Top 8 Staging Tips — How To Stage Your Home To Sell

If you're thinking about selling your home, there are two things you must do to ensure your home sells quickly and for the best price — work with the right real estate agent, and stage your home. Staging is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of real estate, but the stats don't lie — a staged home sells 3-30 times faster than non-staged competition, and helps increase the sale price by up to 20%.

A well-staged home creates a lasting impression and can increase the perceived value of your home. It's not just about matching towels or throw pillows either, there's a wholly unglamorous side to staging that requires just as much attention. Considerations like whether your walls need a fresh coat of neutral paint, deep deep cleaning the shower tile grout, replacing well-loved carpet, and what to do with your eclectic collection of porcelain cats, are all important details when getting ready for professional home photography, open houses, and showings.

Focus on the right updates and your home will stand out to the right buyer. You'll be putting up that SOLD sign before you know it.

Top 8 Staging Tips From Real Estate Experts

1. Deep Clean Your Home

Clean every nook and cranny of your home, and when you think you're done, clean it some more. This includes windows, baseboards, all surfaces, walls, curtains, appliances, light fixtures, doors & handles, and especially bathrooms. If carpets are excessively worn, stained, or have strong pet odors, replacement is often the best option.

Not deep cleaning your home is the surest way to repel potential buyers. Consider hiring a professional cleaning company to take care of this so you can focus on our next tip, de-cluttering.

2. Clear The Clutter

De-clutter and organize every room, utilizing storage bins when necessary. Kitchens, family rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms should all feel styled, inviting, and yet simple enough that a buyer could imagine adding their personal touch. Too much furniture can make a room seem small. Often sellers rent storage units or keep excess furniture or belongs in a friend's garage temporarily.

Remember that potential buyers will look in closets, cupboards, basements, and attics, so skip the temptation to throw everything in the out-of-the-way linen closet— it will be opened.

3. New Paint, New Room

Paint can transform a room. Consider applying a fresh coat of paint on wall, touch up decks, doors, and outdoor surfaces. Neutral colors are best, with wallpaper patterns used sparingly if at all, as accents. Repair any dents, nicks, and damages.

Wooden decks and furniture should be re-stained or painted if there is any chipping, peeling, or cracking present. Touch up pens work great for small scratches.

4. It's Not Personal

Safely store away all personal items. Prescription medications, jewelry, and other valuables should be out of sight and securely locked up. Items of sentimental value should also be removed for safekeeping. Having 2-3 accent pieces on a surface helps reduce visual distraction and is pleasing to the eye. Art and wall hangings are a go, personal photographs are a no.

5. Let There Be Light

Ask your real estate agent if they recommend updating light fixtures. Replace burned-out light bulbs from the interior and exterior of your home. Rooms that lack adequate lighting can be supplemented with floor or table lamps.

Installing new switch plate covers, knobs, and pulls are easy ways to bring an older home into the current decade.

6. Keep It Fresh

Reduce any strong odors. Avoid cooking overly-fragrant foods the day before a showing, and isolate pet smells by moving litter boxes and food to the garage. Do not smoke indoors or spray excess room-freshener. Many people have smell sensitivities so be mindful of using overly fragrant candles too.

7. Listen Up

Listen for unwanted noises such as noisy appliances, growling furnaces, creaking doors, and running toilets. Repair, replace, and reduce the noises as needed.

8. Quick Curb Appeal

Tidy up the yard. Planting a few bright flowers can go a long way. Add fresh mulch to gardens, trim bushes and trees. In the wintertime, make sure all snow is removed from the driveway, walkways, decks, balconies, and patios.

Know When To Find A Pro

These top 8 staging tips are sure to help your home put its best fixtures forward, but nothing compares to working with a pro. Mountain Luxury helps coordinate professional cleaning services and repairs within our trusted network of contractors. Our in-house staging team are experts at helping you present your home in the best possible light, incorporating on-trend furnishings and decor.

Are you thinking about selling your home in Northern Utah? We are passionate about serving clients in Eden, Huntsville, Mountain Green, Salt Lake City, Park City, and surrounding areas. The Mountain Luxury team has sold over $1B in real estate along the Wasatch Mountain Range is ready to guide you through this next chapter of your story.