Tips for Staging Your Home to Get the Sale

Selling real estate seems mysterious to a lot of people, particularly first time sellers. When families are ready to move forward, onto a more appropriate space for their needs, they need to offer their homes to interested parties. The issue here is...who is the right party?

The answer is: all of them. This, naturally, leads to another question: How does one make a home into a house...a commodity...a piece of property for sale?

That is where staging comes in-staging a home means turning it back into a house-one where any family, individual, or couple, can see themselves living. Sounds easy, but to those who have lived on a property for several years may find it difficult to be objective when it comes to their belongings. That wonderful shelf of bowling trophies may look great to the bowling champ, but to others coming in for a tour, it will turn them away as fast as if the house was on fire. Here are three easy ways to begin staging a house when selling real estate:

Visit a Model Home for Inspiration

Walk through model homes, and rate how each one felt afterward. On the highest rated take note of the following:

• The home's color schemes

• The home's décor (flowers, window treatments, decoration items, etc.)

• The home's lighting

It will, most likely, come to attention that the highest rated homes have neutral or pastel color schemes, are well lit, and have excellent color coordination. If a house has too many bold, primary colors, it can turn off a majority of potential buyers. Some agents state that one or two rooms done with a "mood wall" are okay, but should be avoided if possible.

Declutter

The best way to stage a home when selling real estate is to remove all clutter and deep clean. The ideal is to create a house that anyone can picture as theirs. This means that personal collection items must be put away, as well as personal photos and any chotchkies (small items of personal value). The entire house will need to be decluttered, including closets, the areas under the sinks, and even larger rooms, such as the living room. Avoid placing larger items too close together as well. Eyeball the rooms as if they have never been visited before to double check for cluttered areas.

Lights, Color, Action!

Finally, ensure that there is good lighting throughout the house. Place table lamps, floor lamps, and colored lighting where appropriate. Blue lighting will make a room brighter, and pink lighting will make a room warmer and cozier. Avoid yellow lighting and red lighting completely. Yellow lighting can highlight flaws throughout a room, and red lighting tends to turn people away and make a room uncomfortable.

A clean, clutter-free, well-coordinated house is the best way to stage a house when selling real estate. Above all, it is always a good idea to consult a trusted real estate agent to get honest opinions about how a home is best staged for selling.

Jason Kay encourages you to consider selling your home yourself. There are several services to help you and it can save you thousands of dollars. Read Owners.com reviews as well as review of other services offering aid in selling your own home.