Just About Home
lynn.jilka@att.net
www.justabouthome.net
858-774-6992
Home Staging Tips
(From Barb Schwarz’s book The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money)
Clean your house until it sparkles - especially the kitchen floor – nothing is more revealing –
it is a clue to the cleanliness of your house. Wash the windows; scrub the grout; remove mineral
deposits from shower doors and so forth. Make your house as clean as a model home. Remember to
clean ceiling fixtures and air vents.
Remove all throw rugs and area rugs so the buyer can see your flooring. This eliminates any
question about the condition of the carpet, tile, or hardwood and creates visual space.
Put away everything on the kitchen counter but one or two appliances. Remove any
pictures or magnets from the refrigerator. The room will look cleaner and larger to the buyer.
Clean out your cupboards. Throw away, give away or sell the things you no longer need or want.
Lots of cupboard and counter space is a positive selling point.
Pack away half of the clothes in your closet and remove half of what is stored in all
cupboards, closets and under sinks. Create space.
Pack away all family photos. Buyers need to imagine themselves mentally “moving in” to your
house. Looking at your family photos makes it harder for them to do that.
Give away all houseplants that are no longer full and healthy. Remember, your house
is competing with model homes in new construction projects.
Pack up all collections of figurines, dolls, model cars, decorative plates and so forth. Again, leave
space for the buyer to mentally place his/her collections in your house. This will also prevent damage to
your treasures while your house is on the market.
Open the drapes and shutters or blinds before you leave. Keep the rooms as bright and
welcoming as possible. Most people associate “bright” with “cheerful”. You want buyers to “feel good”
in your house.
Take your wet bath towels and throw them into the dryer before you leave for
work. Keep shampoo, blow dryers, toothpaste and so on out of sight. The room will look cleaner and
larger.
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Just About Home
lynn.jilka@att.net
www.justabouthome.net
858-774-6992
Home Staging Tips
Repair/adjust running toilets and leaking faucets. Check drains.
Lubricate squeaky doors, windows that stick and door or gate locks that don’t easily open.
These things tell a buyer how well your home has been cared for.
Keep the lawn mowed and the flower beds weeded. Trim trees and shrubs especially any
that block the street view of your house.
Remove anything stored at the side of the house such as building materials. The house
must appear clean and uncluttered on the outside as well as the inside.
Clean out the garage. Have a garage sale or donate items to charity. If necessary, ask friends,
relatives or neighbors to store things for you until the house sells.
Power wash home exterior, deck, patios and driveway.
Clean under washers and dryers. Clean around air conditioning units and water heaters.
Keep garbage cans out of sight. Coil the garden hose.
Remove charcoal, toys, potting soil and so on from the patio. It should be treated as
another room in your house.
During showings take your children and pets for a drive or a walk. Remove pet
dishes; some buyers don’t like animals or are afraid and may react negatively to evidence of them. Place
the cat box in the garage during showings and keep it clean and odor free.
Make the beds. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher instead of the sink. Keep all floors, furniture and
counter surfaces free of mail, newspapers and toys.
Detail your house the way you detail your car. Your home will show better and has a
greater chance of selling faster/for more money.
Fertilize your lawn and garden areas at least three weeks before your house goes on the market.
Give buyers a beautiful reason to get out of the car.
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Just About Home
lynn.jilka@att.net
www.justabouthome.net
858-774-6992
Home Staging Tips
Paint all baseboards even if you are not painting the walls. The room will look and feel fresher and
cleaner.
Have the carpets and drapery cleaned. Replace cracked tile, damaged window screens and
burned out light bulbs.
Paint the garage walls and limit the amount of things stored there. Buyers should be able to walk
around freely inside the garage. Neatly organize tools and lawn equipment.
Repaint brightly colored walls a more neutral color. Look at your house from the buyer’s
perspective. Could you put most any color of furniture in every room? Your colors may not be–and
probably aren’t–their colors. Good neutrals are: sandy beige, taupe, light creamy yellow or sage green–
not white which can feel cold. Soft colors define architectural details and make the house feel warmer
and more inviting.
Patch nail and anchor holes. Apply touch-up paint. Paint stores can mix a quart of paint to
match your walls if you bring them a sample. Look for places to break off pieces of drywall; behind
vents, for example.
Put a fresh coat of stain on your deck and fence.
Replace house numbers, update porch lights and paint the trim. These simple things
greatly enhance curb appeal.
Always stage vacant homes. Empty rooms appear smaller and feel cold and sterile. Realtors
will agree that vacant homes are more difficult to sell. Most people can’t visualize furniture placement
or how a given space will function for them. Invest in professional staging. You have the option of fully
furnishing the house or asking the stager to do vignette staging. Vignette staging requires only a few key
pieces of furniture in each room but can work wonders for the look and feel of the property.
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