We are all familiar with the word ‘staging’. It means setting up a show with the sole purpose of appeasing the audience. With that in mind staging a home for sale means setting up your home intentionally to sell it. The homeowner will prepare the exteriors and interiors to ensure the house looks desirable to the potential buyers to fetch the best possible bang for the buck.
Usually, there comes a time when most homeowners decide to sell their property. Everyone homeowner would love to sell his house at the highest possible price. This is where home staging guides can come in handy. It can help property sellers to arrange their home in an orderly fashion to appease the buyers. In simpler words, home staging is a transformation process for a house to become more desirable and attractive. In the old days, the concept of home staging was non-existent, and properties would be sold in an instant. Therefore, no one felt the need to spend time and effort to make the house look more appealing to prospective buyers. However, times have changed, and people have started putting more emphasis on preparing houses before selling them.
There are quite a few home staging companies currently working in Australia that offer these types of services. Staging a home for sale could be a lengthy and hectic process so some guides must be followed. We will go through some tips that can help you successfully stage your home before selling.
1. De-Cluttering
Arguably the single most important factor to keep in mind before staging your home is to declutter and clean it thoroughly. Decluttering serves as a basis for a properly staged home. To kick start this process you need to clean your home meticulously. A cluttered home will only come in the way of potential buyers seeing the full potential of your property. This may ruin any chances of fetching a high price for your property. Get rid of any unwanted items such as children’s toys, old newspapers, comic books, excessive boxes, etc. Sort these items and place them away from sight, such as a storeroom or in the attic. Organize the tables and chairs and properly arrange your bedrooms. Removing clutter gives the illusion of your house looking bigger than it is. It also makes it much easier for the owner to visualize, where the items and accessories can be placed. Have you ever been to a five-star hotel? Try matching that decluttering standard.
2. Get Info About Your Buyer
Invest some time learning about your buyer. Is he/she coming from the countryside or an established urban settlement? If the buyer has high standards and is willing to pay a handsome amount, you should start investing in some luxury items to appease him/her better. An urban buyer may prefer a more modernized look with a combination of comfort and effective storage options.
3. Let Your Exterior Do The Talking
There is a saying; the First impression is the last. This is particularly true when it comes to the exterior of your home. It is the first thing that will catch a potential buyer’s eye. Buyers will start forming impressions before they even walk in the door. Put some extra effort into making your exterior pop. Clean your garden and trim the grass. Get rid of those dead flowers. Keep yard equipment and personal items out of view. Cluttered or poorly managed exterior can be a great setback for your potential buyers, they might get turned off and refuse to even look at the interior. Make the potential buyer excited about what you have in store for them and good exterior is just the beginning of what they can expect from you.
4. A Thorough Cleaning
Ensure your house is in a clean state before inviting any potential buyers. Focus those areas in your house that tend to get messy such as a kitchen. If there is grease on the walls, wash it off extensively by giving it a good scrub. Imagine losing a prospective buyer just because you could not deal with the food wrappers lying in the kitchen. Clean the carpets, clean up the dark areas… you get the picture. If cleaning is too much for you to hire a cleaning service to do the job for you, but it would be better if you try doing it yourself.
5. Stay Neutral
It is better to remove Items that portray the homeowner’s individuality such as statue or accolades before home staging. You do not want to risk any conflict with your potential buyer. You never know what items might rub them in the wrong way. Better be safe than sorry. Try a neutral theme for your walls if you have an excessively vibrant color palette. Too much vibrancy can turn off prospective buyers. Instead of reds and blue try opting greys and whites. An overly excessive funky paint theme can alienate your potential buyers.
6. Give Each Room Purpose
It is very important that you, as a home seller, provide purpose to every room in your house. The majority of buyers lack creativity and imagination. Therefore, it is up to you to provide a purpose for every space of the house. Maybe add a table set in the room or some bookshelves. Why not make it look like a makeshift office room? You can also add paintings and rugs to certain rooms to give them some intent.
7. Repair Any Damaged Areas
Who would want to inherit someone else’s problem?
Fix the small’s issues within your house to make your home look more appealing to prospective buyers. Make sure everything is in working order. Pay attention to the tiniest of details like light bulbs etc. If you have a wooden floor that is damaged hire a contractor to fix it. Buyers may use these damages against you, and you might miss out on a profit.
8. Hire The Services Of A Professional Staging Company
Various companies are working in Australia that offers home staging services. They provide furniture and various other decorative items to increase house aesthetics. They do, however, charge a fee for their services but the higher selling price of the house can easily make up for the staging charges.
Conclusion
The trend of home staging in Australia is catching up. With the property market being slower than ever It has become tougher to sell the property and requires a great deal of effort on behalf of the homeowner. However, homeowners can greatly benefit from the home staging tips mentioned above. A staged home has the potential to sell more quickly and attract more prospective buyers as compared to non-staged ones.