When it comes to selling a home, there are two rules: price it well, and make it look amazing. If you are not convinced that home staging matters, just take a scroll at the properties for sale in your area on the new KW App. You will quickly see that today’s buyer is flooded with options. To make sure you present the most appealing option to the buyer pool, you will have to press upon your clients the importance of home staging.
The key to getting clients to let their guard down is showcasing how staging and professional photos can lead to less time on the market for a higher sales price. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2019 Profile of Home Staging report, 83% of buyers’ agents say that staging a home decreases the time it spends on the market, and 44% say that it increases the home’s value.
As you move into the spring selling season, here are eight home staging tips that can quickly enhance the beauty of a listing and move it off the market fast and at top dollar.
Enhance curb appeal.
If they are not liking what they see from their car, buyers are more likely to be put off by a home before even setting foot in it. Encourage your sellers to create a great first impression by power-washing siding, walkways, and windows, and repainting or staining the deck. Spring is also the time to think about mowing the lawn and planting flowers. They can go the extra mile by considering a new front door and doormat, as well as a potted plant on the porch.
Make it sparkle.
One of the most inexpensive ways of ensuring a home looks its best is surface-cleaning. Dust furniture, polish floors, and shine the windows for a put-together look.
Sweat the small stuff.
Home staging is the perfect time to handle the small details that keep the space from looking just right. Sellers should set aside the bandwidth for removing any scuffs and holes from the walls and handling paint touch-ups. This shows buyers that they have put the proper care into maintaining the property. The less hassle buyers envision themselves having to deal with, the more open they will be to the purchase.
Declutter.
Buyers continue to be drawn to airy aesthetics, so sellers should take a moment to declutter the home from any unnecessary furniture. Clear floors and surfaces to create the feeling of more space, and tidy up closets, leaving 20% to 30% of open room and adequate storage. Storage is a top priority for buyers, and allowing them to visualize their options within the space will get a strong thumbs up.
Clean, comfortable, contemporary, and fresh.
The essentials of home staging – keep things clean, comfortable, contemporary, and fresh. Choose a few large and colorful focal points. Darker homes can benefit from materials like chrome, silver, and crystal that give the illusion of space and light. A fresh bouquet of flowers can bring the space to life.
That said, the 2020 version of contemporary includes boldness. Monochromatics are in, but a bold cobalt blue or dark purple adds a touch of personality. Another way to infuse a wave of modern into the home is by pairing classic elements of design like scallops and natural fiber rugs with contemporary pieces of art and minimalistic furniture.
Practice strategic staging.
While the entire presentation is important, when it comes to buyers’ decision-making process, some areas weigh more than others. According to the Profile of Home Staging report, the top three most important rooms for buyers are the living room, followed closely by the master bedroom and kitchen. In preparing the space, these are the rooms sellers should focus their time and investments on. Anything else is extra credit.
Depersonalize.
One important step to help potential homebuyers visualize themselves in the space: This means clients must remove their mark on the environment. The home itself should infuse a feeling of novelty and possibility into the buyer. They should be able to imagine their future in the space, without getting pulled into someone else’s present.
Make it fresh.
Home staging is a primarily visual endeavor, but there can and should be room to engage the other senses. Create an experience for your viewers by focusing on freshness. Adding a few healthy plants will not only be aesthetically pleasing, but will infuse a sense of cleanliness into the air. Sellers must make sure to also take care of any lingering odors, and give the space a pleasant scent by enlisting the help of subtle essential oils, reed diffusers, or a small scented plug-in.
Now that your client’s space is in tip-top shape, it’s time to show it off. Creating a guide within the new KW App will allow you to get future buyers excited about the journey that lays ahead and showcase your home offerings by adding properties you believe will be of interest to them – allowing all your hard work to come full circle.