Home staging professionals, real estate agents, and developers like Louie Santaguida all agree on the importance of a great open house. It’s an excellent opportunity to lure in prospective buyers and convince them why your property is the right investment for them.
Staging your home can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be nearly as difficult (or expensive) as you might think. You don’t need to consult a home staging expert or rent temporary furniture achieve a look that buyers will fall for. Here are some simple and cheap tricks that can bring you the offer you want.
Let There Be Light
Many experts are unanimous in noting that you need the right light so your house looks bright. It’s what really sells the space and helps buyers envision themselves calling your property home.
When staging your home, you want to ensure your home is as bright and lively as possible. Start by removing your curtains. It doesn’t matter if you think they’re beautiful. If they darken a room, then the house doesn’t look spacious or bright, and that’s what matters. The drapes must go down, although the sheer ones can stay up.
Even more, pull the blinds up (if you have them). Don’t forget to clean the windows too. Clean windows let in more light, and besides they just look much nicer when they’re clean.
Keep the Lights On
You can’t rely on just the sunlight to brighten up your home. You need to turn on all the ceiling lights and lamps in the house. Not only does it help your space appear larger and cleaner, but it gives buyers the impression that you’re not hiding anything from them.
Opt to put some lamps in dark corners. If your home lacks a lot of natural light, consider investing in a high-intensity lamp for your ceiling to really brighten up the space.
Let There Be White
Hotels have long learned the power of white items in a room. It helps the space appear cleanlier and less crowded, adding to the appealing visual. Use this principle for your living and bedroom spaces, as well as your bathrooms.
This doesn’t mean that you have to replace your countertops and cabinets with new white ones. Adding crisp, white accessories can achieve the same feel, such as adding a white soap dish and a white shower curtain.
Upgrade the Kitchen Fixtures
Upgrading the entire kitchen is obviously an expensive proposition. But you don’t have to put in new paint or appliances in the kitchen to make it appear brand new. All you need to do is to upgrade the fixtures instead. This alternative solution is much more affordable and simpler, yet it can greatly help improve the look of your home.
Start by replacing that old light fixtures with new ones to immediately boost the look of your kitchen. Then take a look at your current kitchen cabinet knobs and drawer pulls. If they look dated, replace them with a trendy alternative, such as opting for polished brass or brushed nickel.
Mirrors Instead of Pictures
It’s important to remove all personal photos during an open house. This will help potential buyers visualize themselves in the space, rather than becoming distracted with photos of someone else’s family. This includes removing artwork pieces, too. People tend to have very different artistic tastes, and not everyone will share your preferences.
But, you don’t have to leave your walls bare. You can instead put up large mirror or a couple of smaller ones. These will add more depth and brightness to your space, while also helping to depersonalize it.
Staging your space is an important step for anyone looking to sell their home. But with these tips and ticks, staging doesn’t have to be a difficult or expensive process- if anything, it can be a fun way to upgrade your space and get it ready for its next owner.