It’s no secret that staged homes sell faster and for more money than unstaged homes. But (you may object) you don’t have a lot of cash to spend on new furniture, rugs, and drapes, or on hiring a professional staging company. Never fear: there’s still a lot you can do on your own to stage your property and make it seem its best without spending a lot of money. Here are 5 cost-effective strategies to stage your property in Fort Wayne.
1. Declutter and Depersonalize
Your best first step – and one that costs almost nothing – to stage your home involves decluttering and depersonalizing.
“A run-down house indicates a homeowner who is unconcerned about their property. It is not necessary to spend money to tidy your home. Clutter is an eyesore that distracts purchasers from the vital aspects of your business. It also gives the impression that the house is small. Remove anything you don’t use or require. Do not stow it away in the closet. Buyers enjoy looking through closets, and if yours is crowded, it could prevent a sale.”
But don’t stop there: depersonalize each and every room as well. So get rid of all the odd art and trinkets, take down family photos, and cover the walls in strange or absurd hues. The idea is to create a blank canvas for potential buyers to imagine themselves in your home, complete with all of their stuff.
For more tips on depersonalizing, you can contact a Fort Wayne agent.
2. Move Furniture and Place It Strategically
Strategic placement of furniture is another effective, no-cost way to stage your home in Fort Wayne. Do it right, and you can make rooms look larger.
When people go into a room, they usually scan the room from left to right. So, when it comes to strategic furniture placement, start with the larger, taller items on the left (as you enter) and work your way to the right. This will create the most attractive aesthetic impression while also making the room appear larger.
Mixing and contrasting styles also help. “Mixing furnishings, textiles, and colours will keep your room from looking too plain. Mismatched dining chairs, for example, might make a dining space look more visually appealing. You can also swap out the end chairs for others with a different style. To create more visible space, move furniture from one room to another.”
3. Add Natural Elements
A big part of staging involves making your home feel warm and welcoming. So when you stage your home, be sure to add natural elements and features.
According to staging pros, “[a]Incorporating natural elements into your interior design is an excellent approach to make your house feel warm and inviting. Choose features that reflect the location of your property. Use natural elements like twigs, dried flowers, timber, and wheat if you live in the country. If you live near the sea, use sea grass, seashells, and coral rocks into your design.”
4. Add Some Accents
Adding thought-out accents in the right places can make your home look and feel much more appealing to potential buyers. You can probably find the pieces you need in your home, but even if you have to buy some, it won’t cost a lot.
Some possibilities here include:
ATTRACTIVE HAND SOAPS
Luxurious-looking soaps, both bars and in containers, can add appealing splashes of color in bathrooms and kitchens. Just make sure you don’t use the bar soap to keep it fresh-looking.
FRESH FLOWERS
Fresh flowers are always a win, especially when their colors complement and strategically contrast with the color scheme of your home. If you’re extremely budget-conscious, you could use a bud vase filled with greenery from your garden or yard.
NEW SHOWER CURTAIN
In the bathroom, a brand-new shower curtain may do wonders. White is recommended by professional stagers because it creates a clean, tranquil atmosphere. White doesn’t have to be dull; add interest to your bathroom with a textured shower curtain.
NEW TEA TOWELS
Something as easy and affordable as new tea towels can really spice up a kitchen. And you can often pick up a set for under $10. Staging pros recommend that you fold the new towels in thirds to hide the seam before you drape them, say, over the oven handle.
5. Don’t Do Too Much
And when you stage your home, don’t do too much, don’t over-stage. It’s a temptation we all have to fight. If a little staging is good, a lot more will be much better, right? Not so according to the experts.
“Don’t get carried away when staging your home. Overdoing it with anything, including flowers or decor, can be a mistake. After all, you don’t want potential buyers to become so preoccupied with what’s inside your house that they forget to take a look around.” For example, “[t]o strike the right balance between a staged home and a lived-in home, avoid setting your dining table to perfection. Over-staging and over-styling with a full table setting can make the house look inauthentic and overly formal.”
And Consult Your Local Agent
Finally, keep in mind that preferences and interests differ from one area to the next, as well as from market to market. That is why you should talk to your Fort Wayne and obtain her opinion on what will work best in the area. Contact us immediately if you’re ready to sell and want to stage your house efficiently in Fort Wayne.