Staging a Home

I was in the store the other day when I was approached by a woman asking my opinion on a home interior product she was wanting to purchase.  She explained how she was staging her house in hopes for a quick sale which reminded me of myself not too long ago when it was time to sell our house.  The first thing I think of how when how to make your home look marketable is remembering how you felt if you ever looked at model homes or apartments and how they had them set up.  Staging a home really can make or break a sale.  We were recently looking at home rentals and crossed many off our consideration list because they were dirty and cluttered.  It's hard to imagine yourself or your belongings in a house that looks like there isn't enough room for the current occupants.  

Here are some quick tips:

• A clean home for the prospective buyer means the most.  No one wants to see a dirty home so make sure it's sparkling.
• Fix simple eye sores even if you don't have a lot of cash to spend.  A dripping faucet, a broken tile or a non-working light might be enough to make the prospective buyers wondering what else is wrong.
• Eliminate clutter by at least 50%.  Renting a small storage unit is the quickest way to remove the non-essentials.  You want the prospective buyers to see there is ample room for their belongings.
• Neutralize colors if you have painted bright, loud colors.  It's easier for a prospective buyer to see their belongings in something neutral since their goods will fit in to the current surroundings.
• Curb appeal is essential to any new buyer.  They don't want to see overgrown flower plats or patches of dead grass.  Adding some flowers by the mail box, by the door and painting the front door can go a long way.
• The kitchen is the big selling point so make sure you de-clutter the counters, the fridge and anything else that is a non-essential.  Store items you do not need and make sure cabinets and pantries are neat and clean.  Prospective buyers want to see kitchens that are clean and spacious.

There are many things you can do within budget to make your house more aesthetically pleasing to prospective buyers.  If you are unsure, check out a local model home showing to get new ideas.  



Texas law requires all real estate licensees to give the following information about brokerage services to prospective buyers, tenants, sellers and landlords.Information About Brokerage Services