Staging Your Home for a Successful Sale

A staged living room with hardwood floors and a fireplace.

Selling a home can be a challenging and stressful undertaking.  There are ways that you can make your home stand out more to potential buyers.  Here are a few ideas for staging your home.  It requires just a bit of time and effort, but will be well worth it and place you in the top running with potential buyers.

An entryway with a table, baskets, and mirrors for staging your home.
A welcoming foyer (interiorish)

Think hard about first impressions and carry that out throughout the rest of the house.  Pretend your mother-in-law is coming for an extended stay or a friend you haven’t seen in years is coming for a visit.  You’ll want to make the home clean, neat and welcoming.  Now consider the people coming to look at your house when you place it on the market.  You have but one chance to make that first impression.  Make it one that will stand out in a positive way.

A house with a red door and flowers, perfect for staging your home.
Welcome potential buyers from the moment they step onto your property (thebuildingbox)

Your first task for staging your home is to unclutter.  There are no doubt places in your home that are often neglected when it comes to organization.  There are rooms that tend to be a catch-all for everything.  Remove unwanted clothing and items.  Separate them into piles for throw-away or donate.  Pick up children’s toys and put them away in a trunk or organized bins.

A room full of labeled plastic containers for staging your home.
Clean out for home staging (Southern Living)
A shelf with baskets for home staging purposes.
Organize clutter in bins (Pinterest)

Clean everything!  You will want to conduct a thorough cleaning of the whole house, including windows.  Deep clean the kitchen and bathroom, making sure to eliminate moldy tile or soap scum from shower doors. Steam clean your carpets and make sure your hard surface flooring gleams.

Are you struggling with all the cleaning activities? Check this website to select the date and time you’d like your professional to show up for your house cleaning maid service in Houston.

Related:
How to Give Your Bathroom a More Luxurious Feel
A woman is staging her home in a blue shirt.
Clean everything when staging a home for sale (bookacookct)

Do any cosmetic repairs that are necessary, such as repairing any holes in walls, tightening loose screws on doorknobs, or replacing burned out bulbs.  Repair loose and fill in missing tiles.

A door with a gold handle for staging your home.
Replace old or tighten loose door hardware (wikihow)
An orange door with a hole in it, perfect for staging your home.
Repair holes in the wall before showing home for sale (misterhomeimprovement.net)

Potential buyers will look everywhere, including your closets, so make sure they are clutter-free and organized.  This may be a good time to donate or throw away clothing you haven’t worn in more than a year.  You don’t want the closets to be crowded, as they will seem smaller.

A bathroom staged with blue walls and white towels.
Organize linen closets (freshome)
A staged closet displaying an abundance of clothes and shoes.
Organize bedroom closets when staging home for sale (HGTV)

Clean off kitchen counters.  Remove excess items, such as seldom used appliances and organize items in decorative jars, trays or baskets.  Remove clutter from the refrigerator, such as children’s drawings, personal photos and magnets.  The appliances should stand out.

A kitchen counter staged with a toaster, plates, cups, and utensils.
Clean off and de-clutter kitchen counters (HGTV)
A tray with salt and pepper shakers, utensils, perfect for staging your home.
Organize kitchen countertops with trays (Pinterest)
A kitchen staged with stainless steel appliances and green stools.
A clean kitchen with un-cluttered countertops shows well (dec0r.org)
Three tiered tray with grapes and cupcakes, perfect for staging your home.
Place special treats out during a home showing (Houzz)
A home staging with brown cabinets and granite countertops.
Open, clutter-free countertops leave a good impression (zalifewave)

Invest in new towels and display them in the bathrooms.  Display new hand towels by arranging them nicely in containers or on a rack.  Organize personal items in the bathroom in containers.  Don’t leave them scattered about the bathroom.

A stack of towels on a window sill, perfect for staging your home.
Splurge on new towels for the bathroom (Pinterest)
A staged bathroom with a towel rack and a bathtub.
Neatly roll up towels for storage (BHG)
Glass jars on a table for staging your home.
Organize personal bath items in decorative jars (sunlitspaces)
Staging your home with a bathroom vanity featuring baskets and a mirror.
Store personal bath items in baskets (bathrofloors)

Splurge on new linens for the master bedroom.  Add some decorative pillows and make the bed appealing, as it is the centerpiece of the room.  Remove personal items and organize closets. You should also consider to dry clean your carpets to get rid of dirt, dust and pet dander.

A staged bedroom with a bed, dresser, and nightstand.
Splurge on new linens for the master bedroom (bedding.ie)
A staged bedroom featuring a beige comforter and pillows.
A well-made bed helps make an impression on potential buyers (designshoppebedding)

If you have pets, put away their food and water bowls.  Some potential buyers may be turned off by pet smells or messy feeding areas.  Be sure to keep these areas clean and keep Fido or Fluffy away while you are showing the house.

A dog is laying under a kitchen island, while staging your home.
Keep Fido away from potential buyers when showing the house (thisoldhouse)
A puppy is eating from a dog food dispenser in a staged home.
Clean up pet area or put away when potential buyers view the house (brookstone)

Odors that you don’t even recognize anymore may effect potential buyers.  Deodorize your home the natural way by simmering homemade potpourri on the stove, such as oranges, cranberries, cinnamon and other spices.  Bake cookies or bread the day of a showing to create a welcoming, homey scent that lasts and most people will find appealing.  Avoid heavily fragranced sprays and candles as they can irritate sensitive noses.

Related:
How to Save for a House Deposit FAST
Staging your home with cranberries, oranges, and cinnamon in a pot.
Cooking homemade potpourri makes home welcoming when showing (blog.taraselegance)
Sliced bread on a cutting board for staging your home.
Baking bread before a home showing helps deodorize naturally (fincooking)
Staging chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet in an oven.
The smell of cookies baking is a welcome scent for potential home buyers (myhomecooking.net)

Re-arrange furniture to its most ideal layout.  Study photos in magazines for ideas and try out several combinations if necessary.  The ideal arrangement should be balanced and on scale.  Remove any unnecessary furniture pieces for a cleaner, uncluttered look.

A staged living room with yellow furniture and a chandelier to attract potential buyers.
Furniture arrangement matters when showing your home for sale (brendaevans)
A staged living room with couches and a coffee table.
Clean and uncluttered is the key to good home staging (homestagingos.co.uk)
A staged living room with beige furniture and a fireplace.
Arrange furniture to appeal to people in general (HGTV)

Edit decorative accessories and keep those to a minimum to avoid clutter.  Invest in a few new items to inspire you if needed and splurge on fresh flowers to cheer up the room.  When staging your home, it is important to show the house at its best without much getting in the way.  Clear away all that is not necessary and display only that which accents each room to its advantage.  Set the table for a nice touch as well.

Staging your home with a living room featuring a fireplace and mirror.
A limited amount of accessories makes this space fresh (richmondhillhomes)
Keywords: dining room, staging
Set the table and add fresh flowers for a welcoming vignette in the staged home (realestategals)
A vase filled with white flowers on a coffee table, perfect for staging your home.
Splurge on fresh flowers for showings (Pinterest)
A staged living room with a bottle of wine.
Small special touches help potential buyers imagine themselves in your home (mykeyrealestate)

Staging your home is an important part of the marketing involved in listing your house.  It is vital to make the best impression on any potential buyer that walks through your door.  So clean, declutter, repair, deodorize and decorate for a more successful home sale.

1 thought on “Staging Your Home for a Successful Sale”

  1. I agree the curb appeal is really important to give the potential buyers a great first impression. I also agree with cleaning your house. Nice blog by the way and thanks for sharing!

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