Staging for an older home can be difficult, since older homes often require repairs or renovations to replace older materials and give it a more modern look. If you don’t have time (or money) for big renovations, but want to give your older home a quick facelift, try the six tips below. With a little attention to detail, you can up the value of your home and give it a nice, clean, fresh look.
Cover Older Furniture
If you want to give your furniture a modern look, try covering it with a slipcover. There is a wide variety or cover options for all different types of furniture pieces. This is a quick option when staging your home to keep a piece of furniture in a room without it drawing the focus in a negative way. If you are crafty, you can even make your own covers with fabric of your choice. Just make sure you measure correctly. This way you can save money on new furniture until you are in a new place.
Put Up the Clutter
Older homes can appear older when there is significant clutter around. While shelves with books and knickknacks can add some charm, too much can make the home look as though it has been accumulating these items – and dust – for years. Decluttering also gives you a chance to remove dust and debris that may be lurking around the house, and protect against further accumulation.
Give Your Curb Appeal a Facelift
With an older home, shrubs and plants can overgrow and make the front of the house less appealing. Clean up any bushes, shrubs, or overgrown trees in a more unified format, and focus on giving them an aesthetically pleasing shape. If you have a porch, be sure to give it a fresh coat of paint or stain and repair any loose or damaged boards.
Freshen up Your Linens and Window Treatments
Help to eliminate the dust and musty smell of seldom-used rooms by freshening up your curtains, throws, pillows, and other linens. You can do this by laundering what can go in the washer and spraying the rest with fabric freshener. You can even put up new curtains with a little fabric and craftiness of your own.
Let the Fresh Air In
When staging your home, opening up the windows can help get rid of some of the stuffiness and old odors you might not notice let in the fresh smell of the outdoors. This is especially important if you are showing your house after it has been closed for a while, such as during the winter months.
Give Your House a Fresh Scent
Essential oils can not only help your home smell fresh, but have healing properties as well. Some doTERRA oils, such as tea tree, lemon, and lavender help with breathing difficulties and also smell amazing. Pick up a diffuser for a few of your rooms and try a few scents to help keep your room smelling fresh. It’s much better to use natural, fresh scents than overly sweet and smelly candles.
For more ideas and strategies for attracting buyers to your home, work with an experienced real estate agent. Reach out and we’ll connect you with a First Team agent in your neighborhood who can take the reins on your home sale.
This guest post is written by Eileen O’Shanassy, a freelance writer and blogger based out of Flagstaff, AZ. She writes on a variety of topics and loves to research and write. She enjoys baking, biking, and kayaking. Check out her Twitter @eileenoshanassy.
