Stage Your Home for a Quick Sale

The real estate market in Metro Atlanta is sizzling this spring, and competition for homes in desirable areas is fierce. Homes that stand out from the competition are bringing in multiple offers, often over the asking price. Before photos are taken and your home is officially listed, follow a few simple staging tips to make it stand out from the rest.

Clear away the clutter.

Always the first step when a home is listed, clearing clutter can also be the most difficult. We grow accustomed to seeing those bookshelves bursting and drawers overstuffed. It can be hard to see your own home from an objective point of view. Try to step back and see each room as a stranger would. Assume buyers will open every cabinet and every drawer. Then, make them tidy.  Clean, open surfaces create more space and, as a bonus, are easier to dust before each showing!

De-personalize.

It doesn’t matter if you collect DVDs, teacups, or memorabilia from the Andy Griffith show (Yes, we’ve seen that one!), your favorite collections say too much about your personality to be on display during a showing. Pack them away. The same goes for family photos, kids’ artwork, and other, highly personal items. The goal of staging is to make others comfortable in the space and able to imagine themselves living in it. It might be hard to do that with your second grader’s self portrait staring at them from the refrigerator door.

Follow the "Rule of Three."

Create more space by limiting the amount of furniture. A good rule is to have just three pieces of large furniture in each room. In a secondary bedroom, for example, placing a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand is just enough. It's hard to edit, and sometimes impossible, but it will make each room seem larger.

Make it sparkle.

If you’re selling this spring, it’s time to take spring cleaning to the next level. Take a top-down approach, where any dust you knock from the ceiling fan can be vacuumed when you get to the floors. Now is the time to clean in places you might overlook ordinarily. Air vents, baseboards, window blinds, window sills, and light fixtures are all good places to focus in addition to your normal cleaning routine. Kitchens and bathrooms should be spotless, with clean towels and hand soap out for each showing.

Go neutral.

If you love color and are apt to decorate with lots of it, now is the time to tone it down. Wall colors should be neutral, as should rugs and carpet. Use color sparingly with pops of blue or yellow in throw pillows or small accessories. They might drive you crazy with boredom, but neutral colors are welcoming and will show off your home’s assets without causing a distraction.

Hide your pets.

Good old Rover and Fluffy the cat are family to you, but knowing there are pets in the house can be an instant turn-off to some buyers. Hide away evidence of them when listing photos are taken. Remove pets from the house when it is being shown. Water and food bowls, as well as pet beds, crates, and litter boxes, should be out of sight for every showing.

Make it fresh, bright, and clean.

Home staging is meant to make the home welcoming, open, and ready for the next owner. Open window blinds, draw back curtains, and if your home doesn’t have good light, turn on a few lamps before each showing. Invest in new paint, new carpet, and new rugs. In the kitchen, countertops should be cleared. Leave the coffee pot and a plate of cookies for showings, but stow away everything else.

At Peggy Slappey Properties, we understand how important it is to get top dollar for your home. Sometimes, staging it correctly can make all the difference. For advice on all things real estate, give us a call today at 770-271-5555. We'll put our 35 years of experience to work for you right away! 

Peggy Slappey Properties, Inc. is a Metro Atlanta real estate brokerage with over 35 years of experience in real estate sales and marketing.  From new home construction to resales, we can help you find the home of your dreams.  To see our current listings, visit www.psponline.com and call us for expert advice at 770-271-5555.  Keep up to date with the latest PSP events and offers by checking in on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peggyslappeyproperties and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/psponline.