time to both keep him safe and prevent barking. Keep in mind that buyers will open cabinets, closets, and drawers to look at storage space, so these will need to be cleaned out or organized. Finally, provide a light snack, drink, or sweet treat to make them feel welcome.
2. Focus on What Makes Your Home Special
Another aspect of staging your home is highlighting the areas that make it special, and this doesn’t have to eat into your budget. If you have a great lawn, HGTV suggests bringing focus to it by boosting your curb appeal. This can be achieved by painting the mailbox and front door, adding pops of color with flowers, replacing old light fixtures, or pressure washing the walk. Have great floor-to-ceiling windows? Consider taking down curtains and other treatments to accentuate the natural light and woodwork.
There is an increasing demand for home offices, so if you have one, feature it. Arrange your furniture and other belongings according to feng shui to find balance with the natural world. Also, show off the calm functionality of your home office through natural lighting and well-placed lamps, and ergonomic office furniture. And keep the space free from clutter by using a great digital and physical filing system.
You should also consider making pamphlets for your open house visitors. You can use free online tools with a pamphlet template that makes it easy to create an impactful design. Then your guests will have something to take with them with pictures and information to reference later when considering your house.
3. Decorate Simply
Staging also requires a good eye. Walk around your home and try to see it as a buyer would; is the decor simple or overwhelming? Pare down a bit in rooms that have a lot going on, and consider replacing things like worn pillows with neutral items from your local home goods store. You can also upcycle items from your own collection with a few DIY tricks. Remove one piece of furniture from smaller rooms to make them appear bigger, and Organise My House says to depersonalize each space by taking out family photos and any other items that a potential buyer might perceive as clutter.
4. Make it Look Fresh
No matter how long you’ve lived in your home, it’s a good idea to try and make it look fresh, elegant, and new. Changing out some of your decor will help, but you can also add a coat of paint to the trim, open the windows to let in fresh air, and make sure your family and pets aren’t around for the open house. This simply helps buyers see the potential in your home for themselves and gives the impression that the home they’re getting is just for them.
Preparing your home for sale and finding the right buyer can take some time, but with a few small changes you can speed up the process without spending loads of money, all while ensuring that you get the best possible price.
Del Grande Homes is here to help you make the most of your commercial or residential listing. Simply call 866-633-4466.
