It’s not lost on me that staging your home for sale is a cost you don’t have to make. Staging is a significant cost over and above what you have done to care for your home and make it beautiful and functional.
But there’s a good reason the premium service has grown in popularity. It has a reputation for helping speed up the sale of a home. Why? Staging helps potential buyers emotionally connect with the property. The more comfortable and inviting the home feels the longer they will stay in the space, picturing themselves living there. I have seen it get buyers get a higher price for a home than if they had not staged it.
In order to get the most out of your stage and maximize its effects, there are a few small and easy things you can do after the stagers leave to really finish off the presentation and complete the purpose of staging.
These 7 steps will help you take full advantage of your stage and help your investment pay off.
MAINTAIN A COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been staging and the house was freezing or sweltering because the homeowner wanted to save on energy bills. Keep the house at a comfortable temp. You don’t want to give buyers a reason to rush through it. It’s the first impression they will have when they set foot inside the home.
CONSIDER CONVENIENCES: Make sure the water is on and the bathrooms have toilet paper, soap and hand towels. You ‘gotta go’ when you’ gotta go’ and chances are the potential buyers will use the bathroom before they realize the water isn’t on or you are out of toilet paper and well, that’s not the kind of memorable experience we want them to have.
LIGHTEN UP: Turn lights on before each showing, especially table lamps that cast a warm cozy glow. Open blinds and curtains. Light is your friend. Show off all the awesome décor the stagers used. Light has a way of making a space feel bigger. No one wants a home that feels more like a dark, gloomy dungeon.
CLEAR A PATH: Make sure there is a clear path to and from entrances and exits of the house. A homeowner will often make their first judgement about whether a home is well taken care of by the outside appearance. Keep the landscaping trimmed back so it’s not overgrown. Clean up the patio or deck space.
OFFER SNACKS: Put water in the fridge and snacks on the counter. Leave a sign inviting your buyers to help themselves.
CLEAR THE AIR: You don’t want the house to look great but smell like a wet cat. Take out the trash. Some people suggest lighting a candle that smells like vanilla, or cookies, or some other homey, relaxing scent.
INVITE BUYERS TO MAKE THEMSELVES COMFORTABLE: Ask your buyers via a cute chalk board or sign to remove their shoes and stay a while. The longer they stay the better the chances they are envisioning themselves in the home.
Help your staging investment help you.
Make your buyer comfortable in the space to increase their time and connection to your home, and make your house irresistible to your buyers. Cha-ching!
