Money-Saving Staging Tips for Sellers on a Tight Budget

 May 8, 2015

Many home sellers often ask themselves “Can home staging boost the value of my home?” The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Studies show that home staging can increase the selling price of a property by up to 5%. The great thing about home staging is that it can be done by home sellers with money as well as those with a limited budget. Tell your clients that they don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to entice buyers, there are many things they can do with a little money. Share with them these money-saving tips.

Focus on the Exterior

Some houses for sale have gorgeous interiors and frumpy exteriors. Remind sellers that potential buyers won’t want to see what’s inside if the exteriors are dreary. Tell them to make their outdoors appealing by planting flowers in bloom and painting their front doors. They can also apply faux finishes to corner keystones and highlight walkway pavers with stone sealers. Other little projects they can undertake to spruce up their outdoors include:

  • Adding new doormats
  • Installing new house numbers or mailboxes
  • Cleaning up the flower beds
  • Adding mulch to flower beds
  • Trimming shrubs and tree branches

Depersonalize and Neutralize

Oftentimes, homebuyers can’t see past the existing décor. They fail to focus on the outstanding features of a property like the space and floor plan and spend hours staring at family photos of strangers and children’s artwork. The best way to capture their attention is by removing personal décor and replacing it with general décor.

Sellers should do all they can to make their homes as neutral as possible. They should use neutral paint colors on walls. Very bright and bold colors overwhelm rooms and prevent buyers from focusing on anything else. Those who want to add color to rooms can use colorful furniture and décor.

Get Rid of Bad Odors

Bad odors are very difficult to hide. In addition, some food smells can be a turn-off for buyers. These include smells of exotic spices and fish. Advise your sellers to watch what they cook before showings to prevent buyers from being biased. They should work on creating a “clean” smell.

Sellers with pets should use baking soda and other cleaning devices to remove smells from furniture and carpeting. In the kitchen, sellers can get rid of smells by grinding lemon rind in the disposal or pouring hot salty water in the drain.

Old shower curtains should be replaced with new ones as these tend to be smelly. Homeowners can add fresh flowers, mild scented soaps, candles, and other features to their bathrooms.

Stage Rooms to Show Their True Potential

Tell your sellers to make sure that each room has a clear purpose. Some homeowners use their dining rooms or guest rooms as home offices and forget to return them to their original status when selling. This is a sure way to drive buyers away. Sellers should define rooms and put up tent cards to point out various uses of the space.  For example, they can put up cards in their guest rooms that say “Guest room or home office.” This way, buyers will know the function of the room and picture themselves there.

One thing that every seller must keep in mind is that appearance is everything. Very few buyers will want to inspect a home with an unappealing exterior and a smelly, unkempt interior. This is where staging comes in. However, hiring a staging expert is pricey. Share these professional tips with your sellers to help them beat the competition. They cost next to nothing and add lots of value.

 

 


Ronique Gibson

By Ronique Gibson

Ronique Gibson is an Associate Architect and a LEED Accredited Professional, who has been in the design industry for over 13 years. She started her design blog in 2009 and today it has become a premier destination for helping homeowners with everyday lifestyle challenges. Her readers check in daily for help with their homes, DIY project ideas, recipes, crafts, and inspiration to beautify and enjoy their homes.