10 Tips to Stage Your Home and WOW Your Buyers

Are you setting sail on your home-selling journey in the Triangle and Wayne County? Before you start showing your home off to potential buyers, make sure you've given it some TLC. Cleaning, decorating, and staging your home for sale is an important part of enticing a buyer, so get your rubber gloves ready for a deep clean.

These DIY tips will help you prepare your home to make an impression on every buyer that walks through the door!

The Exterior

The outside of your home is just as important as the inside. Spend some time giving your home's exterior some love to create a sense of welcoming so that your buyers are impressed before they even leave the car!

Boost Your Curb Appeal

While there are some cases where you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, selling a home is not one of those occasions. The way the outside of your house looks is vital in attracting buyers to come inside.

Powerwash the outside, touch up any chips, polish the door handles, and spruce up your mailbox — do everything you can to make your home shine.

Decorate the Front Porch

The front porch is the first area where buyers will get a real feel for what your house is like. If your porch is too cluttered or too bare, it sets the mood for the rest of the showing.

Make sure you have a tasteful amount of decor, a cozy welcome mat, and a minimal amount of clutter.

Spruce Up Outdoor Areas

Here in the Triangle and Wayne County, the weather is nice enough to be outside almost year-round. Help your buyers envision themselves spending warm spring days, balmy summer days, and chilly fall days in the outdoor area around your home.

Try doing things like mowing your lawn, tending to your garden, installing a fire pit, and making your yard look lived in.

Cleaning & Repairs

Nothing turns off a buyer like persistent maintenance problems, lingering repair projects, or a home that's just not clean! Don't lose out on a sale for an easily preventable reason!

Check Off Projects

If a buyer walks into your home and sees a bunch of unfinished projects, they're not going to feel great about making a commitment to your home. The last thing they want is to be saddled with a bunch of projects that they'll have to inherit.

Whether it's finishing up a bathroom remodel or refinishing your floors, check off all of your to-dos beforehand.

Clean out the Clutter

A messy house will give buyer's a negative impression, because nothing stresses people out like clutter. Pack away all of your extra decorations, get rid of the knick-knacks, and go for a more minimalistic style.

While it is good to give your home a little bit of character to stick out, knowing the balance between clutter and character is crucial for a successful showing.

Put in Some Elbow Grease

A clean house is a happy house and rounding up all those loose dust bunnies is a big part of impressing a buyer. Dedicate a whole weekend to cleaning your house, so you have plenty of time to get it cleaned up without missing even the smallest of details.

Vacuum, mop, dust, polish your doorknobs, scrub the bathrooms, and touch up any chips in the paint. Take your home to the next level!

Interior Decor

Now that you've created curb appeal and tackled the basics, it's time to start looking for ways to impress your buyers and make your home stand apart from the crowd.

Depersonalize Your Decor

Maybe you have a distinct decorating style that you love, but that doesn't mean a buyer will feel the same way. When you're preparing your home for showings, it's best to avoid the personal decor, and go with a minimalistic approach.

Take down the family photos and opt for landscape portraits. It'll make it easier for potential buyers to imagine themselves in your home!

Rearrange Furniture

The way you arrange your furniture says a lot about your home. Do you have two couches cozied up in front of the fireplace? Is your dining room table close to the TV? The setup of your furniture will convey different things.

How do you want to present your home? Put some thought into it, and rearrange the furniture based on what you want to convey to buyers.

The Final Details

Now's the fun part, the detailed staging and decorating that adds that "wow" factor, that sparkle, that little bit of something special. Just be sure to keep it simple!

Set the Mood

Throw open the shades, draw the curtains, and let the natural light into your house. A brighter home is more welcoming, and sunlight is a great mood booster. If it's still a little dark inside, try installing some warmer bulbs to give your home a nice glow.

Don't be afraid to turn on some ambient lighting and light the fireplace!

Add a Splash of Green

A great way to keep your decor neutral is by incorporating some greenery. Bring in some succulents or house plants, and fill in the emptier corners of your house with splashes of natural color.

Coming up on a special holiday or time of year? Take advantage of seasonal decor, like warm fall scents, wintery pine branches, or springtime pastels.

Your Triangle and Wayne County Home Selling Resources

If you're ready to sell your Triangle or Wayne County home, then it's time to contact the team at Stonedale Realty. With years of experience and expertise, these handy home-staging tips are just the beginning of what we have to offer our home sellers. Give us a call today, and let's sell your home!