Is this the year you put your place on the market? Before you put up the “For Sale” sign, take some time to stage your home. These are the details that make a difference to potential buyers and can speed up the selling process.

Create Curb Enthusiasm

First impressions matter. That’s why it’s important to stage your home. While you can’t control the appearance of your neighbors’ homes, you can ensure your place sparks love at first sight. Spend a few bucks on professional services if you don’t have the time or skills to do these jobs yourself:

• Power-wash to remove dust, spiderwebs and refresh the appearance of painted surfaces and eaves along the roofline.
• Wash windows and screens to brighten up the inside and outside of your home.
• Paint the trim, front door, and shutters. Weather and sunlight dull the look of paint over time, but you may not need to paint the entire exterior to achieve a refresh.
• Trim trees and shrubs to make their shapes neat and symmetrical, and remove any dead limbs for a healthy appearance.
• Pristine lawns that are weed-free with sharp edging and no dead spots will wow potential buyers.
• If you’ve got grubs, chinch bugs, or sod webworms feasting on your lawn, it will be nearly impossible to achieve that manicured look. Have an exterminator inspect your lawn and your home, to make sure it’s pest-free.

Make the Inside View Pleasing

Declutter

Clear out every room, so buyers aren’t distracted by your knick-knacks.

Scrub Baseboards

Baseboards tend to get scuffed and grimy over time, which can create a feeling of shabbiness, even in the cleanest home. A good scrub, and, if needed, a fresh coat of paint, will provide a clean transition from floors to walls.

Lighting is crucial

Researchers at Northwestern University tested how bright and dim lighting affect consumer behavior. They found that people tend to make more pleasurable choices in dimmer lighting and more practical choices in bright rooms. The findings could help you decide how to light each room in your home before a showing. Brightly light the rooms where work happens, such as a laundry room or office and make rooms meant for relaxing less bright. Have a friend look at your kitchen and bathrooms in bright and dim light and describe how each makes them feel.

Flower Power

When potential buyers visit your home, you want them to feel at home. Put a smile on their faces by having some colorful fresh flowers there to greet them in the dining area, living room, and kitchen. Psychology professors at Rutgers University found flowers are potent mood elevators. The team performed several double-blind studies in which they gave participants either a decorative candle, a fruit basket, or a floral bouquet. Those who received flowers displayed a heartfelt “true smile.” Those who received candles and fruit baskets were less happy. Three days later, the flower recipients were still feeling happier than the others. Tap into this subconscious human response to flowers to create a positive association with your home that buyers will want to experience again. If weather permits, also place flower pots outside your front door to greet and send off visitors in a friendly and welcoming way.

Additional Resources

• Smart Staging Tips For A Quick Home Sale – The faster a home can sell the less stress there is for the homeowners to deal with and staging can help a home look better to buyers as this article explores.
• Best Home Staging Tips – Some staging can be done by the homeowners and add dramatic effect to help a home get sold fast.

Jocelyn Ramirez has been a home stager for more than 10 years. She writes about staging and other issues that help both home buyers and sellers meet in the real estate marketplace.