The primary goal for most sellers is to sell their home within the shortest time, for the highest possible price. To achieve this, sellers should ensure that the home appeals to the highest number of potential buyers in the market. This is where home staging comes in. Many real estate professionals recommend it as a way to highlight the home’s prime selling features and attract more buyers.
“While it is usually best to have your home professionally staged by a knowledgeable staging specialist, there are a few ways to improve the appeal of your home even if you cannot afford professional home staging,” says Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, Adrian Goslett.
If you are going to stage your home yourself, Goslett suggests considering how mannequins and display windows are used to market items in stores. “The display allows the passer-by to imagine themselves using the items in the window, which may entice them to buy the item. Similarly, home staging is used to showcase how best to utilize the home, which can entice potential buyers to see themselves living in that home – it creates lifestyle aspirations that buyers will want to obtain for themselves,” he says.
To create this aspirational lifestyle, there are a few simple things sellers can try. Below, RE/MAX of Southern Africa suggests five easy ways to stage the home yourself:
1. Declutter
Your home must be clean, inviting, and exciting for potential buyers to view. Declutter and pack away unnecessary items. Buyers should be able to focus on the home and what it has to offer, rather than its contents. Cluttered rooms will feel smaller and overcrowded. Ideally, you’d want to reduce the home’s contents by about half. Hiring a storage unit while the home is on the market will help in storing unwanted pieces.
2. Keep it clean
With fewer items in the home, it’ll be easier to keep the home clean. An emptier home makes it easier to have the carpets professionally cleaned, which will make a big difference to how the home looks and smells. Washing the curtains will also add a pleasant aroma to the home. Fresh or new bedding will go a long way in sprucing up the bedrooms and getting them to look their best.
3. Introduce pleasant scents
Be conscious of the way the home smells because it can have an impact on the sale of the home. Good smells conjure up positive emotions, while bad odours will put potential buyers off. Nothing beats the smell of freshly brewed coffee or freshly baked cookies on a show day.
4. Wall art and natural light
Invest in wall art and pay attention to the Feng Shui of the rooms. Each room should be as bright as possible and should not hinder the natural walking paths and flow of the home. When buyers can to view the home, keep the curtains or blinds open to let in as much natural light as possible.
5. The devil is in the detail
Sometimes subtle, well-planned changes can make the biggest impression, such as a sparkling blue swimming pool or a freshly mowed lawn. A nice touch is some fresh flowers on display or a welcome mat – all these little things combined will add to the appeal of the home and impress potential buyers.
“If you have decided to sell your home but you are not sure which changes your home needs, reach out to a real estate agent. Not only will they be able to advise on which features to highlight for the most effective home staging, but they can also provide an evaluation on your property,” Goslett concludes.