Most people want to sell their homes for the most profit in the least amount of time. One major element to success is home staging. While professionals can transform your spaces and offer a massive return on investment, not everyone chooses to go this way. Still, when you decide to sell your home, it’s important to make it as photo worthy and inviting as possible. You can save time and money by doing it yourself. Here are 5 tips to stage your home on a budget.
1. MAKE IT BIGGER
Pull furniture away from the walls, maintain a similar color scheme between rooms, and incorporate lighter-colored fabrics. These small changes will make a huge difference in the visual appeal. They also show great in photos. According to Home and Gardens, “the primary thing to remember when designing a small room is to ensure all tones stick to the same color palette – thus creating flow throughout the room.” Different colors and patters tend to divide rooms and make them look smaller. The same goes for furniture. Pieces painted in light tones like white and coral brightens and enlarges the room.
2. REMOVE PERSONAL ITEMS/ DECLUTTER
Before professional photos, it’s important to avoid personalized items such as children’s toys, DVD collections, and family photos. The idea is to give potential buyers the opportunity to see themselves living in your home. Otherwise, they may feel they are intruding on your personal space. Additionally, by not having items crowding bookshelves, side tables and walls, your space will look more organized, inviting and larger. Remove excess by ridding cluttered rooms of furniture or decorative pieces that are taking up too much space. Minimal seating, wall hangings, and rugs offer a cleaner, more appealing look.
3. LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING
Firstly, bring in as much natural light into your home as possible. Bring the blinds all the way up. Pull the curtains aside, or better yet, remove them. The more light you have, the larger your spaces will appear to be. This is especially important for professional photos. In terms of room lighting, check ALL bulbs around the house. This is the time to replace any burnt out units. Additionally, replace dim lighting with brighter bulbs or modern fixtures. Lighting is one of the most important elements of a space that can also be one of the cheapest fixes.
4. INVITE NATURE IN
Fresh flowers and plants, when used minimally and strategically, can instantly add a touch of charm and freshen up your home. Whether they are potted plants you bring in from the outside or artificial ones you find from the discount home decor stores, they bring something cheerful and unique to a room. The same goes for flowers. Bring in that pop of color. They will make a huge difference. Here is a great article on how plants make a room better.
5. GET ORGANIZED AND CLEAN
To properly get your home ready for photography and showing to strangers, it’s important to organize rooms so that each has a particular theme and focus. Remove the treadmill from your home office. Place all books onto shelves in one area. Designate one room for fun and recreation. The idea is that these zones will entice buyers as they see themselves there. Save time by boxing up items in excess that you don’t know what to do with. The less clutter in your home, the more attractive so get the project going earlier, not later.
Keep it clean by making sure to scrub down baseboards and floors, and dust around countertops and chairs. Less dirt and grime not only makes a home more appealing, but can make it feel larger, too. Clear out closets or swap out differently colored hangers for uniform ones. An organized closet can make a bedroom look more polished.
If you want to make the most for your home without breaking your budget, be mindful to follow these tips—potential buyers will surely be impressed.
And don’t miss this great article on doing the same thing in the backyard.
As always, please reach out with questions and concerns.
