If you are selling your home and want to impress potential homebuyers, you should consider staging it. Home staging is an extra step during the selling process that can draw in more buyers and often achieve a higher selling price. If you are looking for open house tips for sellers or are interested in staging your Keizer, Oregon home, these are a few ways to impress potential buyers.
1. Clean, declutter, and depersonalize
Cleaning your home is a crucial step while preparing for staging. With the foundation of a clean home, potential buyers will see that you have taken care of your property and kept its value over time. Prioritize cleaning floors, walls, windows, and appliances in each room. While cleaning, pay attention to any existing odors or minor damages that could be repaired before staging.
Decluttering and tidying your space is another crucial element in staging your home. Tidying involves removing bulky or excess items, organizing storage, and optimizing space. Decreasing clutter can keep buyers’ attention on the positive features of your home and provide a visual of optimal space.
Depersonalizing your home is one of the most important preparations for staging, as it is the step that allows buyers to connect with the home. Depersonalizing your house allows for staging to create a neutral space in which a large pool of potential buyers can visualize themselves living. Cleaning, decluttering, and depersonalizing will impress buyers with the best version of your home.
2. Hire a professional home stager and photographer
Prospective buyers will be impressed by the quality and creativity that results from hiring professionals to capture and stage your home. Sellers can stage their homes without professional help, but hiring home stagers can help you get the highest possible offer for your listing. According to Investopedia, 82% of real estate agents say home staging allows prospective buyers to visualize the property as their future home. Investopedia also suggests that staging a home can increase the sale price by up to 10%. Allowing professionals to stage your home can save time and energy and incorporate their expertise to maximize your listing potential.
Similar to hiring a professional home stager, sellers should consider hiring a professional photographer to capture the staging. Ideally, prospective buyers will see the home staged in person at an open house or private tour, but sellers should have professional photos ready for online listings and other inquiries. Having photographs of the staging is convenient for sellers because it perpetuates what the home looked like in its peak condition.
3. Freshen up space and focus on lighting
Sellers will likely not need to focus on specific components of staging if they hire professionals, but if they are staging their own homes, here are a few tips. While cleaning and decluttering are excellent for providing a neutral foundation, freshening up the home and highlighting key areas are what accentuates it. Consider swapping out bright-colored linens and curtains for neutral colors and painting walls neutral and uniform colors that will make the space seem larger.
Natural lighting is also crucial for staging, and emphasis should be drawn to natural light by reconfiguring furniture and opening blinds and curtains. All lights should be turned on during open houses and for photographs to reflect the brightness of your home. A little light can go a long way and make a space feel homier and more spacious.
While freshening up your home, consider if any landscaping or work on the outside of the property could be done to impress potential buyers. This is known as “curb appeal” and is considered to be the first impression a potential buyer has of a home. According to Moving.com, the easiest ways to increase curb appeal are to upgrade house numbers, power wash the home exterior, and take care of your lawn. Consider adding fresh paint or planting flowers and greenery, as potential buyers will remember their first impression of the home from the outside.
4. Stage a successful open house
The final opportunity to impress prospective buyers with your home staging is at the open house. Hosting an open house will allow buyers to see your staged home in its peak condition, which will help them visualize their lives there while they peruse through your home. Sellers can add to the staging with warm scents, such as fresh cookies or subtle candles. Hosts can also play soft music in the background while welcoming buyers. According to Homelight, the best tips to impress buyers are using signs directing to the open house, using subtle aromas, and spreading the word about your open house beforehand. Homelight advises sellers to spread the word about their open house through the community and through a variety of social media. While there are many open house tips for sellers, sticking to simple tasks and fostering a friendly and welcoming atmosphere can leave a great first impression on buyers.
Staging is a great way to attract potential buyers and leave the best possible impression. From decluttering the space to making it as welcoming as possible during the open house, there are many ways sellers can impress potential homebuyers and get the best offer for their listing. If you have further questions about staging or are interested in homes for sale in Keizer, Oregon, contact Rebecca Donaldson.