Staging Your House to Sell for Top Dollar

Selling your house is a big thing in life. I am sure you know you have a beautiful home that can sell for top dollar but are you worried about your décor appealing to most people looking at your house during the selling process?

I understand entirely the nerves associated with the fear of people not liking how your house looks. Not only am I a Realtor, I also own and run my own interior design firm. When I have people come to my house, all I can think is oh, I hope they like it, I am a designer my house needs to look perfect all the time, or things like will the recommend me to friends and family to be their designer based on how my house looks.

In a sellers version, you may wonder if they like my décor or is it not attractive to them, do the rooms make people feel comfortable, or what if they don't like the colors I chose. These are valid concerns but not something you need to worry about when you are putting your house on the market. Let's talk about easy things you can do to ensure you are appealing to most buyers out there and setting yourself up to sell your house for top dollar.

From a Realtor/Designer perspective, I will try and give you some simple tips that can be applied in any home. Specifics can always be discussed when you choose me to be your Realtor. Some of the simple things you can do include:

Minimize décor. By this, I mean remove as much as you can from countertops, buffets, tables, and more. The more you can hide away, the more people can envision their stuff in those areas. One of the most essential areas to declutter is the kitchen. If you can display your kitchen with nothing on the countertops, that is always the best option. Having some small decorative items is way more effective than having your utensils on the countertops, having a knife display, etc. You can do in the kitchen with one or three small items (always have collections of odd numbers. Odd number displays encourage comfort versus even number displays). Put the decorations (like small fake plants or plates on plate holders) in a “dead space” corner under a corner cabinet or towards an end that doesn't look finished.

The same thing goes for bathrooms. If you can have nothing on the countertop in the bathroom, that is the best. As a designer, I would suggest having something displayed on the toilet top instead of the countertop. The less you have displayed, the better because people can visualize their items there and not see only one way it is set up.

This same thing goes for the walls. Try to not have the walls completely filled with artwork or photos. Make sure to pack away all family photos (this shows you are ready to move and gives the impression this seller is moving on and wanting to sell quickly). For the walls, if you can have one piece of artwork per room (making sure the wall is covered correctly, don't have a massive wall with one small piece of wall art). Having the walls barer makes the rooms and spaces feel more prominent and less overwhelming.

Speaking of the walls. Accent walls, everyone loves accent walls in their home. It creates the feeling they are trying to portray within their home. The problem with accent walls is not everyone finds the same colors comforting or pleasant. Don't get me wrong; if it is not in the budget to paint, don't most Realtors tell their buyers' walls can be painted (well, I know I do), but if you can afford to paint the accent walls, I suggest neutral colors. You can still have the accent walls painted but try doing more of the tans, grays, beige colors. I usually recommend taking the base color and making it two to three shades darker and that is your accent wall color to sell your house. Using more neutral based colors again allows buyers to see the colors they want in the home when they move into it.

When it comes to your furniture in the bigger areas like the living area, dining room, or family room, make sure the furniture fits the space. You do not want to have a tiny room filled with large overstuffed furniture, causing a cluttered and uncomfortable feeling for the room. Vice versa, for a large area, you do not want to have a large room with a small sofa and coffee table in it. Make sure the rooms make sense. You want to have a full (size appropriate) seating set with the correct tables and a nice rug to pull it all together in living rooms. A dining room should have a table with the chairs tucked in that you can walk around without turning to fit through the space. Bedrooms should not have too many dressers or too large of a bed. All these things can push people away from finding your house attractive. Ensure on beds and couches you do not have an excessive amount of pillows (one or three is the perfect amount). The tables and entertainment centers do not have large decorative items; it is best to have nothing on these tables (less is more).

Kids' toys and rooms. Ensure you remove as much as possible but keep enough for the kids to still feel like they are home. It is hard to have a kids' room stay clean; trust me, I know my daughters' room usually looks like a bomb exploded in there. Having enough storage to hide the toys and stuff kids have helps when you have people regularly looking at your house when it is on the market.

These are just a few tips and tricks that can help you get top dollar for your house and sell it quickly. I have so many more things you could do and think about implementing before selling your home. For more ideas and options, give me a call at 480-577-4496. If you are ready to sell your house and do not have a Realtor, if you choose me to be your agent, you will receive my extensive interior design expertise for free!! I love interior design and feel it truly makes a difference when it comes to selling your house!

I look forward to working with you and helping you sell your beautiful, well-staged house and, in turn, help you buy a new one and create your perfect unique home feel.

Maricopa Amy, Your Local Real Estate Gal

Sienna Home Group

Brokered by EXP Realty

480-577-4496

amy@siennahomegroup.com

www.maricopaamy.com

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