Home Staging Tricks to Try

Home stagers earn thousands of dollars turning regular homes into showcases that lure buyers. If you can’t afford the cost, but would like to use some tricks to show your home to its best advantage, try these tips.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms often look either too sterile or are over decorated. For reference, you should attempt to achieve the look of a nice hotel in your bedroom area. This means reducing clutter as much as possible, putting personal items into drawers instead of on bedside tables and bureaus.

Closets

No closet in your home should be more than two thirds full. Remove any items that threaten to crowd the space and store all seasonal items in another location. With the remaining items, arrange them carefully. In a clothes closet, clothing should be arranged by type and color. All items should be facing the same direction and freshly laundered and pressed.

Kitchen

With open floor plans the kitchen can often be the focal point of a whole house. Clear as much clutter from this area as possible. Be sure to remove refrigerator magnets and clean each appliance thoroughly. Remove any countertop appliances and put them in cabinets.

With the area clear, you should add a few small touches to make the room inviting. If you have wood cabinets, apply orange oil to them to restore them to a natural glow. A bowl of fruit on an island or some tempting cookbooks should be the only things left out.

Bathroom

Try to create a mini spa experience in every bathroom. Start with scrupulously clean appliances, but try to avoid any toxic chemicals that will leave a smell. Try to make your bathroom appear as open as possible, this room is often the smallest in a home. Add light colored accents to make the space larger, and as large a mirror as appropriate in the space.

Add to the area fluffy white towels and scented soaps. A small basket with some essential oils and exotic bath products can also be a good idea. Stow any regular toiletries out of sight, or place them in glass bottles and arrange them as part of a display.

Backyard

A patio or other backyard area should be as carefully staged as the rest of your home. Make sure that all yard work is completed, and consider planting perennials for bursts of easy color.

On a patio, include potted plants and flowers. Yellow is considered a good color to encourage sales. If you have a patio table, consider adding a brightly colored tablecloth and an outdoor lantern. A grill might also be a good item to include. The key is to create clues to possible scenarios that the buyer might enjoy.