If you are getting ready to sell your home, or your home is already on the market, here are some tips to quickly stage your home to make it more appealing to a buyer.

Most of the tips are courtesy of Barb Schwarz of Stagedhomes.com , and realtor.org, the National Association of REALTORS(R) website, some are mine:

1) DECLUTTER!

  • Take everything down from the fronts and sides of the refrigerator. Counters in kitchens should be cleaned of all unnecessary things, like papers and appliances you do not use on a daily basis.
  • Bathroom counters should be clean of everything except your toothbrushes and soap. Towels should be in only one or two coordinating colors.
  • Remove most personal photos. People need to imagine their family there.
  • Take most decorative items down from furniture. Keep only 1, 3, or 5 things in a group in each area. This includes pictures, candlesticks, pillows, and other small items you may have on side tables and mantles! (The odd # grouping has been shown to be more appealing to the eye).
  • This one isn’t on the list, but it is a big one on mine. CLEAR OUT YOUR CLOSETS. The more stuffed your closets are, the more people feel there must be a storage issue. Whatever season you are in, leave that set of clothes. All others should go in boxes. The linen closet should only have the extra set of towels you will need, the one or two bottles of shampoo, soap, etc you should need while your house is on the market. Storage closets can have larger items in them, but should NOT be stuffed to the gills!

2) RENT A STORAGE UNIT

  • Take out unnecessary furniture. The extra chair, the ottoman, the side table you don’t use. Less furniture makes a room feel bigger.
  • Boxes should go in the unit. People understand that you are moving, but you don’t need the mounds of boxes to prove it. (Those decorative items you removed earlier? The clothes & “stuff” from your closets? Hopefully you put them in boxes. Put the boxes directly into the storage unit, so they are ready to go to your next home!)

3) REHANG PAINTINGS & PAINT WALLS

  • Some of your paintings/pictures/etc might need to come down to open the room up. This may mean rearranging some as well, which will show the walls in their natural state, which means you will most likely need to paint.
  • Paint colors are very personal. If you have bright or strong colors, you may want to consider making those rooms more neutral.
  • Touch up paint in rooms where there may be little nicks or scratches marring the paint. You want to look fresh!
  • Repainting throughout is almost always a big plus. Fresh paint puts a fresh face on your house!

4) WHEN YOU HAVE SHOWINGS

  • Have some music on — Light FM is best — when I was showing homes this weekend, we were struck by how nice it was to have the music going in one of them.
  • Leave all lights on. Yes all. Are you wasting electricity? Yes. Is it worth it? YES. Your home *hopefully* shows best when it is brightly lit. Let people see it in top notch condition!
  • Make sure you are NOT HOME. Allow for extra time before and after the showings so you don’t leave late and don’t come home early. People will feel rushed and uncomfortable.

5) OUTSIDE

  • Make sure gutters are clean and there is not any mold, mildew, rust or any major marks outside. If necessary, have the house power washed.
  • Get rid of the *stuff* — the toys, the wood stacks, the forgotten piles of leaves.
  • Have nice plants around the property — in the flower beds, etc. Make sure they are well maintained and not overgrown, nor dead!
  • Paint window and door trims if necessary. Again, fresh paint = fresh face! If most of the exterior is looking worn and it is a painted house, PAINT IT!

I hope these tips help you in staging your home to a successful sale. If you would like more information on your Towson house value, please contact me today!