Do It Yourself Home Staging Tips. You can do it, I Believe in YOU!

• Sellers who spent $500 on staging recovered over 343% of the cost when they sold their home. (Homegain.com)
• In controlled tests selling identical homes, professionally staged vs. those not staged, the non-staged houses sold in 102 days, while the staged houses sold in 45 days. (Real Estate Staging Association)
• It is estimated that only 10% of home buyers can visualize the potential of a home. That means 90% are not going to be able to look past dirt, clutter, and imperfections.
• According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average staging investment is between 1 and 3% of the home's asking price, which generates a return of 8 to 10%. That's a pretty good investment.
• In a 2009 Home Gain Survey of over 2,000 Realtors, it was discovered that home staging typically provides a 586% return on investment.
• Staged homes spent 83% less time on the market than non-staged homes. (HomeGain.com)

So...it's clear that staging is an effective improvement to help sell your home. But, not everybody has an extra $500 plus to invest in a professional. Here are a few DIY staging tricks of the trade that will help sell your home: 

1. Get Rid of the Clutter

Buy a storage unit. Fill up a friend's basement. Whatever you do, get rid of it. Make sure not to stuff it in closets....seems like a brilliant idea, but, unless a closet is dead-bolted, a potential buyer will open it. 

2. Get Rid of Personal Items

All personal items must go. Bills, medicines, family photos, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING glued to the fridge with a magnet (even those Van Goghs your kids painted at school), pets, and anything and everything that is "you". You want your home to show like a model home. Like nobody every lived there. 

3. Brighten Things Up

Open the blinds, take down those dark curtains, and most importantly, turn on those lights. I'm as frugal as the next person, but, when it comes to showing a home, EVERY home looks better with ALL of the lights on. So, hit those switches before a showing. 

4. Rearrange Furniture

It's amazing what a simple musical chairs with the furniture you already have can do with a place. So, invest in some of those furniture sliders they sell at Target and get creative. My advice would be to keep the big stuff (couches, tables, beds, bookcases), unless they are in poor condition...and get rid of the little stuff. Less is better.  

Make a focal point in each room. Either the sofa, the bed or a large rug or picture. EVERY room should have furniture. NEVER leave a room empty. I recently showed two identical townhouses to clients. The first one was vacant with no furniture and the second one was furnished. It was amazing how much more attractive the furnished home looked. Even though it was EXACTLY the same size and floor plan, it looked bigger and my clients preferred it 100% over the vacant, unfurnished one next door. Even if you can put a large rug or painting on the wall with a random chair in the corner, NEVER leave a room empty. 

5. Clean and Clean and Clean

I am a huge advocate of a freshly vacuumed carpet. There is nothing better. Also, clean bathrooms are a must. Nobody wants to see that. I'm on the fence about air fresheners. Sometimes, it can be too much. I would say pick a clean smell...linen or lavender....and make sure to match the scents through tout the home. Never mix them....we don't want the buyers passing out before they can see the whole place. 

So, as a summary, anybody can stage a home. Just think "clean, light, crisp and organized." I hope my tips will help you stage your home before you put it on the market. If not, there are TONS of tips online that may help as well. 

Stay tuned for my next blog, "How Effective is the MLS?". Now that we have your house looking AMAZING, we need to tell all of the buyers out there ALL about it. Stay tuned!