Potential buyers don’t necessarily want to see your personality and design tastes in the home. The more of your personality that is infused into the décor the more a buyer is less likely to envision themselves living in the home. If you want to get a leg up on the competition, consider preparing your home for sale through setting the stage for a sale. Not only will your home be set apart but it could make a difference in the days that your home stays on the market and the price that you get for the property. Below are the top 8 staging tips for the living room:
- Pet Accessories- Not everyone is a pet lover, and some buyers may even have pet allergies. Seeing pet related items in a home can be a major turnoff for buyers. If you have pet accessories that reside in the living room such as a dog bed, pet toys, or cat tower; either put them in storage or move them to a less conspicuous place. Similarly, if your home has pet odors or pet hair on the furniture or flooring that can also be a deterrent for buyers.
- Dust Collectors- Items that collect dust don’t necessarily need to be in the space. Ranging from the outdated and ugly fake flower arrangements to odd choices in knickknacks… don’t let your dust bunnies be seen.
- Family Photos- While a few family photos throughout a space are ok, don’t overwhelm buyers with personalized photos that may not appeal to everyone.
- Window Treatments- Whether they are bulky, outdated, dusty or taste specific not all window treatments are made for the space. If your window treatments fall into any of these categories then you may consider removing them as a window with no window treatments is better than a window that detracts from the interior of the home and outside view.
- Art- The gallery wall of family photos or taste specific artwork doesn’t apply the general home buying audience. Remove any type of this artwork and either spackle the holes to leave blank wall space or hang up more generic art that can be either rented or purchased inexpensively at discount retail stores.
- Books, Magazines and Newspapers- You don’t want to appear like you have a library in your home. Recycle any old magazines or newspapers that you no longer need. If you have a bookshelf or piles of books, then consider packing them up to prepare them for your future move or donating them to a worthy cause.
- Color Palette- If your living room has a taste specific color palette that is either painted on the walls or infused throughout the furniture and accessories then you should make it more neutral. By switching it to neutral colors it will appeal to a larger buyer audience.
- Furniture Arrangement- Does your current furniture arrangement highlight the homes best features? If you have couches that are against a wall of windows, then move the couches away from the windows so the buyers can walk up to the window and take in the view. Avoid having large clunky furniture or too much furniture which will make the space appear smaller.
The basic rules in preparing your home for sale are to de-clutter and de-personalize. If you can do this throughout the home, then you will be setting your home apart from the competition. By using these top 8 staging tips, you will be sure to set your home sale up for success.