You could spend a fortune getting your house perfect to sell, but for most people that's not an option. Here are a few low-cost staging ideas to help your home show its best for pictures and showings...
Repaint dark or bright colored rooms with softer, neutral tones. Light colored trim shows best. Pay attention to detail – sloppy paint jobs can be worse than offensive colors.- Get rid of everything on the kitchen counters, including appliances, except for the coffee maker.
- Remove as much as you can from closets and reorganize so that they look spacious and neat.
- Clean out clutter from shelves, leaving only a few small items on each shelf. Box up collections, personal photos, and oversized books.
- Hire a cleaning service if necessary to make the house spotless. Scrub floors, walls, windows, woodwork, and baseboards. Don’t forget the microwave, oven, and refrigerator.
- Focus on the feature rooms, the living, dining, and master bedrooms. Additional bedrooms are best left empty or minimally furnished.
- Arrange the furniture to show off each room’s best features. Less is more.
- Set the dining-room table with napkins, plates, and flatware.
- Put fresh flowers out on the table and planters with seasonal flowers at the entry.
- Purchase a subtle, pleasant plug-in air freshener, especially if you have pets.
- Store garbage cans and pet supplies out of sight.
- Turn on soft instrumental music, preferably classical or jazz, for showings.