Getting the absolute best price for your home may require more than a good market and experienced real estate agent. Homeowners will need to understand some of the simple steps that they can take to “stage” their home for potential buyers. While you want to make sure that the home looks, smells, and feels nice for potential buyers, there are a few staging techniques that will make your home feel even more desirable.
By making the house look light, inviting, and spacious, you’ll really set the stage for potential buyers who can see themselves living in the home. If you want to make your home look light, inviting, and spacious to potential buyers, try a few of the following tricks to get the look buyers are looking for:
Use Neutral Tones and Soft Accents
Selling a home is not the time to go with boisterous colors or complex painting schemes. Instead, pick a few neutral tones or light colors and then add accents from there. Off-white and light browns are a great place to start and can be matched to almost any décor or material. With a glossy finish, these colors will also increase the natural light within a room. Crazy colors and wallpaper can be a huge turnoff for potential buyers if they have clashing style.
Add Some Mirrors and Reflective Surfaces
One of the oldest tricks used by real estate agents to make a home appear to be brighter and larger is to add a few mirrors and reflective objects to every room. A dresser with a mirror across from a large window will often make bedrooms appear to be much larger and more inviting. Some popular options for reflective products include kitchen backsplashes, chrome appliances, and polished faucets.
Let In the Light with Interior Window Treatments
Windows are the most important aspect of natural lighting, and this means that owners should take a little extra time to consider interior window treatments that will allow in maximum sunlight. Thick and dark shades may keep a room cozy for a family, but it could turn off potential buyers. You can brighten up the room with soft fabrics and light window treatments that allow in light, even when closed. This will lighten the tone while still protecting your privacy.
Engage All Senses
Most owners focus on the appearance of the home without thinking about a buyer’s other senses. Taking some time to engage their other senses will immediately put them at ease and help them connect with the home in a much deeper fashion. Few things will make a home more inviting as the subtle aroma of cinnamon and some light music in the background. If you want to make the home feel light and spacious, be sure to refrain from any overpowering smells. A home will instantly feel smaller if the aromas are overwhelming in every corner of the home. Be subtle with any smells you add in the staging process, and potential buyers will view your home as more inviting.
Keep Personal Possessions Tasteful and to a Minimum
It may seem like having family pictures and knick-knacks around every corner will make a home more inviting, but overdoing it often has the opposite effect. Buyers want to find a home that is comfortable, but they also want to see what potential changes they could make. Any items that disrupt their emotional connection to the home could lower your chance of making a sale. Plus, by removing all of your personal stuff and memorabilia, you will make the place feel more spacious—a big draw for many buyers.
Lighten Up Ceilings and Trim
Another simple trick that real estate agents often use to make a room appear larger is to brighten the ceiling and trim by a shade. If you have decided to go with a light brown or soft green color for the walls, you can simply mix some of the paint with a dab of white paint to brighten it by a shade. If the walls are white, use a matte white finish for the ceiling. Not only will a new coat of paint take a few years of the home itself, but the lighter colors will make the space feel bigger than it actually is.
Angle the Furniture
Furniture is an important variable when it comes to how large each room appears. You should take some time to move the furniture to see which layout seems to be the most spacious. As an alternative to clumping furniture together, try to get some space in between each piece by setting them at angles and not pushing them flush against the walls or corners.
Huge renovation projects are not the only way for homeowners to increase the value of their property. Simple staging techniques are often enough to make any home appear to be brighter and more inviting to potential buyers. By making a few adjustments before showing your house, potential buyers will see it as a bright, happy, spacious place to live, and you’ll be more likely to get your asking price.
This article was written by Dixie Somers, a freelance writer who loves to write for real estate, women’s interests, and home décor. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three beautiful daughters. Dixie got advice about window treatments from professionals who specialize in shutters in Orlando.
