Recently we asked realtors to share their top home staging tips that they rely on to help them sell homes faster, and for more. We received a number of responses, and have shared a few of these below.
Trey Van Tuyl
In essence, it’s really very simple: you want to offer a view of the home that allows potential buyers to imagine themselves living in the home.
So, de-clutter as much as possible! Remove personal items such as family photos and memorabilia that will make it more difficult for the buyer to see the home as theirs.
Remove old, tattered furniture and put it in storage. Keep things clean and simple.
Many potential buyers have a hard time seeing past bold paint colors. I always recommend painting every room in a neutral color.. It might not be your taste, but that’s not what’s important!
Trey Van Tuyl – Discover Homes Miami
Geordie Romer
Home sellers often focus on the interior of the home, but I think one of the best places to start with home staging is the front door. First impressions can make or break the sale and the front door is often overlooked. Home buyers and their agents often pause at the front door while the agent gets the key from an MLS lockbox. The critical eye of the buyer is starting to take mental notes about the condition of the home.
What can you do to impress the potential buyer? A new welcome mat is probably the best ten to twenty dollar item you can buy. Make sure the paint on the door and the trim is in good condition. Is the door handle polished and in good shape? Make sure the key works well and unlocks the door smoothly and easily. Once you have passed all of these basics, then it might be worth thinking about a planter with some colorful flowering plants to brighten up the entrance.
If buyers have a negative impression even before they open the door, you may have a tough time winning them back. If they see peeling paint and a scratched door, they will be on the lookout for other problems in the house. Start off on the right foot by giving them a great impression from the first moment.
Geordie Romer, Managing Director – Windermere Real Estate
Will Rodgers
The #1 thing home sellers should focus on is decluttering and minimizing furniture and wall decor down to the essentials. If you have a room with excess things, including furniture and pictures on the wall, this is a huge distraction for buyers. Rooms should only have the proper number of furniture pieces for a given room and a few tasteful, neutral decorations on the walls.
Will Rodgers – Will Rodgers Real Estate Consultant
Nicole Serviss
The ideal situation would be to move out of your home and have it professionally staged. However, not everyone has that option. Here are my best tips to get you top dollar when you need to continue living in the home while it’s listed on the market.
First, think about “hotel style.” Keep things generic, simple, and clean. If you have to say to yourself, “that’s my personal taste,” then you probably need to replace that item with something that most people would love. Remember, it’s not about you anymore. Keep the decor to a minimum. It should accent the space, not take it over.
You want to mentally move out of your home before it even hits the market. Your space is no longer your space. Remove all items that are personal to you or your family. Remove anything that has your family name or photo. You don’t want that potential buyer walking into your home and feeling like they’ve invaded your space.
You want that buyer to walk in and imagine themselves living there. That’s the power of staging.
Nicole Serviss, Realtor / Broker
Cameron Miller
Highlight your home’s best or unique features. If the house has a good balcony view, make sure that potential buyers know about it. Whether it be an infinity pool, a home bar, or indoor skylights, always try to bring attention to the great and unique features that your house has. Take advantage of the best parts of your home by actively emphasizing it to the buyer. This allows the buyer to focus on the good things about your home which, in turn, increases its sales price and chances of being sold. This is especially helpful if the house has existing issues that might affect its market value or worse—its saleability.
Cameron Miller, CEO – Cameron Miller Real Estate
Nick J. Kyte
It is vital to make a lasting impression of the main rooms buyers use the most, which are the living, dining and great room, kitchen, primary bedroom and bathrooms. Ensuring these rooms are staged and styled, will assist buyers in visualizing how they will use the space but also give them ideas of the lifestyle they’ll be able to have. Light and Bright, is my motto, as this appeals to mass buyers and are on trend for design and decor. By focusing on these tips, buyers will remember your home and want to offer on it, if it meets their needs. In addition, I believe Curb Appeal is extremely important for buyers first impression.
Nick J. Kyte, Real Estate Agent –Nickkyte.com
Nick also shared a few additional tips with us. He recommends considering the following improvements:
1. Large Flower Planters, that have seasonal colours, to add that pop of colour to your entrance.
2. Paint Front Door bold colour. Depending on the house style – Dark Blue, Black, Red and Forest Green make an impact to the eyes.
3. Seal your driveway. Creates a clean and visual pleasing look of your home.
4. Pressure wash your exterior and windows. This provides a refreshed look, from the dust and dirt build up.
5. Conversation pieces – having a book mailbox out front, or a sayings board that could be a quiz or community game, are ways to bring an added eliminate to your home and how it is viewed by others that makes a lasting impression.
Eric Nerhood
Unless a house is completely empty and prospective buyers can envision themselves in the home without assistance, Staging is a must. A buyer needs to walk through a property and feel themselves living in the space. It is up to the seller to make this fantasy happen. There are a few things that can be done to make that fantasy come true for the right buyer.
First, get rid of each and every bit of clutter. If it’s not essential for the room, such as a bed or a couch, remove it. Put furniture in storage and make rooms as minimal as possible.
Keep all counters clear of junk. Get rid of the mail, newspapers, dishes that need to be put away, anything that will draw the eye of the buyer away from the room. Empty the dishwasher and clean the magnets and photos off the fridge.
Don’t cook anything the day of or the night before that will leave a lingering odor in the house. You may have gotten a great price on that piece of fish but leave it in the freezer. Odors will turn off a buyer, especially if the odor makes the buyer uncomfortable to be in the home.
Don’t do a major renovation, but if there are things that you can spruce up, such as the heat grates on the floors or the fixtures in the bathroom, a can of spray paint can be your best friend.
Eric Nerhood, Owner/President – Premier Property Buyers
Leonard Ang
Whether you’re selling or marketing your rental property and looking for new tenants, staging your unit can make all the difference! People want to visualize themselves living in the property, so keep this in mind when styling your property for the market. Because everyone has different quirks and preferences, I suggest keeping the staging simple. Decor should be minimal and colors should be neutral. A welcome mat in the front entrance and a fresh bouquet of flowers on the table can be a huge help. Make the bed, put fresh towels in the bathroom, and optimize your yard space with patio furniture and plants.
Leonard Ang, Realtor and CEO – iPropertyManagement
