Staging Your Home Ready For Sale

Stage 1:

A view from the road. How does your house look from across the street? Does it have kerb appeal? Are there areas that you need to improve? What can you do?

•Tidy up your front yard

• Cut the grass.
• Create a border or rockery, add seasonal plants and flowers.
• Spread mulch around shrubs and trees (red really stands out against green) Trim back shrubs and trees that obscure the view of your home.
• Pressure wash your driveway, as well as stairs to the house, plus both the front and back of your house. Make sure that windows are clean.
• Do some repairs! Mailboxes, steps, cracked paths or overgrown driveways, front porches, patios and decking areas. Paint balustrades, steps, decking areas and your front door.
• Update the porch light fitting.
• Add a focal point to your porch: a love seat swing, rocking chairs, cosy wicker chairs with a low table. Add more colour with bright cushions, tubs with brightly coloured plants.
• Solar lights – especially under trees will give your front yard a professional look.

Use the same principles for the back yard. Add a seating area, where the family can enjoy alfresco dining and grilling Tidy away any toys or bicycles – put them in the garage.

Stage 2:

On the Inside

When you enter your home, what do you see? Whether, you have a ranch style, spilt level, town house etc. The rules are the same. What is the purpose of each room? What is it used for and by whom?

A basic principle – clean and de-clutter all rooms.

Look at investing in some storage; pretty boxes for your closets will house scarves, belts, toys and so on. Shelving with bright coloured storage boxes for children’s rooms that are washable.

Hallways and Entrances

When you enter your home do you see a ‘dumping ground’ for school bags, coats and shoes. Is the paint chipped on the front door and base-boards or just in need of brightening up?

• Clean and Clear!

• Wash paint-work, apply a fresh coat of paint.Stick to neutral colours to give the feeling of light and space

• Steam clean carpets and re-grout tiled floors

Add a new light fitting to the entrance.

• Choose accessories, for example wall art, a floor vase

• Remove personal photographs

Remember – this is the entrance to your home. You want it to be welcoming to visitors

Living Areas

• Look at the space and room layout, the position of furniture

• Move your furniture around

• Drapes – dry clean or change. Keep drapes simple and elegant. Forget frilly valances!

• Move unnecessary bulky furniture out of the room

• Create a focal point for your room, this maybe a fireplace wall or an accent wall.

• Keep the decor as neutral as possible

• Add an area rug

• Look at lighting, renew old fixtures. Go for a more modern approach. Change brass fittings to brushed nickel or chrome.

• Accessorise with new cushions, a sofa throw, or a small bowl/vase of flowers on a coffee or end table

Remember less is more.

Kitchen

Are your kitchen cupboards and countertops out-dated?

• Repair kitchen any faulty kitchen cupboard doors.

• Paint the cabinet doors; you will need a primer get advice from your local DIY store.

• Change the hardware on the cabinets

• Stainless Steel appliances are preferable but not essential as long as your appliances are in full working order and are clean. Avoid overloading the countertops with kitchen aids

• Shop around for new countertops if the budget will allow

• Make sure the kitchen sink is clean and the Fawcett is working.

• Freshen up the paint in the kitchen

• Clean the floor, re-grout tiles or replace worn vinyl

• Create an eating space, a breakfast bar or breakfast nook- short on space then add a fold away table with high chairs or stools

• Make sure there are no stale food smells lingering

Remember: The Kitchen is a high point selling area..

Bathrooms

• Freshen up your bathroom with a coat of paint; once again the rule is neutral colours.

• Fix any loose grout on floor and wall tiles.

• Replace worn vinyl flooring.

• Upgrade Fawcett’s’ and shower-heads

• Replace the toilet seat

• Consider changing the vanity unit or hardware

• Add a modern vanity unit light

• Choose new bathroom accessories and shower curtain. Baths and shower units can be expensive to replace and you may not get a return on your expenditure, so clean them up. By upgrading accessories and hardware, you can give your bathroom a clean modern look.

Remember the basic rules of staging and apply them to the rest of your home.