Those who have sold a home before will most likely tell you the most important thing on their mind was to sell the home quickly and sell it for as much as possible. Making your home presentable could make or break you depending on how quickly you achieve those two goals. Staging a home for sale must be thought of as a ‘home display.’ If you were going into the home, would you see it without bias or buy it as is?

Start the process of staging a home for sale at least a week before putting it on the market. If you work full-time, then get a head start of at least 2-4 weeks in advance.

Here are 5 different areas to focus on while staging a home for sale:

1. Depersonalize your home.

• One common mistake is to leave pictures and family photos displayed in every corner of the house.
• Along with personal photos, you may even decide to take all items off the walls.

2. Remove clutter from your home

• This one is very important and a great time to have a garage sale or donate unwanted items to a local charity.
• Pack up everything you don’t use on a daily basis. In fact, reorganize everything that you use on a daily basis.
• Pack up clothes from the closet that you aren’t wearing or are not in season. Pack up anything in drawers or in the kitchen that isn’t used very often, such as the bread machine sitting on the countertop. The fewer items someone sees in your home, the bigger it feels.

3. Rent storage space

• This is optional, but can be very beneficial in your attempt to de-clutter.  They will probably charge a monthly fee, but making your home that much more presentable can be the difference of someone making an offer sooner rather than later.
• Moving items into a storage unit or portable storage container is a way to keep your items protected and safe.
• The less furniture, the better. The point is to make your home seem as big as possible.  If your dining room is small, try replacing your large table and six chairs with a breakfast or pub table to make it appear bigger.
  

  

4. Remove your favorite items

• Listen closely or you could lose something you love. If you have window shades, appliances, furniture or personal fixtures in your home that are sentimental to you, remove them.
• If a potential buyer never sees the item, they can never say they want it included with the home. That armoire that was passed down from your great grandmother should be moved to storage.
• You might be surprised what buyer asks for during the negotiation. Also, the items remaining in your home should not be the cause of losing an offer on your home.

5. Make minor repairs

• Most of these items are considered basic home maintenance, but in case you’ve been lazy for a while these tasks need to be done when staging a home for sale.
• Replace any cracks that may be in the floor or on counter tiles.
• Patch any holes that may be in the walls from picture frames and other wall décor. Fill cracks in door and wall trim with caulk and repaint if needed.
• Repair any faucet or other plumbing leaks especially that toilet that constantly runs.
• Repair any doors or kitchen drawers that may not close properly.
• Replace old light bulbs.

When staging a home for sale, try to look at your home with fresh eyes and seek to depersonalize your space so the new owner can see it as his or her own oasis. Once you’ve gone through these 5 key areas to prepare your home for sale, then you are ready to put it on the market. Happy Selling!