Staging Tips To Set Your Home Apart

Key Points to Follow for Getting Your Home Sold Quickly for a Fair Market Price

1. First Impressions Last

Buyers want to inspect your house and neighborhood for the things that are important to them. Buyers always over estimate the cost of painting and repairs. It is always preferable that you prepare your home to look its best resulting in a faster sale at a higher price. Leave your house and trust your professional Realtor to show and sell it for you.

2. Make Your Entry and Front View Attractive

Make sure it is inviting. Keep your lawn well manicured and your gutters cleaned. Power washing the house, sidewalks, decks and driveways will greatly improve curb appeal. A new coat of paint on the front door and porch rails will give your entrance a fresh look!

3. CLEAN: Dust & Dirt Reduce Appeal

Inspect for cobwebs in the corners, dusty ceiling fans, dirty baseboards and carpets. A small investment in time and good cleaning will make your home look its best and give the greatest return.

4. Make Rooms Look Larger

Remove excess furniture, pictures and posters. Neat, orderly rooms and closets will make rooms look larger!

5. Soft Music and Sweet Aromas are Inviting

Have the intercom or stereo tuned to a station of soft background music. Scented candles and potpourri give the home a pleasant aroma. If you have time, bake some cookies or roast apples to create a “homey” smell and feel the moment buyers walk through the front door.

6. Kitchens and Bathrooms Sell Homes

Check and repair caulking around tubs, showers, sinks and countertops. Remove as much from countertops as possible and place remainder neatly on a tray or in a basket. Take the time to make these rooms sparkling clean and even splurge on a cleaning service if you don’t have the time for detail cleaning yourself; it will pay off.

7. Display the Full Value of Your Storage Space

Remove all unnecessary articles from your closets. Perhaps now is the time to start packing for your move. Neatly stacked boxes look much better than cluttered shelves and floors. If at all possible store what you can in a storage unit or even move the packed boxes to the attic, and try to keep closets only half filled at the most so potential buyers will notice how much space you do have for storage.

8. Pay Attention to Details

Loose knobs, sticking doors, dirty air return filters, ovens, and tile grout, loose wallpaper seams and other minor flaws detract from your home's value. These little details seem little, but to a home buyer, they will be big. A buyer that sees small things wrong will wonder what else might have been “neglected” or “not fixed” with the house.

9. Let the Sun Shine In!

Open blinds, shades, and curtains to show how cheerful your home is. Turn on every light in the house. Make sure light fixtures are clean. When possible, wash windows and remove screens -- this can increase light by 50%!

10. Pets Underfoot?

Many buyers are very pet sensitive. Keeping them out of the way-preferably out of the house is best. Pay special attention to pet odors. Removing of pets, beds, bowls and toys will reduce pet odor and buyer rejection.

For more ideas and help in getting your home ready to sell, contact me, your Napa Valley Real Estate Expert!