Home staging may be the most lucrative investment you ever make

Home staging isn’t a consideration of the average home owner. After all, you’ve put your heart and soul into your home, collecting memories as you go. The harsh reality though, is that a buyer doesn’t care that your first child learned to walk in the passage, or that the dent on the TV room doorframe is collateral damage from the Springbok’s 1995 World Cup Victory. Sadly, potential buyers won’t to be wooed by the nostalgia your home holds.  Instead, they want a space that reflects them and one they can envision their own family growing into. Many people associate home staging with real estate reality shows, not as a viable solution for family home.

Before you put your house on the market, you may want to consider the ways that home staging can increase your selling price, and speed up the process too.

Lust-worthy interiors have become accessible to the average homeowner thanks to inspirational platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. In addition, the growing availability of furniture and fittings from wont-break-the-bank stores make home staging an easy exercise that is now more important than ever. Not convinced? Consider the following: the majority of buyers will only (physically) look at homes that they’ve first viewed online. If you want to make sure you get your asking price, and avoid the Twilight-zone of waiting for your home to sell, your home needs to catch their attention as soon as they open their browser. Essentially, this means that every single room needs to be pleasing to the eye. This is where home staging can come in handy.

Home staging is essentially the act of making your home appealing to the broadest audience possible. 

Whereas interior decorating focuses on the contents of your home – your furniture, curtains and accessories, home staging aims to show off your home – and it’s potential - in its entirety. This process can be as elaborate or as simple as you like; as long as the end process results in the appeal of your home being amplified.  If budget allows, hiring a professional home stager can make this process easier and more effective.

If you’d rather tackle this yourself, there are several small steps that can make a big difference.

Before you start rearranging furniture and making a trip to Builder’s Warehouse, you’ll need to deep clean your home.  Get your carpets and curtains professionally cleaned – this will remove dirt, as well as any odours that you may not even be aware of.  After a thorough deep clean – preferably by cleaning specialists – you’re ready to tackle to rest of your house.

Painting is a must. If you’ve got any feature walls painted in bright or dark hues that cater to a very specific taste, it’s wise to re-paint with neutral colours.

Whites and creams enlarge a space, and don’t restrict a potential buyer’s vision for the house.  DIY home staging can include cleaning your windows, updating outdated light fixtures and replacing cracked or worn tiles. ‘Editing’ your furnishings can make a big difference too – getting rid of old or worn furniture may be all your home needs to adequately show off the space.

Lastly, never underestimate the potential of ‘curb-appeal’.

It’s useless spending time and money updating the interior of your home, only to neglect the exterior. Spend some time on your garden and on road-side beds, removing any dead or dying foliage, cleaning up pet excrement and sweeping leaves. Just like the smell of baking bread or cookies can make a home feel inviting, planting brightly coloured flowers instantly ups the appeal of your home too. We’d like to help you get your home market-ready. Find out more about our pre- and post-occupational deep clean services here, or give us a call for a free quote.

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Image credit - Decorative and Cool Interior Design