Staging Tips That Don’t Cost a Dime
When you’re ready to sell your home, you definitely want to get the best possible price for it, and you want it to sell quickly. To make that happen, it’s important that your house is in tip-top shape for showings.
Luckily, staging your home for potential buyers doesn’t require a professional, and it doesn’t have to cost a small fortune. Try these free tips to sell your home quickly.
1. Keep It Clean
Nothing will scare off a potential buyer faster than a dirty home. Though some Realtors will recommend that you hire a cleaning service for a top-to-bottom deep clean, you can save money by taking care of this on your own, provided you’re willing to put in the time and elbow grease:
Dust each room from top to bottom and vacuum everything: furniture, floors, wood trim, and curtains.
Dust the insides of lamps and replace bulbs with the brightest ones you can safely use.
Grab some glass cleaner to shine windows, mirrors, and all faucets.
Wipe down all appliances, including the inside of the oven.
If you have pets, consider having them stay with a friend to help keep your house clean. If that’s not possible, be prepared to do a lightning-fast vacuum session before each showing. Also, be sure to place a few air fresheners around the house to mask any odors.
2. Nothing Personal
You have to pack to move anyway, so you can get a jump start on it by gathering any and all personal decorative effects. This includes framed family photos on your walls or shelves, picture albums and all your personal knickknacks. Buyers like to envision themselves living in your house, and that’s much easier without things that remind them of you.
Are you a die-hard Steelers fan in Cowboys country? Do you have a collection of autographed photos from local politicians? Navy memorabilia? Items that declare your affections and affiliations should also be packed up so buyers aren’t distracted by your personal tastes while walking through your home.
3. Corral the Clutter
Living a normal life requires a fair amount of stuff, but you’ll need to keep all signs of being a regular person hidden while your house is on the market. Once you’ve finished packing away your personal items, use your spare time to pack anything you don’t need on a daily basis. Clear shelves of most books, pack away rarely used games and DVDs, and remove out-of-season clothing to make closets look more spacious.
If you live with young kids, have them choose their favorite toys to keep on hand, but only allow ones that can easily be stowed away under the bed or in a toy chest out of sight when your Realtor calls with a 15-minute warning for a surprise showing. For adults, clear a bathroom and kitchen drawer that you can sweep counter clutter into in a pinch.
4. Bonus Points: Neutralize the Walls
If you’re having trouble getting your house to sell, you may need to take your home-staging efforts to the next level. Consider taking a weekend and bribing a group of friends to repaint the interior of your home a nice, neutral shade of beige or medium tan. This tip isn’t technically free, but paint is a relatively inexpensive way to brighten up your home and erase the decorating choices you’ve made over the years.
If you’re willing to spend the time and put in the effort to stage your home, you can make your house appealing to prospective buyers without spending any money at all.
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