Once you have gotten your home ready for the market, with all the necessary repairs and cleaning, once it’s staged and photos and video has been taken, some final tweeks might help put your home above the competition. Staging a home for sale has proven to be effective in making that home more appealing to buyers. Here are a few tips I’ve jotted down as we spend time with buyers looking at homes.
Easy Ways to Improve Your Home’s Appeal to Buyers
Making your home more appealing to buyers by paying attention to the “feels” of your home will pay off. What do I mean by the “feels”? Think about things that will appeal to the emotions and senses of prospective buyers:
1. Make people feel at home. Choose a few areas of your home to pay special attention to in your staging:
- Put a centerpiece on a brightly lit dining room table with attractive table wear, placemats and napkins.
- Fresh flowers are so welcoming. Plants are a warm addition to most rooms and also serve to clean the air. Even a simple bowl with blossoms is easy to do, and brings the beauty of the outdoors inside.
- If you have a soaking tub or jetted tub, highlight it with pretty candles and attractive bottles of bubble bath. Play up the benefits of a spa-like experience.
- If you have a cozy nook, turn on a reading light next to an armchair with an open book on the seat.
- Thin out your closet of off-season clothes. Buyers want to know that storage is not a problem.
- Dress your bed attractively with lots of comfy pillows. Make your linens non-fussy and not overly feminine.
- Clear the kitchen counter except for some pretty canisters and an open cookbook. Again, buyers want to see space.
- Keep the curtains open and the lights on to make the home bright. You may consider removing screens to let in even more light. Turn on all the lights at night, including the front walkway and entryway.
- Don’t forget to decorate the outdoor rooms and create a welcoming area. Outdoor rooms add living space.
Make Your Home Appeal to All the Senses
2. Keep all of the 5 senses in mind:
- Make the home smell good by baking cookies or bread just before your showing. Use candles, but make sure they aren’t overbearing.
- During the time your home is on the market, refrain from cooking with pungent ingredients, like curry and garlic. Odors can linger long afterwards, and can be off-putting to some buyers.
- Maintain a comfortable temperature for visitors. When your home is on the market, it’s not the time to worry about the electric bill. While you don’t want buyers to sweat while they tour your home, you also don’t want the rushing out to get a winter coat, either.
- Keep the air dust-free by changing filters often. As the light is beaming through the windows, make sure that there aren’t wafts of dust floating and making people sneeze.
- Accent the season with flowers and wreaths in Spring, a basket of pine cones in Winter, Fall foliage in vases, etc. Find ways to bring the outdoors in no matter what the season. Natural elements are appealing and comforting.
- Keep quiet, relaxing music playing in the background during a showing.
Make Your Home Appeal to A Buyer’s Imagination
3. Help buyers imagine themselves living in your home.
- De-clutter. This will go a long way in helping buyers to envision their belongings in your home.
- De-personalize. Remove most of your family photos and personal items. The buyers will feel less invasive as they tour your home.
- Keep pets out of the way and put away food and pet supplies. Some buyers are allergic or not animal lovers.
- Put away personal bathroom items. De-personalizing private spaces can be challenging, but results in helping a buyer feel more comfortable.
Related Articles: Getting Your Home Read for the Market, Getting Your Home Ready Part 2, 15 Staging Rules, What are the most Important Things to Do to Ready My home for the Market?
The Highland Group
eXp Realty
Frederick, Md 21701
301-401-5119
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