SELLER'S RESOURCE »

So, you are ready to sell your home. This is an exciting time! There are many expenses involved with selling your home but staging your home does not have to be one of those expenses. Just to give you an idea, when I checked with one local stager, they stated that it would cost between $2,295 to $2895 to initially stage a 1,500 to 3,000 square foot vacant home. Depending on when you get under contract, you may have to pay more for additional time. The good news is that there are many things you can do yourself without having to pay monthly staging fees.

The main idea to keep in mind is that when a buyer walks into your home, you want the buyer to picture themselves in your home. You will want to depersonalize your home. If you keep these thoughts in mind, everything else will make sense. Below is a list of things you can do to get your home ready to sell without involving a stager.

» Remove any family pictures. Although they are beautiful and meaningful, you don’t want a buyer to focus on how gorgeous your photos are and forget to pay attention to your house.

» Put away anything religious or political. Although those things are important to you, a buyer may not share your views, and it could impact their feeling about your home and make them feel unwelcome.

» Box up any collections you may have. These may distract a buyer from really looking at and remembering your home.

» Remove large pieces of furniture and extra furniture. These items can make a room look smaller or look cluttered (less is more).

» Take down anything dead. Some buyers are offended or can be alarmed by taxidermy.

» Have your carpet steam cleaned. If your carpet is stained and cleaning it would help, get it cleaned.

» Order new carpet only if needed. For rooms where the carpet is too far gone, get new carpeting unless you are going to factor that into the price of your home. In our current market, this may not be necessary.

» Plan to repaint. If you are trying to touch up holes in the wall, be aware if the color does not match exactly, you may end up having to repaint the entire wall.

» Remove dog and cat accessories for showings. They can make a home look cluttered.

» Make sure closets are only half full. This will give the appearance of space.

» Check all light bulbs to make sure they are in working order. Areas should be well-lit.

» Lock up all weapons, valuables and medications. This is for safety reasons and so no one will take them.

» Declutter your home. You want buyers to see what your home looks like and not be distracted by your clutter.

» Make sure your home is clean. It should be dusted, vacuumed, and kitchen, bathrooms, and appliances should be cleaned. If buyers see a clean home, they feel like the home has been well taken care of.

» Clean windows that are visibly dirty and windows that will be seen. You can do this yourself, no need to pay a professional company.

At TK Homes, we pride ourselves in netting you the most at the closing table. This includes not having you spend your money on staging costs unnecessarily. Of course, there may be situations in which staging would be beneficial.

If you’re thinking about selling your home and want to learn more about what you can do to get it ready, contact us. We will be happy to answer any questions regarding preparing your home to sell or otherwise. As always, if you know anyone who is interested in buying, selling, or investing in real estate, we would be glad to help!

~ Written by TK Homes REALTOR®, Mary Smith