A Guide to Staging Your Home for Selling

When it comes to selling a house, every viewing counts. Once a viewer has stepped inside your home, it takes them just 40 seconds to decide whether or not they’ll make an offer. That means you need to impress them early; this is where home staging comes into play.   Read on for our comprehensive guide to staging your home for selling. Here you will find information on what home staging is and the benefits of it, our top tips on staging your home for selling, as well as advice for home staging in different selling scenarios. 

What is Home Staging? 

But first of all, what is home staging? Home staging is the process of preparing your home for potential buyers. The goal of home staging is to make your home as appealing as possible to potential buyers and present it in its best light.  The process involves scaling back on your personal style in order to help those interested in your home picture themselves living in it. A staged home will appeal to a wider audience, helping to generate more interest in your property.   Whilst staging your home won’t guarantee a higher offer, it should give you the best chance of securing a faster sale. Given that you’re unlikely to want your house to remain on the market for months on end, this is a significant benefit.   Best of all, despite what the professionals might say, staging needn’t be a time-consuming and expensive proposition – there’s no reason why you can’t do it yourself.  

What Are the Benefits of Home Staging? 

• Enhance Visual Appeal: Good home staging will make your home look more attractive, inviting and organised, helping to create a positive first impression 
• Showcase space and potential: Staging can highlight the potential of different spaces in the home 
• Helps buyers see themselves in your home: As alluded to above, staging a home will allow buyers to visualise themselves living in your home with their furniture and belongings. Instigating an emotional connection to your home is likely to increase the chances of a potential buyer putting an offer forward 
• Highlight key features more effectively: When you stage your home, you can do so in a way which helps to draw attention to any unique and appealing features of your property 
• Better photographs: Quality property listing photos are essential in today’s real estate market. Staged homes tend to photograph better than unstaged homes, which can attract more online views as well as more in-person viewings 
• Higher perceived value: A well-staged home often results in it being perceived as having greater value. This perception can lead to higher offers from buyers 
• Positive competitive edge: In a competitive real estate market, a staged home can stand out against similar properties which are not as well organised, which could give your property the edge in a buyer’s mind 
• Faster sales: Staging can potentially lead to a quicker sale too, as a well-staged home will tend to attract more immediate interest from serious buyers who are naturally keen to expediate the selling process. You may wish to read our article on selling your house quickly if you are keen on a quick sale of your property

Tips for Home Staging 

Now that you know what the benefits of home staging are, let’s move on to our top tips for staging your home for selling. 

1. The Importance of Kerb Appeal

Kerb appeal is often underappreciated when it comes to selling your home. First impressions are absolutely key with house viewings, and the first thing a potential buyer will see is the outside of your property. Even relatively simple tasks such as pruning hedges and shrubs, getting rid of weeds, power washing outdoors spaces and adding feature lighting can add kerb appeal to your property. Also, painting your front door can have a very positive impact on potential buyers. Find out more about kerb appeal in our article on improving kerb appeal.

2. Clear Clutter and Mess

Clutter is pretty much inevitable in your home, but it is extremely important to clear clutter to stage your home in its best light. Clearing clutter is an essential part of the home staging process. Buyers want to be able to envisage themselves living in your home, which is difficult to do if there is lots of clutter and mess. Clearing clutter leaves more space on floors and shelves and contributes to the clean look which home staging seeks to achieve. If necessary, you could put some clutter in your car and then park it on a nearby street. If you have a significant amount of clutter and mess which you are struggling to deal with, you could rent out a storage space to store away some clutter and free up space in the property.

3. Give Home a Deep Clean

Cleaning your house thoroughly is one of the most important parts of the home staging process too. Make sure you do a deep clean of the entire house. This includes cleaning all those hard-to-reach places and other areas of the home which might be neglected. Also, make sure that just before the viewing, you give the home a quick dust, vacuum and sweep to make the house looks as clean and attractive as it possibly can be for the viewing.

4. Highlight the Key Features

Highlighting the key features is essential to home staging effectively. Any key or distinctive features be highlighted and emphasised to attract the interest of buyers. Strategically showcase the most attractive aspects of each room to leave a memorable impression on potential buyers. For example, if the living room has a cosy fireplace, arrange furniture in a way which draws attention towards it.

5. Make Sure Each Room Has a Clear Purpose

Each room in your home should have a clear purpose. If the purpose of a room is unclear, buyers may not understand the layout of your home, as well as its true potential and value. Generally, you should stage your home in accordance with the rooms and house plan in the property listing. For instance, if the property is listed as a three-bedroomed property, and one of those bedrooms is currently being used as a home office, it is usually better to revert that room back to its main purpose of being a bedroom. You can always explain during the viewing that you have been using a bedroom for a home office if buyers are looking for a property with that kind of feature.

6. Play to Every Sense

Visual appeal is, unsurprisingly, one of the main considerations for any potential buyer. This is why staging a house for sale is focused on boosting visual appeal. However, make sure you don’t downplay the benefits of invoking the other senses. Scented candles and plug-in air fresheners will add pleasant aromatics for potential buyers. Make sure there isn’t any loud music or noise from electronic devices playing during the viewing too. Also, take care to ensure that the temperature in your home is comfortable. This might mean putting the heating on when it’s cold or opening windows and putting on fans when it’s hot.

7. Invest in Mirrors

Whilst home staging doesn’t need to involve investing in new furniture and fancy features, investing in mirrors should be considered. Mirrors are relatively inexpensive, and they make rooms seem brighter, larger and more spacious. You could even get a mirror from a second-hand shop to bring down the cost. When adding mirrors to rooms, place them strategically opposite windows to deliver the best effect.

8. Dress the Dining Table Attractively

When it comes to staging your house for selling, one of the oldest tricks is to dress the dining table. A dressed dining table can help potential buyers envision themselves having cosy family dinner times and hosting dinner parties. Dressing the dining table is especially useful if you know that your potential buyers are a young family. You can even do something as simple as adding a tray or basket to the centre of the dining table. For more of an effect, you can add attractive placemats, gleaming glasses and coordinated cutlery. If you are selling in the summer, it is a good idea to have an outdoor table. This will be attractive to buyers who enjoy barbecues and al fresco eating.

9. Clear Kitchen Counters and Worktops

It is a great idea to clear as much from kitchen counters and worktops as possible. Store away utensils, brushes, tea towels, smoothie makers, knife blocks and anything else which take up a lot of space. Also, if possible, store away your microwave, which will free up a lot of space on worktops. However, don’t clear absolutely everything from kitchen worktops as it can make the kitchen seem too empty. For example, you can keep the kettle and toaster on the kitchen worktops.

10. Add Plants and Flowers

You can add life to your home with houseplants and fresh flowers, which will help to liven up your home. Adding some colour to your house with houseplants and flowers is particularly helpful if the interior of your property is looking a bit worn and tired. Even something as simple as placing some flowers in a vase on the kitchen table will add visual appeal. Also, keep in mind that the plants and flowers don’t need to be real. You can add fake plants and flowers to achieve the same effect.

11. Consider Adding a Fresh Lick of Paint

It is a good idea to add a lick of paint to walls to add some freshness. This is especially true if walls have marks and stains and are looking a bit tired. Freshly painted walls can increase the attractiveness of a room significantly, which will only increase the interest of buyers.

12. Store Away the Extra TVs

A TV can often become the central point of a room (even when it’s not switched on). Unfortunately, this can draw attention away from other features which you want your potential buyers to notice. Buyers will expect to see a television in the lounge, but it is a good idea to pack away the TVs in other rooms to help make the room appear more balanced. Also keep electric leads and cables out of sight, as they can often look messy.

13. Let in as Much Natural Light as Possible

When staging your home for selling, you should think about how you can add as much natural light to the property as possible. Make sure that anything which is blocking natural light from coming in is placed elsewhere, and ensure that curtains are fully drawn to let the natural light in.

14. Clean the Windows

Squeaky clean and sparkling windows will always make a house look fresher. Make sure that all your windows, window frames and sill have been thoroughly scrubbed. Cleaning your windows will also guarantee that you avoid any unpleasant surprises in case a potential buyer chooses to open them.

15. Add to the Window Display

Consider adding items to your window display which add vibrancy, like candles, flowers, vases or perhaps antique pieces.

16. Refresh Furniture if Needed

If you have furniture which is looking a bit tired, you can quickly add visual appeal by placing throws, blankets and cushions on them.

17. Make Sure There is Fresh Linen and Towels

Fresh bed sheets will make a bedroom look more attractive. Make sure that bed linen is colour-coordinated, even if it is not matching. You can easily make your bathroom more attractive by adding some fluffy bath towels too.

18. Add a Little Personal Touch

Whilst house staging largely revolves around depersonalising your house, adding something subtle and memorable can be a great way to gain more interest from potential buyers and help them to remember your property. This could really be anything, but an understated piece of memorabilia or perhaps a subtle coffee table display can work well.

How to Stage a House for Sale in Different Selling Scenarios

The process of staging your house is somewhat dependent on the circumstances of the seller. With that in mind, here are some staging tops catered to various scenarios.

Staging a House on a Budget

The simplest – and often most effective – way to stage your home is to give everything a thorough clean; aim to make it look as polished as a hotel room, but without removing the personality that makes it a home. Bear in mind that prospective buyers are understandably nosy – if they’re going to make an offer, they won’t want to leave any stone unturned. So, take the time to tidy inside cupboards and under sinks. As well as cleaning, touch up superficial imperfections like chipped paintwork and scuff marks on doors and walls. You may wish to find out more about adding value to your home on a budget.

Staging an Empty House

Persuading viewers to make an offer is all about helping them to imagine living in your home. Unsurprisingly, it’s more difficult to achieve this if your house is empty, so it’s worth looking into furniture rental. If your property is in – or near to – a major city, you’ll be able to find plenty of companies that will allow you to rent show home-quality furniture and accessories. Given the cost involved, you’ll want to focus on the most important rooms in the house – in particular, the master bedroom and living room. If your budget stretches far enough, include the dining room as well. You won’t need to deck each room out with furniture – one or two high-quality pieces should be enough to wow the viewers.

Decorating to Sell Your Home

Unless you’re selling a new-build property, every house – no matter how immaculate – could benefit from a little decorating. But it’s important not to get carried away here. Most people planning to sell a house don’t have the time to spend weeks or months on significant redecoration (especially if they’re still living in the property), so focus instead on creating the best possible first impression. Consider a fresh coat of neutral paint for your walls to create a lighter, airier feel; make minor repairs such as replacing broken doorknobs and cracked tiles; and tidy up your garden by cutting back bushes, mowing the lawn and cleaning any outdoor furniture. It’s also worth replacing outdated curtains, as this can be done relatively inexpensively and can make a big difference to the appearance of a room.

How to Stage a House for Sale While Living in It

Ensuring a house is in pristine condition is obviously more challenging if you’re still living in it. Not only do you have to continue with the practicalities of daily life (which inevitably generates untidiness), but it’s also much more difficult to create a neutral aesthetic that will appeal to the greatest majority of potential buyers. To combat this, simply pretend you’re already in the process of moving out and remove as much clutter as you can – professional home stagers generally recommend moving around one-third of your possessions into storage if possible. Once you’ve got your house in a “staged” condition, do your best to keep it that way. Consider cooking with the oven to avoid having to clean the hobs, and get into the habit of giving your shower a quick scrub while you’re using it, so that your property is always ready for the next viewing.

Should I Hire a Professional to Stage My Home?

Whilst it might be tempting to hire a professional to stage your home, there is really no need to. Staging your home yourself is affordable and will not require a lot of work, especially if your property is in reasonable condition.

How Much Value Can I Add With Home Staging?

The main benefits of home staging is that it can generate more interest from buyers and also lead to a quicker sale. But home staging could also increase the price which your property sells for too. In fact, Rightmove has suggested that staged homes sell for 8% more than non-staged homes. Our article on adding value to your home provides much more information about increasing the value of your property.

Is it Necessary to Buy New Furniture?

There is no need to buy new furniture when home staging. You can stage your home very effectively with the tips we have provided in this guide. If you feel that your property is in serious need of some new furniture, you could hire some instead of buying something which you won’t need in the future. Alternatively, if you are planning on buying new furniture when you move, it might be worth buying it earlier than you planned to stage it in your current home.

What About the House Viewing?

Once your house is sufficiently staged, your thoughts will naturally turn to the viewing. If we can offer one piece of advice, it’s this: leave viewings to the professionals! Here at Chancellors, we’re highly experienced in showing properties in their best possible light to attract potential buyers. We can advise on home staging, answer questions from potential buyers and, crucially, gauge whether or not the viewers are likely to make an offer. To find out more about our selling services, please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our branches, or get in touch through our contact page.