When it comes to buy a house, home buyers always prefer to see picture-perfect photos. So what if you want to sell house that is empty or contains old furniture which definitely will get buyers away at the first sight. Don’t worry. Learning how to stage a house for sale is all you need!
What is home staging?
Home staging is the act of making your unfurnished house become an appealing house to attract more buyers. Changing the furniture, adding some artworks… are all included in home staging.
Why do I need to stage house for sale?
If you are wondering why you need to stage your house before selling, look at these statistics to know why:
- Forty-nine percent of buyer’s agents stated that buyer’s view of a home can be affected positively by home staging
- Home staging can help buyers easily visualize the house (agreed by 83% of buyer’s agents)
- Staged home can sell with 1% – 5% higher price compared to unstaged home
- 39% sellers’ agents cited that staged home has short time on the market
Source: 2019 Profile of Home Staging – National Association of Realtors
Are these statistics enough to convince you to stage your house before getting it listed? If yes, following are the guide to get started:
Here is how to stage a house
1. Declutter
The first thing you need to do when staging home is decluttering all the personal items, unused objects or anything which makes your rooms look messy. If you are going to sell your totally empty home, then having your furniture stored out of the home is a good idea.
After removing all the clutter, now it is time to do a deep cleaning for your house. Sweep out all the dust, mold inside your house, clean the kitchen and bathroom to make it sparkle and don’t forget to close the toilet lid before presenting to your buyers.
2. Focus on important room
Staging a house takes time and money. If you have less time as well as low budget, you can consider to stage a certain room which can show your house best. According to 2019 NAR survey, 93% people chose to stage living room, 78% chose to stage master bedroom, 72% for dining room and only 28% for guest bedroom. So start with Living room will be an ideal choice.
3. Choose the style
Let think about what you want to show with your clients. Do you want to show your house in rustic and mature look with industrial interior design or in versatile aesthetic look with Scandinavian design or even a purposefully “messy” look with Bohemian style? If you have no idea about the best suitable style for your house, consider to get advice from home stagers. They will give you free consultation before you decide to hire them.
4. Stage the furniture
After having the style in your mind, it is time to start staging your rooms. You may have to rent furniture which matches with your interior style. If you can make use of your own furniture or lend from your friend, it will save you a lot. However, renting furniture will offer you a variety of choice.
“Floating” couches, chair and table away from wall and placing pieces to make a flow trafic in a room. You also can use an area rug to create a cozy, intimate space, ideal for chatting with friends and family.
If you don’t know how to stage the room, and how your room look like with new furniture, you can use Virtual Staging software which offers you the chance to see your empty room in different interior designs before you actually do it.
5. Add some decór
Some artwork on the wall, fresh flowers in vases, a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter, and folded towels in the bathroom will make the room look fresher and appealing.
6. Bright the room with light
Your room, now, may be ready to present for buyers. However, showing your room in bad lighting can ruin all your effort. Lighting is also important thing you need to consider before showcasing your room. Best lighting can double the beauty of your room.
Make use of natural light by opening all the window, door, pulling the curtain back, turn on all light or even add some lamps to the room.
Here are some basic home staging tips for you to get started. Following these steps will help your home sell at no time. So why not get started now!