Top Home Staging Tips and Deal-killing Mistakes to Avoid

1. Remove 1/3 of your possessions. …
2. Find a home for everything. …
3. Declutter counter tops, cupboards, and drawers. …
4. Personalize your decorations. …
5. Give your bathroom the attention it deserves. …
6. Consider curb appeal. …
7. Clean thoroughly. …
8. Complete minor repairs.

Don’t Over Personalize your Home Decorating

When it’s time to sell your house, one of the best things you can do is to depersonalize. Be mindful of the design choices when you remodel, or you could quickly turn off the potential buyers. Even though you may like a colorful kitchen countertop that does not mean every home shopper walking through your house will enjoy the look. The same can be said for those personal treasures and collections you have displayed in your living room. The basic idea is that when buyers enter your home, they should be able to see clean lines and a welcoming home environment. Also, remember that buyers often can’t say what they like, but they can easily tell you what they don’t! This means if they walk into your home with too many collectibles and specific personal decor it will be an instant turn off.

Staging With Furniture That Is Too Large for the Space

When selecting furniture to stage your listing, think about how much visual space each piece will take up by considering both size and color. Unless you’re staging a dining room or small bedroom, make sure one piece does not dominate the space.

 Not Staging the Patio, Backyard, or Balcony

Think of all the buyers who really, really want usable outdoor space in their homes. People trading up from apartments, people moving from the city to the suburbs, and families with small children all place a premium on outdoor space. Here in Manhattan, outdoor spaces are rare and even more highly sought after.

How the Pros Do It

When you’re staging a listing, don’t forget to stage outdoor spaces like patios, backyards, or balconies. You don’t have to spend a ton of money here, just a few nice chairs, some plants, and a small table will do the trick.

Pillows and Towels

No matter how many decorative towels you use in an outdated kitchen or bathroom you are not going to distract the buyer nor is it going to improve the appearance of the room.

Having a few towels is acceptable, putting towels everywhere is not. The same goes for decorative pillows. Pillows on the sofa, pillows on the floor, pillows on the bed, pillows on the kitchen chairs, pillows, pillows, pillows. Just like towels having a few pillows is acceptable, putting pillows everywhere is not. This is an ugly home staging mistake that many sellers make.

Fake Plants

That fake ivy you have hanging in the bathroom is not appealing nor is the dusty fake plants sitting on top of your kitchen cabinets. Besides looking out of place it certainly isn’t going to help sell a home.

Showing Off Your Family

One of the biggest mistakes sellers can make is to line the walls and deck the mantel with family photos and trophies. A psychological factor is at work here: When buyers see a home filled with personal items, they can’t envision the home as their own. So, the cardinal rule of home staging is to remove your family from the equation. Put away those photos and mementos—you can bring them all back out when you move into your new home.

Unintended Room Use

The kids have moved out and you’ve turned that empty bedroom into your hobby room, but don’t leave it that way when you put your house on the market. If your home is advertised as a three-bedroom, make sure buyers see three bedrooms. Similarly, your living room should not look like your personal gym, and your patio should not look like a place to stash toys and bikes. Every room in your house should be decorated according to its intended use.

Old Carpeting

If possible, replace old carpeting before you put your house on the market. If the carpet shows obvious signs of wear, it will be the first thing buyers notice. As well, though your nose may no longer notice it, your old carpeting can also carry odors that could really turn off buyers. At the very least, have your carpet professionally cleaned before you let prospective buyers inside your house.