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Staging a home is always a big help, but it can be especially important during a weaker housing market when there are many homes for sale and you want yours to stand out.
You can spend thousands of dollars staging a home if a professional company brings in furniture, artwork and decorative pieces for every room, as well as outdoor items such as nice patio furniture. But staging a home is also possible on a budget, whether you come up with ideas yourself or get advice from a professional stager or real estate agent and do the work yourself.
Home staging basics
The most basic element of staging a home is to get it sparkling clean and clear of clutter -- both things you can do yourself for little or no cost. If you’re lucky, you can haul away the extra items in a friend’s pickup truck and store them in a relative’s garage while you’re showing the home. You can often get free boxes at grocery or liquor stores.
A fresh coat of neutral paint is another inexpensive way to stage a home. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, you can make new, light window treatments to replace heavy, outdated draperies that overwhelm a room or block a great view. If sewing isn’t your strength, you may be able to find someone who can do the work inexpensively.
When you’re staging a home, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on decorative items, either. Home stagers often move items from one room to another; you can do the same. Place a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter or table. Stage the dining room by pulling out your nice silverware and setting the table for a party. You don’t need linen napkins and a silver tea service. Simple but nice pieces will look just fine for your staging.
Remember to consider curb appeal
Outdoors, staging a home is all about enhancing the curb appeal. The first step is to make sure the house and yard are clean and well-maintained. Staging the yard is as simple as trimming the bushes, putting down mulch, keeping the leaves raked and potting a few flowering plants to add color or interest in key areas. A new, traditional-looking doormat can’t hurt, either.
Finally, since staging a home can make it easier to sell, your real estate agent may be willing to spend some of the marketing budget on professional staging.
Published on January 16, 2007Read full article at realestate.com