10 Spruce-Up Tips in 10 Days. Get More Added Value to Your Home Before You Put it on the Market!!

Staging Is More Important Than You Realize!

This is one of those steps that I really enjoy, but I expect that there's a lot of people that don't.  Again, it does involve work.  You will probably be sore if you do this on your own.  (Which I don't recommend.  Furniture can get heavy!) But, once it's done, you will see the results and be glad that you did!  You can also hire someone to do it if you live in an area where there are companies that stage.  Your agent should be able to help you with either finding a company, or walking you through the process.  Your agent may have also taken a staging course, which would really benefit you during this phase.

However, there are many folks who don't want to spend the money it would take to professionally stage a home, and they prefer to do it on their own.  If that's YOU, then listen up!  I have some tips that will help you along the way!

First, depersonalize everything you're able to.  Pack up your wedding pics, family pics, kid pics, everything that doesn't help to perspective buyers visualize anyone but them living in the home.  If you haven't done so already, declutter!  Seriously, it makes a HUGE difference.  If you can afford to, go buy nice baskets to put things into them like games, puzzles, toys, video game controllers and games, you get the idea.  If you go to yard sales or thrift stores, you can get some at those places that are mismatched and spray paint them all so they're cohesive to your space.  When you're on a budget, you HAVE to get creative!  Just make sure that you store things neatly into the baskets that you've gotten!

Next is to move your furniture around in your rooms.  You want the rooms to feel open and spacious.  NOT sterile.  There's a HUGE difference.  Sterile makes people feel like they're in just a house.  You want your house to feel like a home.  Look through magazines/websites to get inspiration.  HGTV has both.  Better Homes and Gardens has both.  There are probably about a zillion options to choose from!  Just start thumbing through the pages either in the magazine or on the website to get some great inspiration for your different spaces.  You would be amazed at what you can find.  Just don't overwhelm yourself with too many ideas.  Simplicity is key here.  You want every room to be cohesive with the next.  You want the rooms to feel comfortable.  The bathrooms need to feel almost spa-like.  This is what buyers expect more and more often now.  Your master bedroom needs to be a retreat.  The other bedrooms need to be comfortable and welcoming for kids or guests.  Your living room/family room needs to be a place where people can feel like they can gather with family.  Get the picture??

With some time, effort, and hopefully some friends, you should be able to get your home staged and nearly ready for sale!

Happy Selling!