The Importance of Staging Your Home

 

The key to properly staging a home is to highlight strengths and downplay weaknesses. Accentuate windows and unique architecture, show off historic charms, go light on the dark colors and be creative with furniture. The Ahlgren Team provides basic staging for your house as part of our listing agreement with you. If your home is vacant, or requires a higher level of staging, we will connect you with some of the best professionals in the area. If you need it, we have it.

 

Staging is so important because it broadens your buying pool and will help you get the highest sales price. The Ahlgren Team will make sure that your home is sold quickly, and for the best price.

 

Here are some quick tips to ready your home for sale:

 

• MAKE SURE YOUR HOME IS CLEAN 
  Your home should sparkle – our Team can recommend cleaning services. Make sure the outside looks well kept and inviting.

 

• FRESH AIR SMELL 
  Some stagers like you to have scented candles, but some buyers have a negative reaction to certain scents and some will wonder what you are covering up.  Better to have no scent at all.

 

• DE-CLUTTER 
  You want to buyer to notice your house, not the clutter!  Eliminate knick knacks, overstuffed bookcases, stacks of magazines and kids toys.  Clear countertops in all rooms, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms.  If you have kids, have a couple of laundry baskets handy, so you can quickly pick up toys and put the baskets in the garage during showings.

 

• ROOM EDITING 
  A lot of people have too much furniture in a room, and it actually makes the space feel smaller.  Another problem area is accessories and wall art – less is often more.  Accessories look best in groups of 3 or 5, placed a different heights if possible.  Pack away most of your family shots, allow the buyers to picture themselves living in their new home.

 

• FURNITURE ARRANGING 
  Avoid having all the furniture pushed up against the all –  pull it away from the wall to give the impression of a larger room.  Some furniture, when placed at an angle, can also make the room appear larger.  Try to use focal points.  Make sure each room has a clear use.

 

 

• LIGHTING 
  Keep the drapes and blinds open to allow in the most natural light.  Clean windows are also important.  In dark rooms, invest in some overhead or lamp lighting.

 

• BRING NATURE IN 
  Strategically placed plants, whether real or fake, can add so much to a room.  Flowers can also be lovely, but be careful to buy varieties that do not have strong scents.

 

• THE LITTLE TOUCHES 
  If you have older kitchen cabinets, replace the hardware to spruce them up.  Buy new hand towels for the bathrooms.  Freshly painted rooms add value.

 

• THE BIG TOUCHES 
  Replacing outdated appliances, adding granite counters, refinishing hardwood floors, cleaning the deck, and updating carpet all add to  your home’s value and help it compete. A $10,000 investment on updating appliances could mean a $50,000 jump in sales price!