How to Beautifully Stage your Home so it Sells in a Flash

If you want to stage your home so it sells in a flash,  93% of Realtors highly recommend that you declutter and organize the house first.  Having a house that potential buyers can imagine themselves living in takes some work, but it pays off in higher sale prices and shorter time on market. 

In this article, we'll be sharing ideas for organizing and staging the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen, so you you can sell you house faster.  AreaReal Estate professional Leigh Bryant, of The Temple Team at Keller Williams, will also share some of the tricks of the trade with our readers. 

Source: ​National Association of Realtors 2017 Profile of Home Staging

Here are 9 home staging ideas to sell your house quickly...

Living Room

1. Paint your walls a neutral color​​: now is NOT the time to show your personality through color. Potential buyers want to be able to envision themselves living in the home; it's tough if they are distracted by blazing lime green walls. Freshen the space up with a new coat of a soothing, neutral color. 
2. DECLUTTER: this is the number one piece of advice Realtors give to their sellers. Warning: Do NOT "hide" the excess clutter in closets....buyers look in closets, too.  Remove excess clutter, box it up and put into storage.  
3. Help buyers imagine living there. Create "cozy" vignettes, like a quiet reading nook in the corner. 

Pro tip from Real Estate professional Leigh Bryant of The Temple Team at Keller Williams: The day the house is photographed for the online listing is the most important day of the selling process. The house should be perfectly staged for photos: those pictures are what cause buyers to want to visit your home...or not. 

Need help Decluttering?

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Master bEDROOM

1. Remove all personal items.  Yes: even your wedding photos, photos of your children, and any religious icons.  Same goes for any clothing, personal care items (like perfume bottles), and artwork.  There should be no evidence of the people that live in the home. 
2. Stage the closets, too.  Buyers are always thinking about storage space; show case the available space in the closets. Real Estate professional Leigh Bryant suggests that clients "channel  Martha Stewart" whenorganizing their closets before photographs and showings. A good suggestion is to have the closets 50% empty.  
3. Make the room calming and spa-like.  The room should be well-lit, be spotlessly clean, and smells pleasing.  Creating vignettes, like a reading area or a window seat, helps the buyers envision how they would use the space. 

Pro Tip from Professional Organizer Candi Ruppert of Sage Organizing Co.: to make your closet appear larger, use hangers of the same color throughout the whole closet. Organize the shortest garments at the front of the closet and the longer items toward the back. 

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Related Articles:

• How to Sort Like a Pro: Advice from a Professional Organizer
• Declutter, Donate, and Deduct

• 4 Kitchen Organizing Secrets That Will Blow Your Mind

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KITCHEN

1. Pay special attention to decluttering and organizing the cabinets and drawers.  Home buyers can and will look inside your cabinets to assess the storage space. Cabinets and drawers should be 50% empty, clean and look like a Crate and Barrel display. Box up and put your excess kitchen items in storage. 
2. Only leave 2 appliances on the counter-top, at the most.  A coffee-maker is acceptable, but make every effort to not have anything else on the counter. Your counters should be clean, empty, and showcase the space.
3. Create a pretty scene at the sink.  Your sink should be spotlessly clean and smell like heaven (run lemons through the disposal if odor is an issue). Have a pretty dishtowel, some fancy dish soap and a new washcloth/sponge laid out. 

Pro Tip from Real Estate Professional Leigh Bryant: Don't let the decision of whether to hire a staging expert come down to money. 90% of the time, the cost of hiring a stager is recouped in a higher sale price or shorter time on market. 

get help decluttering and organizing

Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.

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Related Articles:

• 6 Things to Not Bother Collecting Anymore (and How to Tell What IS Worth Holding Onto)
• How to Sort Like a Pro: Advice from a Professional Organizer
• Hoarder, Pack-rat, or Just Messy: 3 Ways to Tell the Difference

Ready, set, Stage!

Using these 9 tips and ideas will help you beautifully stage your home so it sells in a flash!

Leigh Bryant is the Director of Sales and Expansion Partner for The Temple Team in Charlotte, NC.  Contact her here.

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