How to Stage an Older Home for Sale

Selling a house these days is no easy task. It can be harder if the house you’re selling is a historic one. Sure, old homes have distinctive appeal but they only attract certain buyers. If your sellers want to attract more buyers, they must stage their old homes accordingly. They should maximize the best features to make buyers fall head over heels with their homes. Here’s how to go about it.

Use Traditional Wall Colors

There are so many paint colors these days that sellers can get confused when choosing shades for their homes. Advise your clients to go for classic wall colors or fresh historic options which draw attention to the exceptional selling points of their homes. These colors include Georgian green, Palladian blue, pearl gray, and ivory.

Create a Practical Kitchen

The kitchen of an old home must appeal to all types of buyers. One of the things most historic homes lack is storage. Homeowners must add different storage options to make their kitchens functional. They should also buy updated appliances which provide convenience. Those with small kitchens can create the illusion of space by mixing traditional dark wood finishes with painted finishes.

Highlight the Best Features

Most historical homes sell for their features hence this is something sellers should maximize on. They should show off their granite countertops, decorate their mantels sparingly, and minimize patterns and lavish décor. They should use color effectively to accentuate the outstanding features in rooms. Remind sellers that less is more, that even beautiful décor can look chaotic when used generously. Tell them to remove extra décor and leave only what is necessary.

Showcase the Flooring

Tell sellers with beautiful flooring to showcase it. Those whose flooring looks worse for wear can cover it with rugs and carpeting. They can also use area rugs to draw attention away from bad carpeting. Remind homeowners that buyers love wood flooring and they should not hide theirs with outdated carpeting. Even worn or damaged wood flooring is more appealing than dated carpeting.

Choose Simple Window Treatments

Heavy drapes can make a home look older than it actually is and also keep light out. Tell sellers to remove drapes and replace them with simple window treatments. These let light in and make rooms appear bigger. They also show off the beauty of the windows. Advise your sellers to pull the curtains back during the day to give buyers a glimpse of the outdoors.

Update the Bathroom

There are many things your clients can do to revamp their bathrooms on a budget. They can clean them, replace the fixtures, and remove personal items. The aim is to make the room livable without personalizing it. No buyer wants to see another person’s shavers, shampoos, and skincare products in the bathroom that might one day be theirs. They will not be able to envision themselves in the space and will not make an offer. Tell sellers to add new towels, shower curtains, and mats as new is better than old.

Update Fixtures and Hardware

The beauty of staging is that small things can be used to create a big impact. This means that even sellers with small budgets can be able to attract as many buyers as those with big budgets. Tell your sellers to get rid of their outdated brass doorknobs and replace them with brushed nickel knobs. Brass fixtures are no longer used in homes these days. People prefer chrome or stainless steel fixtures. Sellers should also change light fixtures to make their interiors look stunning at night. Door and light fixtures can make a home look newer and more beautiful.