Staging your home can be a long and involved process. Many homeowners start the process too late to accomplish everything they want to accomplish because they fail to realize how much can go into home staging. For many people, there's only so much time in the day that can be spent preparing the home to sell, so starting this project a year in advance can help.
1 Year Before Listing: Purge Clutter
Clutter can make a home look small and dark on the inside, and getting rid of clutter can help make a waterfront home even more appealing to buyers. Many home sellers should start this process as early as possible, because it can be very time consuming.
When decluttering, simply stashing items into closets won't help, because buyers like to see wide open storage spaces when they come to view homes. The best way to de-clutter is to get rid of any unneeded items and organize the rest. There are many ways to accomplish these goals, including:
- Have a garage sale
- Give away to local charities, non-profits and consignment shops
- Recycle
- Rent a dumpster
- Buy modular storage
- Buy furniture that contains hidden storage
6 Months Before Listing: Address Maintenance Problems
Maintenance problems can make a home seem like it hasn't been well cared for, which can detract from staging efforts. To keep buyers assured that your home is in great condition, fix all small maintenance problems that may have piled up over the years. Broken door handles, broken glass in windows, small holes in the wall, sticky doors, sticky windows and leaky faucets are all examples of the kind of problems that can make your home less appealing to buyers.
3 Months Before Listing: Improve Landscaping
Landscaping takes a few months to look mature after planting, so it's a good idea to plant new landscaping two or three months in advance of listing a house. When installing new landscaping, look for colorful plants and flowers that are easy to maintain. While you're at it, try to address issues like weeds growing over pathways, dry grass and patches of bare lawn, all of which can make a property look less beautiful.
2 Months Before Listing: Touch Up Paint
Touching up outdoor and indoor paint can give your home a fresh, clean appearance. When touching up the paint, start by cleaning the walls. Fill any small nail holes with spackling and remove any unused nails from the walls. Finally, paint the walls in spots with touch up paint. If you decide to repaint a room, cover all the furniture and floors to prevent drips.
1 Month Before Listing: Update Decorating
It's not necessary to redecorate an entire home for staging purposes. However, it is wise to add small decorative touches to each room to make them seem more homey and inviting. Adding pillows or a throw blanket to the couch, placing a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table and placing a pretty candle on the bathroom counter are all examples of small things you can do to make your home look more welcoming to visitors.
1 Week Before Listing: Deep Clean the House
Deep cleaning is the last thing to be done before listing a home for sale. When deep cleaning, address issues like dust on curtains and plants, tarnish on silver, stains in the carpet and musty smells in the guest room. Between showings, keep your home as clean as possible to ensure that the home will be ready to be seen by anyone who would like to view your property.
Work With Your Real Estate Professional
Working with a real estate professional throughout the staging and sale process can help you sell your property quickly and for as much money as possible—even homes in popular communities like Curtis Point can benefit from a few aesthetic touches. To get started, contact a reputable real estate professional in your area today.
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