Are you preparing your house for sale? One of the things you have to plan for is staging your home. Staging helps ensure that the property is attractive and that it lives up to the price you’re putting it up for. If prospective buyers see the potential look of the home’s interiors, it’s easier for them to imagine living there and are more likely to close the deal at the price you’re asking for.
That said, you don’t want to go overboard with staging, and you shouldn’t spend a fortune, either. You need to know what to invest on and what to avoid. Check out our list of the common mistakes to avoid and consider the home staging tips below:
- Not taking photos before staging
The first thing you typically do before staging a home is to clean it up. In some cases, it can be emptied of all furniture and appliances. If that’s the case, take photos of all the rooms before refinishing them. This way, buyers can see the rooms bare upon request and your agent can show the rooms with virtual adjustments if needed. For example, a spare room could be staged as a kid’s bedroom, but it could also be digitally edited as a small in-home gym for buyers without kids.
- Not knowing your audience
Before planning how you’ll be staging your home, find out more about the community and the typical buyers in the area first. And while you might have an idea about your neighborhood, it’s best to work with an expert on home selling in Arizona who will likely know more about the profiles of buyers.
For instance, if the community is older, stick to traditional home staging. On the other hand, if the area attracts more college students or young professionals, you could add more modern elements like graphic art. If you want to attract families, make the common areas family-friendly and the kids’ bedrooms gender-neutral.
- Making the rooms either too bland or too trendy
Neutrals shouldn’t be overused that the home ends up looking boring or sterile. It’s okay to use pops of color here and there in order to catch the attention of buyers. But don’t go for aesthetics that are too unique, either. Give your home just enough character. Find a transitional style that has interior decorations that are generally loved. For example, you could use classic sofas and tables and just add colorful pillows and plants. You could also create an accent wall with bright paint or colorful wallpaper.
- Not minding the lights
When the rooms look too dark, they won’t look welcoming. So, when staging your home, open the shades and turn on the lights. If you have dark window treatments or heavy curtains, switch them out for something light. Add lamps in areas that need more illumination. Ensure that the lights throughout the home are consistent—i.e. not warm in one and strikingly cool in another.
- Too many or hardly any furniture and accents
Don’t cram a room with lots of decorations, otherwise it will look smaller than it is. But don’t leave it looking bare either since it can also look smaller if there’s nothing inside. Mind the walkways and natural lighting when it comes to furniture arrangements.
- Forgetting to deodorize the house
If the place looks great but there’s an odd smell, it could turn off buyers. It’s a simple step but a very important part of your preparations. Some say you need to bake cookies or add artificial scents, but simply ensuring that the home doesn’t have a bad odor will be enough, too.
- Forgoing the virtual tour
The trend nowadays is to showcase your home virtually for buyers who prefer to see it digitally before actually taking the time to go and inspect the house themselves. It’s also to your advantage since you get to reach more people by advertising online. Your realtor can connect you to a home staging and virtual tour expert to maximize the exposure of your property.
If you have more questions about staging and selling your home, seek guidance from a reliable real estate agent in Arizona. Contact our team today at Aeris House Properties—the best realtors in Metro Phoenix. Call 602.466.9771 or email info(at)aerishouse(dotted)com.