Staging On A Budget
#TricksOfTheTrade
Staging On A Budget: Like ballin’ on a budget, but the adult version.
In real estate, it’s very widely accepted that staging makes a huge difference in the sell of a home. At NorCal Homes, we stage approximately 99% of our projects, with the exception of presold homes or homes that aren’t in neighborhoods that are “staging friendly”. I’ll dive into what I mean by that in just a sec.
It’s estimated that staging a home helps it sell a staggering 73% faster, and according to some professionals, can result in a 6-20% profit increase. WHAT? That’s nothing to scoff at. Let’s go back to the “staging friendly” neighborhood. It’s fact that some neighborhoods have higher crime rates than others. That being said, sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to fill a vacant home with a bunch of “stealable” (not a real word) material. As many flippers/Realtors/investors know, vacant homes can be a magnet for theft. Stagers typically offer insurance, but once you add the cost of the staging and the added insurance expense, the overall total to stage the home outweighs the return of staging in the first place.
When we stage our Sacramento-area projects we always use Welcome Home Staging (@wehomestaging). They’re definitely worth the investment! Sometimes though, there just isn’t room left in the budget to stage a home, or if you’re selling the home you live in, you just don’t have the time to take everything out just to put it back in again. I get it. That sounds pretty terrible.
Below are some tips and tricks that will help you stage your home on a budget. The list is a combination of staging an empty home and staging a lived-in home. Check it out! ?
First things first: Detach Yourself From The Property.
These are just a few of the personal items you should consider packing away during the selling process. People want to be able to easily imagine the home as their own. The seller’s personal items are best taken down to make this possible. Some ideas:
1) Pack up family photos
2) Consider putting away memorabilia
3) Turn heavily-themed rooms into more neutral spaces
4) Hide personal keepsakes
5) Half Empty Closets
Buyers are usually looking for tons of storage space. If you leave closets half full, you’ll give the impression of there being more storage space throughout the property.
Focus Up Front
6) Make the foyer welcoming and open
7) Hide the utility items like keyholders, and coat racks
8) Spend a little on adding a small bench or a vase of flowers
9) Consider repainting walls close to the entryway
Know Your Buyers
10) Decorate for the potential buyer: Do they like modern or kid-friendly properties?
11) Upgrade the kitchen first: Buyers are looking for kitchens that are large and spacious. “The benefits of remodeling your kitchen are endless, and the best part of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back.” source
Cleaning And Arranging
12) Hire a professional cleaning staff to go through the entire property before the first showing.
13) Try to pack up each room by 30%. This will create a bigger feeling to every room in the house.
14) Consider rearranging the furniture to promote a better flow throughout the house
15) If you need, consider renting a storage locker to promote extra room in the house and to hide unwanted furniture.
Neat Tips
16) Use neutral colors on the walls, but bring color to your property with furniture and decorations. You don’t want the property to be too loud or too weak.
17) Be sure to clean the carpets.
18) Remove all non-daily linens, sheets, and accessories from closets. You can rent storage facilities very cheaply and will have to move the items regardless. By moving them ahead of time, you increase the appearance of storage space and increase the value of your property.
19) Remove all seasonal clothes from the closets for the same reason.
20) Ensure all window treatments (Blinds, shades, and coverings) are fashionable and work properly. These are frugal fixes that can increase the value of the home.
21) Brighter bulbs give a better appearance! I’m all for using energy efficient bulbs. But this is not the time for that. You want to fill the house with at least 100 watt bulbs to make it look brighter and bigger.
22) Replace all broken bulbs.
23) Clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans.
24) Remove items from the kitchen counters such as coffee makers, toasters, microwaves, etc. These items take up space and crowd the view.
25) Make sure features like the eat-in kitchen have chairs in place to show off all the potential of the new home.
26) Condense your dining room table as small as possible. This will make the room look bigger and more spacious.
27) Set the dinner table and other tables/bars in the house. This helps buyers easily imagine living at the property.
28) Consider painting cabinets if they show wear and tear.
29) Kitchen cabinets will be opened and examined. Be sure to organize them and make it as appealing as possible.
Odors and Smells
30) Pet odors are hard to hide. Try using baking soda and other pet cleaning devices to remove any odd smells from furniture and carpeting.
31) Get rid of kitchen odors by pouring hot salt water down the drain twice a week. Also, grind some lemon rind into the disposal.
32) A new shower curtain is always a great, small investment especially if the old one is smelly.
33) Fresh flowers! They’re pretty and they smell nice.
34) Finally, tackle the garage and garbage smells! You don’t want these to turn off potential buyers.