If your home is currently on the market waiting to be sold, your real estate agent has probably already suggested that you hold an open house. This is when you set a time slot for people to pop round to view it. It will certainly be a lot easier for you as you won’t have to juggle lots of different viewing appointments over different days – the viewings will be taking place at around the same time on one day. Statistics show that staging your home (optimizing your home to make it look perfect for the buyer) is a great way to help sell the property faster. If viewers like it and it gets busy with second viewings, it might prompt viewers to put in offers quickly as they fear missing out on it.

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[ctt template=”4″ link=”YdwbV” via=”yes” ]Statistics show that staging your home is a great way to help sell the property faster. If they like it and it gets busy with second viewings, it might prompt viewers to put in offers quickly as they fear missing out on it.[/ctt]

Everything You Need To Do Before Staging Your Home

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However, in order to ensure that your home staging is as effective as possible, you need to ensure that your property is in top form and ready for people to come and look around at it. As these individuals are potentially going to buy your house, they will be paying particular attention to the property – if anything doesn’t look quite right or there are some very visible issues, then there is not much chance that they will want to put in an offer.

 

So, getting your house ready for an open house day can be quite a lot of hard work indeed. Thankfully, though, all that work will be worth it if it means a quick sale! Ready to roll up your sleeves and prepare your property? Here are some tips and ideas that will help you.

 

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Remove All Clutter

 

You should try and remove all of the clutter from your rooms if at all possible. There are two main reasons for this. First, it will make your property feel quite cramped and short of space as all of the rooms will be full of too much stuff. Not only that, though, but it will make the house look very messy. House hunters like to be able to imagine living in a home as they view a property, and all of that clutter might prevent them from picturing themselves with all of the furniture in the home. So, if you have plenty of storage, you should try and pack all of your clutter into it before people come around. If your storage is quite limited, it might be worth going through all of the clutter and seeing if there is anything that you can throw out or take to your local charity shop.

 

 

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Fix Any Visible Issues

 

Are there any noticeable breakages in your home? Even if some of the furniture that you will be taking with you to your new home looks cracked or slightly scuffed, it’s a good idea to either move it out of sight or fix it so it's ready for the open house. Any potential problems will cause alarm bells to go off in the minds of the viewers, so it’s always best to remove anything that might do so. After all, if they leave the viewing concerned about the house in any way, there isn't much chance of them putting in an offer! You should also endeavor to fix any issues with the home’s electrics and plumbing, as well as any issues with the structure itself. You never know what a house hunter might pick up on!

 

 

Give It A Spring Clean

Make sure that your home is completely spic and span for the house staging as well. Everything needs to sparkle to ensure that the house looks as good as possible. Give all of the surfaces in each room a good wipe down to ensure there is no grime or dust at all. You should also vacuum all of your carpeted floors and clean any hard flooring. It’s also a good idea to clean all of your windows, both inside and out. As well as making sure your home is super clean, it’s also worth adding some pleasant fragrances to it. You can simply do this by buying a plug-in air freshener for each room. You just need to plug one into a socket in each room and turn it on. It will then slowly release a fresh fragrance into the room throughout the day.

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Give It A Lick Of Paint

 

If some of your rooms look slightly dated or are showing significant signs of wear and tear, it’s worth giving them a lick of paint. In some cases, they might need to be completely redecorated. If you do need to redo a room, you can always find plenty of home decorating ideas online or in interior design magazines. If you feel like you are completely stuck for inspiration, you could always hire an interior designer to take care of a room makeover. It may cost you quite a bit more than decorating yourself, but it could help to push up the value of your property!

 

Add Some Mirrors

 

If your home or just some of your rooms are on the small side, it’s a good idea to add a few mirrors. You can hang these on the walls, or add a few smaller ones onto shelves and mantelpieces. Mirrors can really help to open up the whole room and create the illusion of space. Plus, the can help a room feel light and airy. If you place a mirror opposite a window, it will reflect the light around the room, helping improve the overall feel of a room.

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Put Fresh Flowers On Show

 

Another great tip that many real estate agents tell their clients is that they should put some fresh flowers on show. Ideally, place a small bouquet or flower display in each room. These can freshen up a room and add some really nice scents. That’s not all, though, as they are a great way to add a splash of color to your now color neutralized home (for staging) too.

 

Bake Some Treats

 

As well as adding flowers, you might want to bake some sweet treats, such as cookies or cupcakes, and have these out on display in your kitchen. You could even offer these to all the house hunters as well if you want! The people viewing your home will love to see the kitchen in use, and the smell of freshly baked cakes and cookies will also help to add some extra homeliness to the property. And tasting a delicious cookie might be the thing that helps to sway a viewer!

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Don’t Forget The Exterior

 

One issue that some house sellers have is that the exterior of the property lets down the interior. Even if the interior is in perfect condition, a poor property exterior could still be enough to put some people off. So, if your home isn't looking too great from the outside, there are a few things you should see to before the staging. For instance, do some gardening in the front garden to make sure it is neat and tidy. Give any outdoor paint a quick coating so that it looks fresh and good as new. It’s also worth checking the path to your front door and making sure that it is clear and all possible hazards are removed. For example, any stones or cobbles that are slightly out of place might cause a viewer to trip over, which wouldn’t get your staging off to a good start at all!

 

Remove Any Personalization

 

It’s perfectly fine to have your favorite quilts or bed covers in your rooms, but you should remove any excessive personalization. This could make it difficult for a viewer to picture themselves and their family in your home. Generally speaking, it’s best to make your home as neutral as possible for the staging.

 

With all these tips, you will be moving very soon! Enjoy your new home!

 

This is a contributed post.

Related

• *Preparing Your Home For Sale Before It Goes On The Market
• ~*Quick House Showing Cleaning Checklist: Things To Do Before An Open House
• *Packing Tips For Moving
• *How To Keep Your Storage Unit Items Safe

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