Before you put your home on the market, learn how to decorate to sell your home. While it may seem like homebuyers should be able to overlook paint colors and décor that can be easily changed, the truth is most do not. Potential homebuyers are as easily swayed by your choice of paint in the bathroom as they are the layout of the kitchen. In this article, we'll help you learn how to decorate to sell your home quickly, and give you basic instruction on the art of home staging.
Home Staging Tip # 1 - Clean up the clutter
When you decorate to sell your home, you have to look at it through the eyes of the potential homebuyer. What do you see? If you see shoes in the corner, papers on the desk, and toys all over the floor....you need to clean it up NOW! A cluttered home looks small and unorganized, but a cleaned up one looks spacious and inviting. Before you do anything else, clean up the clutter all over your home. Keep everyday items stored in wicker baskets or bins, and make it a part of your daily routine to put everything in it's place and the start of the day.
Home Staging Tip # 2 - Take advantage of wasted space
Every single inch of available space should be used for some functional purpose when you decorate to sell your home. For example, if you have a small nook under a staircase that you currently toss your belongings into, clear it out and transform the space into something useful such as:
A bar - Roll in a wheeled cart and buy attractive cocktail glasses that can be displayed on top of it. Store bottles inside the cart and accessorize the area with pretty cocktail napkins, and mixers.
A study area - Purchase an inexpensive desk on wheels and nestle it comfortably in the nook. Then, use a desk lamp to keep things well lit and decorate the desk with coordinating desk accessories.
Home Staging Tip # 3 - Remove heavy draperies and blinds
Draperies and blinds are great for privacy, but they make a room look dark and closed in. When you decorate to sell your home, you want to create an inviting atmosphere which you won't find in a dark room. Take down heavy draperies, blinds, or any other window treatment that may block a beautiful view. Your room will look brighter, larger and airy without the drapery blocking sunlight. If you absolutely cannot live without something that will give you privacy at night, replace heavy curtains with a lighter fabric that can be pulled back during the daytime.
Home Staging Tip # 4 - Get rid of the excess
When you have too much stuff, your home looks small. That's BAD when you are trying to sell your home! Every single room of your house should look spacious and inviting so that potential homebuyers can visualize their belongings fitting comfortably in their new space. To do this, remove all unnecessary furniture from living areas and clear out unseasonable clothing from your closets to free up space. If you have nowhere to store these items, rent an inexpensive storage unit until your home sells.
Home Staging Tip # 5 - Create a cozy seating arrangement
Create an inviting living space by making the furniture cozy and comfortable. To do this, rearrange the furniture in a way that inspires conversation. If you had friends over, how would you sit to comfortably visit with them? Position your furniture to accommodate this, and you'll have an inviting living space. Move furniture away from the wall, a minimum of 5" and remove any furniture that doesn't fit to scale with the room. For example, if you have a small living room you'll only want small pieces of furniture. On the other hand, if you have a spacious room, small furniture will look out of scale and awkward. Learn more about proper placement of living room accessories and furniture here.
Home Staging Tip # 6 - Accessorize
Most of us don't typically keep the dining room table set for dinner all day long, or have a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter. Yet, when you decorate to sell your home, this is exactly what you need to do. These small touches will help potential homebuyers envision what life would be like living in the home. Accessorize every room of the house with something small. Some ideas include accessorizing with candles, colorful placemats, flowers, small potted plants, bath soaps, body sponges, urns, mirrored trays, artificial garland, etc.
Home Staging Tip # 7 - Depersonalize your home
Any real estate agent will verify the importance of depersonalizing your home, as it allows potential home buyers to focus on the home itself and not the people currently living in it. To decorate to sell your home, remove all personal photos and mementos and replace them with attractive artwork, plants, flowers, and so on.
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