5 Staging Tips to Help Maximize Price and Minimize Time on the Market

5 Staging Tips to Help Maximize Price & Minimize Time on the Market!

First and foremost, staging does not sell a home.  Hiring a real estate agent based solely on the fact that they have designations pertaining to staging, is not a well thought out business decision.  Staging will however help maximize the price a home sells for and minimize the time it spends on the market.  Staging a home can help a seller set their home apart from their competition.  In a competitive real estate market, a seller who differentiates their home from the other homes for sale, can be the difference on which home a buyer chooses to purchase.

When staging a home, it can become very expensive and often a seller will not recoup the money spent on staging their home.  There are however several staging tips that are inexpensive and can be done with very little time, effort, and capital.

Define Rooms with a Purpose

Ever walk into a home and struggle to understand the layout of the home?  A very easy staging tip is making sure a room is defined with a purpose.  Making it clear to a buyer how a room is being utilized can clear up any confusion about how they may utilize a homes space.  If a bedroom is being used as an office and a bedroom, it is beneficial to stage the room as either a bedroom OR an office, not both.  If there is a desk and bed in a room, remove one or the other and “paint the picture” for a potential buyer who will be walking through the home.  Many buyers are unable to envision how a room can be used if it’s not clearly defined.

Maximize the Space!

Maximize the Space

Whether a home is 1,200 square feet or 4,000 square feet, it is crucial that the square footage is maximized.  There are different ways to stage a home to help maximize the space.  Organizing and opening up the closets is a great way to show off a homes storage space.  This is especially crucial if a homes closet space is limited.  A potential buyer may not be able to overlook all of the “stuff ” in the already small closets.  Another excellent way to maximize the space in a home is to remove any large pieces of furniture.  Just like a closet that may already be small, if a room is small to begin with, having large furniture taking up the majority of space is going to be a turn off to potential buyers.

A great way to maximize the space of a home is to go through every room in a house and decide what are the essential things that are needed to live.  If there is a piece of furniture that isn’t used on a regular basis, get it out of the room!  Finding a storage space for this unnecessary “stuff” is sometimes a problem.  A great solution to this potential problem is renting a “POD” (Container on Wheels, “COWS,” is another great option) or a storage unit while your home is being sold.  The cost to rent a “POD” or storage unit for a couple months is much less than letting a home that is cluttered with “stuff” sit on the market for 6-10 months.

Lighting

A well lit home will show better than a home that is poorly lit.  Staging a normally dark room strategically with a few extra lamps to help increase the amount of light can be extremely helpful.  A few table lamps or desk lamps are fairly inexpensive and can make a huge difference in how a home shows.

Preparing a home for showings will play a huge role in how fast it sells and for how much money.  Once all the correct lights are in place, make sure every light is turned on during showings, even during the day!

Neutralize

When staging a home, always think neutral!  If selecting a piece of furniture to help stage a room, pick the one that is neutral.  Don’t select the piece that has a floral pattern or that is bright pink or green!  Having a buyer distracted by the neon furniture in a room is not what a seller wants to accomplish.  They should be focusing on the home and it’s features, not a seller’s personal belongings!  Just like making sure to select a neutral piece of furniture to help stage a room, the same goes for the paint color.

Fresh paint goes a long way and is a quick, easy, and cheap tip to help get a home ready for sale.  Don’t choose to paint a room with the local football teams colors or a zebras colors, choose a neutral color.  Depending on the room type a lighter, earth tone color is a very popular trend with today’s buyer.

Don’t neglect the outdoor space when staging a home!

Don’t Neglect the Outdoor Space

To some buyers the outdoor space is just as important as the indoor space!  Don’t neglect the outdoor “living” space.  A newly stained/painted deck or fence is a nice feature to showcase to a potential buyer.  An old, ugly, and/or broken deck or fence can be a concern to a potential buyer.  Staging a deck with nice patio furniture can help a buyer envision entertaining their friends or families.  Staging the landscaping is very important as well.  Having a nice clean flowerbed with bright flowers can help give a nice first impression to a potential buyer.  Having an overgrown flowerbed or lawn can help give a bad impression to a potential buyer.  The exterior of a home is the first thing a potential buyer is going to see when viewing a home, so staging the outdoor space is very important!

Once again, staging a home does not sell a home, so do not hire an agent based solely on the fact they have staging designations.  Staging, however, certainly helps maximize the price a home sells for and helps minimize the time on the market.  There are many more than five staging tips, but the above five tips are very important and will help maximize the price and minimize the time on the market.

Other Great Staging Information for Sellers

• Staging on a Budget via Realtor.org.
• Staging Does Not Sell a Home by Bill Gassett.
• 30 Can’t-Miss Home Staging Tips via HGTV.com.
• Real Estate Photography Tips – 23 Tips From The Pros via Fits Small Business

About the authors:  The above article “5 Staging Tips to Help Maximize Price and Minimize Time on the Market” was provided by the Keith Hiscock Sold Team (Keith & Kyle Hiscock).  With almost 30 years combined experience, if you’re thinking of selling or buying, we’d love to share our knowledge and expertise.

We service the following Greater Rochester NY areas: Irondequoit, Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Fairport, Brighton, Greece, Gates, Hilton, Brockport, Mendon, Henrietta, Perinton, Churchville, Scottsville, East Rochester, Rush, Honeoye Falls, Chili, and Victor NY.

Visit our website at www.HiscockHomes.com.