Staging Your Home for Selling

When selling your home, some tips for psychologically enticing a potential buyer would include making your home look as a model home- furnished but not lived in.

Never underestimate the power of curb appeal. Make sure spend as much or more time getting the outside of your house as clean as you would for the inside of the house.

If you know you will be showing your home, be sure to cut the grass, trim the bushes, and in general clean up the outside of your home. The outside of your home is the home's first impression. The term for this is curb appeal. By increasing the curb appeal, you increase the likelihood of someone coming inside to see the rest of the home!

If you have pets, make sure they are not present and any items that people associate with animals are gone. Some buyers will want a house that has not had recent animal activity in it.

Open up windows to bring as much natural light into the house as possible. Possibly consider even storing some of your furniture somewhere to help make the home appear much roomier. The more appealing and comforting you can make the home appear the better first impression you will leave on potential home buyers.

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders! Neutral colors are soothing and appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Every home has a peculiar smell to visitors. To mask such smells and create a homey feeling, some real estate agents have suggested baking some cookies or cakes in the oven.

Clutter is a definite no-no when you have your home up for sale. Remove unnecessary furniture, wall hangings, stacks of books/papers and other items which might give your home a cluttered look. Remember that just because a certain look or decor appeals to you, it may not be someone else's cup of tea. Try to make the home look as open and neutral as possible.

Correct staging of a home is necessary for a quick sale. Take the advice of your realtor or hire a company to stage your home for you.

Homes have odor, and when you live in the home you are immune to that odor which new visitors can smell. Use apple spice air freshener as they work best.

When in doubt, there are professionals that do nothing but help people stage their home to sell. You can look in the local yellow pages or ask your realtor if he or she could recommend someone to you.

If your home is for sale and you are still living there you should resist the urge to be present when your house is being shown.
Most home sellers want every advantage possible and being present during the showing can make some potential buyers uncomfortable.

When you have your house on the market you want the buyer to envision themselves living in your home. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes. The less furniture and clutter you have, the better. If your place is small, do not paint the walls a dark color. Spend some money to change out kitchen and bath hardware and fixtures.

Plant flowers and bushes to help increase your curb appeal. A potential buyer's first impression will be the exterior of your home and your lawn. Flowers can be purchased and planted with little cost or effort.

» DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article on 'Staging Your Home for Selling' is a collection of contributions by licensed mortgage professionals and is not the opinion of Broker Outpost LLC. Always consult a licensed professional before applying for a mortgage.