How to Stage a Home for a Quick Sale - 5 Tips from an Interior Designer

If you want to sell your home fast, you need to make it look appealing to potential buyers. Staging a home is the process of arranging furniture, decor, and lighting to create a welcoming and attractive atmosphere. Staging can help you highlight the best features of your home, make it look spacious and bright, and create a positive impression on buyers.

In this blog post, I will share some tips on how to stage a home for a quick sale. These tips are based on advice from a professional interior designer who has helped many clients sell their homes faster and for higher prices.

Tip #1: Declutter and de-personalize

The first step in staging a home is to get rid of any clutter and personal items that might distract buyers from the main selling points of your home. Clutter can make your home look smaller, messy, and less appealing. Personal items, such as family photos, trophies, or religious symbols, can make buyers feel like they are invading your privacy and prevent them from imagining themselves living in your home.

To declutter and depersonalize your home, you should:

Remove any excess furniture, accessories, or knick-knacks that are not essential or functional
Pack away any personal items, such as photos, books, magazines, or collections.
Clear off any countertops, tables, shelves, or cabinets that are visible to buyers.
Store away any items that you don't need or use regularly in boxes or bins and place them in a storage unit or a garage.
Donate, sell, or throw away any items that you don't want or need anymore.

Tip #2: Clean and repair

The second step in staging a home is to make sure that your home is clean and in good condition. A clean and well-maintained home shows that you care about your property and that it is worth buying. A dirty or damaged home can turn off buyers and make them think that there are hidden problems or issues with your home.

To clean and repair your home, you should:

Dust, vacuum, mop, and wipe down every surface in your home, including windows, mirrors, floors, walls, ceilings, doors, and fixtures.
Wash/clean any curtains, rugs, bedding, towels, or upholstery that are visible to buyers.
Replace any light bulbs that are burned out or dim.
Fix any minor issues, such as leaky faucets, squeaky doors, loose knobs, cracked tiles, or peeling paint
Hire a professional to handle any major repairs or renovations that might be needed, such as plumbing, electrical, roofing, or flooring.

Tip #3: Neutralize and Update

The third step in staging a home is to neutralize and update the color scheme and style of your home. Neutral colors and modern styles can appeal to a wider range of buyers and make your home look more fresh and inviting. Our favorite interior color is Sherwinn Williams Accessible Beige.

Bright colors and outdated styles can limit your buyer pool and make your home look dated and unappealing.

To neutralize and update your home, you should:

Paint the walls with a neutral color, such as white, beige, gray, or cream
Replace any wallpaper or wall decals with plain paint or simple patterns.
Remove any carpets or rugs that are stained, worn out, or have bold colors or prints.
Install hardwood floors or laminate flooring if possible or use neutral-colored area rugs to cover up any flaws.
Update any fixtures or hardware that are old-fashioned or mismatched with new ones that are sleek and shiny.
Replace any curtains or blinds that are faded, torn, or have loud colors or patterns with plain ones that let in natural light.

Tip #4: Arrange and Accessorize

The fourth step in staging a home is to arrange and accessorize the furniture and decor in your home. Arranging the furniture can help you create a functional and comfortable layout that showcases the space and flow of your home. Accessorizing the decor can help you add some personality and charm to your home without making it too personal or cluttered.

To arrange and accessorize your home, you should:

Use furniture that is proportional to the size of the room and leave enough space for walking around.
Place the furniture in a way that highlights the focal point of the room, such as a fireplace, a window view, or a built-in shelf.
Group the furniture into cozy seating areas that encourage conversation and interaction.
Add some pillows, throws, or blankets to the sofa or bed to make them look more cozy and inviting.
Add some plants, flowers or candles to the tables, shelves, or mantels to add some life and warmth to the room.
Add some artwork, mirrors, or clocks to the walls to add some interest and dimension to the room.

Tip #5: Lighten Up

The fifth step in staging a home is to lighten up the lighting and atmosphere of your home. Lighting can make a big difference in how your home looks and feels to buyers.

A well-lit home can make your home look bigger, brighter, and more cheerful. A poorly-lit home can make your home look smaller, darker, and more gloomy.

To lighten up your home, you should:

Open up any curtains, blinds, or shutters to let in as much natural light as possible.
Turn on all the lights in your home, including lamps, ceiling lights, and accent lights.
Use warm or soft white light bulbs instead of cool or harsh ones.
Add some mirrors or reflective surfaces to the rooms to bounce off the light and make them look more spacious.
Use light-colored fabrics and materials for your furniture, bedding, curtains, and rugs to make them look more airy and fresh.

Conclusion

Staging a home is an important step in selling your home fast and for a good price. By following these tips, you can make your home look more appealing and attractive to potential buyers. Staging a home can also help you create a positive emotional connection with buyers and make them feel like they are at home.

If the above sounds like a lot of work while selling your house yourself, you do have the option of Plan B. You can contact us and sell your home to us AS-IS, which means that you don’t have to stage your home or do any repairs or upgrades. Just complete the Property Information Form today, get a fair cash offer for your property and see how easy it is to sell your house without taking on all the stress.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it useful. If you did, please share it with your friends and family who might be interested in selling their homes. Thank you for reading!