Selling a home can be streamlined if you do few simple things to make it look better. In this way, you would be able to grasp the attention of the prospective buyers. This entire process to prepare your home for sale is commonly known as Home Staging. Many sellers might think that this will cost tons of extra money but that’s not the case. Yes, there will be some extra expenses but it is worth spending because it will increase the value of your property.

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You can allocate a budget for home staging and stick to it. It is important that you calculate this budget by keeping in mind the ARV (after repair value) of the property. You can also hire a professional too but if your home is in a relatively good condition, it is advisable to do it yourself. Few major benefits of staging your home are:

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• It will increase the worth of your property because of its good condition.

• It will allow you to give cushion for negotiations and you can sell the property at a good price.

• It will make your home stand out in the neighborhood.

 

Some of the important tips to prepare your home for sale are:

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1. Improving the Curb Appeal

Front entry of a home is the most crucial part of the curb appeal. Make sure that you door looks interesting yet welcoming. If the door is quite old, it is a good idea to replace it with a new one. If the door is in good condition, you can repaint it with something which matches your home paint. Door knobs should be cleaned and polished. You can also subtly decorate your front door by giving it a personal touch. Other important improvements include:

• The front yard of the home needs to be cleaned.

• Make sure that the driveway looks interesting.

• You can put potted plants or install some fancy lights too.

• The lawn grass needs to be mowed

• The porch floor and fences needs to be repainted.

• Windows need to be cleaned.

Improving the curb appeal is the best way to create a good first impression on prospective buyers, which eventually increases the chances of your home sale.

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2. Repainting the House

Start with cleaning the home. You can hire the services of a cleaning agency too. Repainting the entire house is a good idea. It gives a neat and fresh look to your home. Make sure to paint the house with the same color tone, which is easy on the eyes. Don’t choose bright colors. Neutral colors will make your home look brighter and it will help your buyers to imagine what colors they can use when they move in.

 

3. Creating Space

It is extremely important that you clear the mess and create some space. Do not clutter your house with unnecessary furniture. If prospective buyers are coming to see the house, you need to ensure that there isn’t a lot of furniture. Stick to the basics, which will allow the buyers to imagine living in the house. So, if there is a certain corner of the house with good space, leave it empty and allow the buyers to imagine filling that space.

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4. Replace worn out Furniture & Amenities

A lot of sellers usually sell the house with basic furniture or amenities. Even if you aren’t planning to sell them, make sure that you have reasonable furniture. If it’s worn out or old, it is better to replace them. You can even polish the furniture to give it a fresh look.

 

5. Arrange your Bedrooms Smartly

Bedrooms are an integral part of every house. They have a big hand in facilitating the prospective buyer to turn into a real buyer. Few things that needs to be considered are:

• Bedroom should look spacious with less furniture

• Make sure that you don’t have your personal stuff like family pictures etc

• Bed sheets, pillow covers and curtains should look clean and tidy

• It shouldn’t look messy
   

6. Modern Kitchen is an Instant Eye-catcher

Kitchen is the heart of a modern house. Staging it might sound difficult but you can make few improvements to make it look attractive:

• Replace the vinyl countertops with granite countertops

• Fix or install new kitchen equipment

• Fix or replace the kitchen cabinets and tiles

• Decorate your kitchen with simple objects like kitchen tools or cook books
   

7. A Clean Bathroom increases your Home’s Worth

Bathrooms are also an integral part of your home and they have a big hand in increasing your property’s value. This doesn’t mean that you rip it off and spend thousands of dollars to redo it. You can do few simple things to improve it:

• Make sure that it’s clean. The curtains and towels are spotless. Shower area is tidy and spacious enough.

• It should look hygienic.

• The taps needs to look and work fine. If they are old fashioned or worn out, replace them with the new ones.

• If there is any mildew stains, clear them

• If the tiles are worn out, it is a good idea to replace them

• Spray a light fragrance. Make sure it doesn’t stink or look too moist
   

8. Spruce up the Backyard & Patio

For many buyers, backyard and patio serves as a deal breaker. If you have a huge backyard, make sure it has something interesting to offer. For example, a children’s play area or a mini fountain. Mow the grass and add some new potted plants to make it look greener. Put some furniture in the patio. If there is a garage, make sure to repaint the door and clean it from inside.
 

Do's and Don’ts during the Buyers’ Visit

• Make sure that you aren’t at home during the potential buyers’ visit. Let them explore the property themselves.

• It’s good to have a light music running in the background to make it cozier. But make sure it’s not noisy

• Pets and their belongings need to be kept out of the way

• You can always put some sweets or light snacks in the lounge to make the potential buyers feel welcome

• Make sure that the key and lock box are in place as instructed

 

These are some of the small measures which you can take to prepare your home for sale. This won’t cost a lot of time or money if you will budget it properly. Eventually, the end result would be beneficial because these simple home staging strategies will augment the selling process.