As a homeowner or real estate agent, this blog is a must-read. A properly staged home is a proven strategy known to boost the appeal of your property to prospective buyers. In this guide, we explain the ins and outs of staging a home for sale and how to approach it when putting your house on the market.
Here, explore different aspects of staging, from tasteful decorating to strategic arranging highlighting your home’s best features. This guide will help you with tips and tricks to make your house stand out in a competitive real estate market!
What is home staging?
Home staging is more than just preparation to sell your property. Staging a home for sale is a marketing tactic involving styling and furnishing a house to enhance its appeal through strategic decor and furniture arrangements. It creates an inviting atmosphere that appeals to potential buyers. Home staging may range from declutters to full-scale redecorating and furnishing.
First impressions matter
Curb appeal is the first impression many home buyers experience before stepping inside a house. Preparing your house for sale is not just for the inside. It starts outside. The level of attractiveness buyers feel for a property often begins from a street view and then heads inside—this includes online viewers. Most buyers will start looking online first, so if the home’s first impression is appealing, home buyers will continue to look and may schedule an in-person visit.
Decluttering is key
Decluttering is essential for successful home staging because it presents a property that looks and feels clean and spacious. Removing excess items and personal belongings creates a clean slate, allowing potential buyers to envision themselves living in the space. Decluttering helps a home feel bigger and enhances its attractive features, like crown moulding or other interesting details.
Neutralise and depersonalise
Neutralising and depersonalising your home is crucial in a diverse real estate market. Adopting a neutral colour palette helps create a blank canvas for potential buyers. Removing personal items like family photos, quirky art pieces, or unique decor will allow people looking at the property to envision their belongings in the space.
A neutral space creates an inviting option for a broad range of buyers without the risk of making anyone feel uncomfortable or like they may not fit into the community.
Highlight the home’s best features
When staging a home, it is important to highlight the home’s best features. Accentuating natural light by opening curtains, ensuring windows are spotless, and ensuring light sources are not blocked by furniture allows the area to be illuminated with sunlight and warmth.
Homes with unique architecture or design elements should be staged to draw attention to those features. Other tips include using mirrors to reflect light to enhance the space and arranging furniture to create a natural flow throughout the home.
Effective use of furniture
Minimise furniture without removing all of it. If you have bulky furniture in your living room or too many tables and chairs in your dining room, your space can appear smaller than it is. Finding the right balance using pieces that make the space feel comfortable and livable while optimising the natural flow and maximising the spaciousness of each room is critical when arranging furniture.
Another important part of home staging with furniture is defining each space for potential buyers. If you have an empty room, add furnishings that show what the space could be used for. For example, a small room you use for storage may make a great baby nursery or a guest bedroom—help buyers see the full potential of rooms and imagine their future home.
Attention to detail: Accessorise
Details and small, thoughtful touches can elevate a home when staging it for potential buyers. Make your house stand out by adding elements like plush, colourful cushions, a coffee table book, or tasteful but neutral artwork.
Fresh flowers and indoor plants add a splash of colour and create a healthy, inviting atmosphere. Other details that add character and interest include thoughtfully placed books, candles, or decorative bowls on coffee tables or nightstands.
Cleanliness counts
A clean home is paramount when selling a home. Dust-free surfaces, sparkling clean windows, and immaculate floors reflect a well-maintained house. Cleanliness that can be felt as potential buyers walk through the door helps build trust and creates a welcoming, healthy atmosphere.
Use a professional cleaner to ensure the interior is free from allergens and odours, foul odours or allergens such as pet dander can hinder sales in a competitive real estate market.
Lighting
Maximising natural light sources is the first step in optimising lighting in your home. What about other lighting elements? Potential buyers will look at and evaluate all of your light fixtures. If you have an older house or standard lighting, consider swapping it out for something more modern with a bit more style.
While you want to create a blank canvas for potential buyers, you also want them to appreciate what you have to offer with the house as-is. Another critical lighting tip when staging your home is ensuring all light bulbs work. Check and change any light bulbs that are burnt out before showing your house.
Invest in small upgrades
When staging your home, some minor, affordable property upgrades add value and can quickly elevate your space—for example, framing the bathroom mirror using a DIY frame kit or changing out old hardware with newer, modern hardware. Other ideas include decorating with mirrors and applying a fresh coat of neutral paint.
Check out these additional ideas for small upgrades that make a big impact:
- Upgrading window treatments
- Changing door knobs.
- Updating light switch and electrical outlet plates.
- Adding fresh mulch to outside landscaping.
- Steam cleaning tile grout.
Final touches
After decluttering, arranging furniture, and other significant staging efforts, it’s time to add some final touches to your home before potential buyers arrive.
Make a lasting impression on buyers using fresh flowers or potted plants throughout the house. Lightly scented candles or diffusers can fill the house with a pleasant, inviting scent. Other ideas include plush towels in the bathrooms and ambient lighting in appropriate places.
Tips for staging for photos
83% of buyers rely on photos to determine which houses they will visit—staging your home for pictures is critical! Staging your home for photos is different than staging your home for visitors. While having bowls of fruit or fresh flowers is a good idea as potential buyers peruse your house, leave these things out of your photos.
- Clear flat spaces like bathroom and kitchen counters, tables, and tops of bookshelves.
- Hide all wires from TVs or other sources.
- Clean everything from top to bottom.
- Fluff the carpets.
- Steam the beds to free them from wrinkles.
- Lighting is key! Take photos when natural lighting is optimal, and turn the lights on inside!
Marketing the staged home
Marketing your home today starts online, and real estate staging makes a difference. High-quality photos are essential for showcasing your home’s best features and creating the best first impression to entice buyers to schedule in-person visits.
Social media and seller resources can help you have a broad reach and get the word out about your home for sale. Another important aspect of home marketing is writing a compelling property description, including all the important details about your home and property.
Are you ready to sell your home in Perth?
Reach out to HKY Real Estate for expert guidance about Perth home staging and home sales. We understand the importance of presenting your home in the best possible light to maximise its marketability and attract the right buyers swiftly.
Our team of local real estate agents is experienced in the nuances of the Perth real estate market. Our selling agents can tailor a sales strategy just for you that aligns with your specific needs and goals. Contact us today for a property appraisal to start your home sales journey!
FAQs about staging a home for sale
Decorating showcases the owner's tastes and style, while home staging aims to neutralise the space, making it more appealing to buyers.
Consider home staging if you need to sell your home quickly or if your house does not seem to be attracting offers. Other reasons to consider home staging include whether your home is dated and empty or overly cluttered.
Home staging often leads to faster sales and higher offers.
DIY home staging is possible. However, professional stagers offer expertise in optimising spaces. Also, professional home staging services often have a storehouse full of items they can use to stage your home. A professional can take much of the pressure and guesswork from the staging process.
Yes, you can stage your home while living in it. It is a bit more challenging and may require the use of a storage facility to store extra furniture and personal items.
Have more questions?
