Staging a home for selling gently removes some of the personality of the people who live in it, but not so much as to make it feel soulless. The idea is to invite prospective buyers to imagine themselves at home in your space. Professionals are paid big money, because effective staging can reduce the length of time a home is on the market and can even help fetch a higher price.
If you don't want to hire a pro, here are a few tips for DIY staging. These finishing touches are added after the thorough cleaning, ruthless de-cluttering and basic painting and repairs that are essential.
If you don't want to hire a pro, here are a few tips for DIY staging. These finishing touches are added after the thorough cleaning, ruthless de-cluttering and basic painting and repairs that are essential.
- Arrange furniture in conversational groups.
- Feature blankets and throw cushions in tactile fabrics like silk and wool.
- Group things like framed photos and ornaments in clusters of 3 or 5.
- Place bright, hardcover cookbooks on the kitchen counters.
- In the bathroom, place folded guest towels in a shallow basket and top with beach pebble.
- Open a bar of good-quality, French-milled bath soap and set it beside your sink, for a luxurious scent that won't over power.
- Mirrors to reflect light and create the sense of extra space.
- Potted plants, fresh flowers, stalks of lucky bamboo.
- Fruit bowls; pears especially
- Matching table lamps
- Area rugs.