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Staging to Sell
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Staging is the icing on the cake that gives your home a professional touch. With a few props and the following tips, your home will show like a model.
The front of your home:
  1. Clear any debris, remove cobwebs, clean your front door, door bell or door knocker, polish the storm door, replace rusted or worn hardware.
  2. Add a fresh doormat.
  3. Add a pot or two of flowers at the front of the house and remove any dead plants or empty planters
  4. Pro tip: Remove any other items from the front yard— storage items, lawn care products should be removed.toys,
Interior rooms:
  1. Box up everything you can live without during your marketing period. Clear all surfaces of every counter, dresser, and table. Place a neat basket of “personal items” (remotes, magazines, etc.) in a corner if necessary. Once the house feels too bare, you're ready.
  2. Remove any collections.
  3. Replace cleared items with one or two decorative items - be sure to add an item of greenery.
  4. Pictures should be hung at eye level.
  5. Limit personal photos to a small display on an end table, on the stairway walls or in a hallway— never display personal photos in a bathroom or in the master bedroom.
  6. Boxes are OK in garages, unfinished basements, or designated storage areas only.
  7. Pro tip: Weather permitting, open the windows and air out your rooms prior to the first day of showings.
Kitchen:
  1. Clear all counters and tables of all small items and appliances.
  2. Clear refrigerator of magnets and other items, clear tops of the fridge and cabinets.
  3. Polish your sink and floors, re-caulk around sink if needed. Add new hardware to cabinets if needed.
  4. Remove 1/3 of items in your pantry.
  5. Pro tip: Empty all trashcans and scrub clean.
  6. Replace binsin inconspicuous places and place one fabric-softenersheet in the bottom of each bin for a subtly fresh scent.
Bathroom:
  1. Clear all counters, tubs and toilets of any personal or cosmetic items, remove all cleaning products.
  2. Repair and refresh damaged grout and caulk.
  3. Polish your sinks, tub and shower hardware. Wipe down sinks and shower after each use. Remove trash bins.
  4. Be sure each bathroom has one full roll of toilet paper, keep toilet lids down.
  5. PHanging towels should be fresh, neat, and clean.
  6. Add a small, neutral decorative floral or scenic print.
  7. Place a low item of greenery on the toilet tank and a taller item of greenery on the counter or sink.
  8. Pro tip: Place wine glasses, unburned candles, and greenery on the edge of your master bathroom tub. Roll towels and place in a basket beside the tub or on the ledge, add a basket of spa-like, unopened toiletries, remove any toys.
Dining Room:
  1. Present the bare wood table—remove tablecloths.
  2. Add a greenery item somewhere in the room.
  3. Keep the table centerpiece clean and simply elegant.
  4. Polish any displayed items of silver.
Primary bedroom:
  1. The most important item is the bed—bedding should be fresh, clean, and fluffed. Colors must coordinate.
  2. Organize the clothes in your closet. Be sure shelves, bins, and shoes are neat. Remove 1/2 of all items.
  3. Store dirty laundry neatly in covered baskets or bins.
  4. Pro tip: Add an item of greenery, eliminate personal photos.
Kids' Rooms & Playrooms:
  1. Organize closets, and reduce the number of toys by 2/3.
  2. Store other toys neatly in baskets or plastic containers.
  3. Remove anything other than furniture from floors.
Closets:
  1. Remove any items you can live without.
  2. Remove all but seasonally appropriate coats.
  3. Hang all coats the same direction.
Home office/exercise room:
  1. Gather all exposed cords and tie with wire tie or rubber band.
  2. Add an item of greenery.
  3. Keep the access path to closets clear.
Laundry room:
  1. Remove all hangers and clothes not currently in the washer or dryer.
  2. Clean the washer and dryer inside and out, clean the lint screen.
  3. Store laundry supplies neatly in a basket or bin.
Garage and storage areas:
  1. Sweep the floors.
  2. Give away or throw away all unneeded items. Store the rest inneatly in stacked boxes.
More Tips:
  1. The most important rooms in the house: Kitchen, master bedroom and bath, family room.
  2. Most important closets: entry and master bedroom; least important: linen and pantry.
  3. 5 most distasteful issues: religious items, excessive alcohol, taxidermy, gun racks, nudity in art.
  4. Most appealing wall colors to buyers: grey and neutrals.
  5. Most appealing fragrance: vanilla; least appealing: cigarette smoke, pet odors, strong cooking odors.
  6. What to do with pets: Pets as well as all evidence of pets should be removed from the house during showings.
  7. Other helpful hints: Keep the path to the fireplace mantle open, prop a large decorative print on an empty wall behind a mantle, paint moldings and ceilings crisp white.
What Staging Will do for You:
  1. Provides what buyers are looking for, and allows buyers to project themselves living in your home.
  2. Turns a buyer’s initial impression into love at first sight.
  3. Decreases market time and increases sale price.
Statistics:
  1. Average Number of Days on the Market: Staged homes: 7.6 Non-Staged homes: 36
  2. Average Difference in Sale over List Price: Stage homes: 22% Non-Staged homes: 1.6%