Top 10 Tips for Staging Your Home to Sell

Easy and economical ways to appeal to a buyer

From the LifeMinute.TV Team

June 9, 2023

It’s a seller’s market right now, meaning if you are considering selling your home, now is a good time to do it, with home sales exploding off the market. And like most things in life, preparing your home to sell takes a little thought, investment, and common sense to ensure it looks the best and most appealing to potential buyers.

Here are a few basic, inexpensive things to consider (and if you have a good realtor helping, they will likely tell you this) when it comes to showing your home and ensuring it looks its best.

Curbside Appeal
The lawn should be freshly cut. And ensure no garbage bags are left out on the curb or in the garage. No one wants to look at your garbage.

Professional Cleaning
Invest in a professional cleaning service. If you have a realtor, some of them will have it done for you, so be sure to ask.

Declutter
You want your home to look as big and spacious as possible, so declutter. Get rid of things you don’t need. Remove excess furniture and keep it in storage or a friend's place until you sell. Get rid of throw pillows or throw blankets that don’t match anymore. Keep everything looking as clean and minimal as possible.

Closet Space
A smart buyer will inspect all the closets. Clean them so they look neat, tidy, and big.

Flowers and Planters
Invest in a few colorful potted plants for the outside stoop and scatter them inside your home too. Hit the local supermarket flower department for some roses, and place them in vases in the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms. It immediately creates a warm, inviting feeling. And if a room is outdated, flowers will distract the eye and make it appear prettier.

Sense about Scents
The sense of smell is powerful, and while the scent of something you think is fab will recall perhaps happy memories, you never know what those are for a buyer. Keep aromas neutral or smells like something fresh and clean. Try neutral air deodorizers but not an overly strong scent.

Paint Job
Consider a fresh coat of paint on the outside of your home, if you can swing it, and the inside too. If you have funky-colored walls (like neon pink throughout the house), try using a neutral white or creme color since you likely won't know what the color tastes are of a buyer. White paint colors generally make a room appear bigger too.

Strategic Photo Ops
Place pretty family photos in frames throughout the home, exotic vacation spots, celebrity encounters, etc. Buyers appreciate a house that holds a lot of love and good times. Of course, everyone aspires to the “good life.”

Watch The Temp
Make sure the house is set to a comfy temp. In the winter, keep it cozy and warm. In the summer months—keep the AC on. Ensure the house is as comfortable as possible when a buyer walks through it.

Park Your Car Down The Road
Pretend it’s a surprise party. Park your car away from the house or ask your neighbor if you can keep it at their home to make room for the buyer. You want to make it as convenient and spacious looking as possible.

Hob Knob
I know we said 10, but here's one more tip. Make sure the front door doesn't stick. If it’s hard to open the first door you walk through, it could make the buyer leary right off the bat.