Staging Your Home For Sale - Is It Worth The Investment?

Lets face it - a staged home sells faster than an unstaged home. Also, it typically sells for more money. Even if a seller pays a staging professional a fee, the difference that the seller may realize in sales price is typically more than the staging cost. Remember, many buyers are comparing your home with the model home that they just saw. The model home was decorated by a professional and, with no one living in it, it always looks great.

Here are some suggestions to make your home sell faster:

• Clean up the front yard. That first impression creates a powerful impact on a potential buyer. Is the yard trim? Are the weeds pulled? Would a fresh coat of paint on that front door make a difference? You only get one chance to make a first impression.
• Freshen up the interior of the home. Consider painting the walls a light, neutral color, such as antique white. In Las Vegas, we see a lot of Navajo White and Swiss Coffee colors used by the local builders. In general, lighter colors appeal to a wider range of buyers and make each room look larger.
• Take a close look at the floor coverings in each room. If you have hardwood floors under the carpet, you will always make money by removing it, even if the floor is not in perfect condition.
• Let the sunshine in! Always try to let in as much light as possible into every room. Open up or remove all draperies, blinds, shades or other window coverings. And, don't forget to clean the windows!
• Removing the clutter of everyday life. Sometimes we are so accustomed to living with clutter that we can't even see all the utilitarian items, stacks of paperworks (especially excessive magazines, newspapers and books), toiletries, kitchen utensils, electronic equipment and television sets that we live with everyday.
• Remove furniture from each room that does not go with the decor, such as items that stand out too much and items that are worn or of an unappealing color. Although you may love that heirloom rocker that you inherited from your Great Aunt Myrna, not everyone else will have the same emotional connection. Try to think, as much as possible, like a professional interior decorator. "Less" is often better than "more".
• Now that you've removed the clutter from your home, adding some nice but inexpensive accessories will greatly elevate the perceived value of the home.
• Clean, clean, clean. Every crevasse within the home should be spotless and gleaming. Even your normal weekly cleaning can not come close to the quality of clean you need.
• You can't over spend on fresh plants and orchids, elaborate floral arrangements and landscape plants. All these provide a strong addition to the ambience you want to create.
• Go on vacation! The houses that sell for much higher prices are homes that do not have the slightly disheveled look which comes with showering in the morning and cooking dinner in the evening. Being gone also will lower your level of stress and make the house easier to sell. Think of it this way: Your vacation will actually make you money.