Staging for Success!

 I talked about pricing recently and although it is so critical to be priced right when you are trying to sell your property it goes hand in hand with staging! Most of us have watched some of the many shows about staging on HGTV or DIY. To be honest I am somewhat addicted to home improvement and staging shows! To keep it simple staging is really about putting your best foot forward as they say! First impressions are lasting impressions and you only have a few seconds to grab a buyer's attention so don't just stage the inside of your house. Evaluate the outside! The list below offers you a few staging tips to help you make a great first impression!

• Pay attention to your landscaping. Is it attractive or boring? You need some pops of color not just plain shrubbery. Add a decorative flag. Put some nice pots on the front porch with a variety of plants. You can pick up "color bowls" at your garden center if you need some help in this department.
• Freshen up the mulch or pine needles in your beds. Make sure your beds are weed free!
• If you have large trees in your front yard trim the lower branches so prospective buyers can actually see the front of your home rather than just see the trees.
• Add a nice welcome mat at your front door.
• Wash your windows inside and out. Make them shine and let the light in!
• Sweep and pressure wash the entrance to your house.
• Once inside deal with the clutter and excess or too large furniture. You may want to consider storing some of your treasures until after your house sells.
• Depersonalize -- buyer's need to be able to picture themselves living there!
• Inspect your house and repair those minor issues that you have adapted to "living with". We all have them, however buyers don't want to start off in their new home with those issues!
• Do a "sniff test". Remember smells don't sell. Strong food odors, cigarette smoke, and pet odors are big negatives to prospective buyers.
• Clean your ceiling fans and light fixtures.
• Make sure all vents are clean, especially the air return and filter! When buyers see issues like dirty filters they feel your house is not very well maintained.

Obviously this is not a complete list but when you take this information to heart it will definitely help you to make a great first impression. With all the competition out there it is critical to stage for success!