5 Ways to Impress Homebuyers with Your Home Staging

5 Ways to Impress Homebuyers with Your Home Staging


Home staging is a relatively low-cost method sellers can use to boost buyer interest in their home listing. To stage effectively, sellers should partner with a local professional like Julie Gilbert, who has local knowledge of buyer interests and expectations. From a house-wide deep clean to staging tips room by room, here are five ways to impress a buyer with your home staging.

1. Start with a clean space

A home will never look fully put together without a serious deep clean. Not only does cleaning help with the overall aesthetic, but it shows buyers that the property has been well maintained. Start by decluttering shelves, cabinets, and closets. Sort through belongings you no longer want and donate or sell them to create a more spacious home interior. If areas still look cramped after a purge, sellers can rent out temporary storage to keep their belongings out of the way.

When a seller has decluttered the interior, they can start cleaning by mopping and sweeping floors, vacuuming carpets, and wiping down reflective surfaces. Make sure to dust off the tops of fans, light fixtures, and the corners of rooms. Bathrooms should be spotless, while the home should be free of any odors from pets, food, or shoes.

2. Remove your personal style

The purpose of staging the home is to make it easier for buyers to visualize the space as their own. This is hard to do when there are reminders of its current inhabitants lining the walls. Before sellers list their Hood River homes for sale, they should take down personal photos, souvenirs, personal art, and any unique or eccentric décor that showcases their individual style too strongly.

To replace personal items, decorate a home using light, neutral colors like whites, grays, and tans. Repainting the walls in a house is a great way to open up a space and make the property feel new. Keep areas light, refreshed, and clean. An agent can suggest additional changes that will appeal to buyers in the area.

3. Staging room by room

According to NAR, buyers found the most important rooms when staged are the living room, the primary bedroom, and the kitchen. Follow the tips below to prepare these areas for professional photos, home showings, and open houses.

Living room

A living room needs to appear open, comfortable, and clean. Living rooms are used as a relaxing space outside of the main bedroom and a conversation space when guests visit, so it should be easy to walk through and interact with others. Make the most of the room by properly furnishing the area, adding houseplants for a lively ambiance, and using accents like throw pillows for a bit of color.

Primary bedroom

Primary bedrooms should appear spacious and calming with warm lighting and light accessorizing. Stick to softer tones like white, blue, and taupe to foster a relaxed environment, then add a throw blanket on the bed for additional texture and color. Make sure the mattress doesn’t poke out under the bedding, and complete a room with an additional sitting area if there’s space.

Kitchen

Sellers looking for home staging tips can always research local trends when staging highly desirable areas like the kitchen. In Oregon, the current kitchen trends are to add backsplashes that travel from the counter to the ceiling, incorporate an ornamental range hood, and use flat-panel cabinets. However, sellers with limited time and resources can keep it simple by clearing off countertops, updating cabinet hardware, and placing a vase of flowers or a cookbook on the table.

4. Work on the exterior

Sellers listing in Hood River should pay particular attention to their home’s exterior when appealing to buyers. One of Hood River’s main amenities is its breathtaking nature views of Mount Hood and the Cascade Mountains as well as its proximity to recreation areas like Viento State Park and the Columbia River Gorge. Maintain a home’s exterior appearance by mowing the lawn, trimming trees and shrubbery, and power washing walkways. Stage outdoor spaces like front porches and back patios as well.

One of the best open house tips for sellers is to pay attention to the front entryway. Since potential buyers enter through the front, having a tidy and welcoming area is important in making a good first impression. Do this by dusting off cobwebs and debris, wiping down the front door, or repainting the front door for a fresh look. Then add accents like a new doormat, a simple wreath, or a pot of flowers.

5. Pay attention to the details

The little details have a large impact on a home’s overall ambiance and mood. Factors like lighting may be something a seller doesn’t consider but can have a large impact during home showings. Ensure light bulbs are fully functioning and have the same wattage and color temperature. Also, let in as much natural light as possible by cleaning blinds, pulling back curtains, and replacing heavy drapes with a gossamer material.

Although sellers should steer away from heavy use of props, incorporating tasteful artwork and pieces into a home’s design is a good way to capture buyer interest and show viewers the opportunities a property presents. Draw attention to a home’s high ceilings with strategically angled lighting or wall art, tend to cracks or scuffs in walls and ceilings, and replace towels in the bathroom right before a showing.

Ready to stage your home?

Sellers staging their homes to sell can follow the five tips above when preparing their property. Plan for success by thoroughly cleaning and decluttering each room before decorating. Curb appeal is just as important, while finishing touches pull together a home’s aesthetic. If you need help staging your Hood River home or are ready to start the selling process, contact trusted local agent Julie Gilbert for professional help.



Work With Julie

Julie believes in the relationships developed as Realtors, and knows that a successful transaction starts with understanding her client's interests and needs. She looks forward to hearing from you.

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