Is it time to say goodbye to your old home? Whether you’re looking to downgrade or upgrade to a new home or space, you likely need to part with your old home first. Many people don’t believe they can afford a professional interior designer to come out and stage their home for photos or for an open house, but you can make a few simple changes for free or cheap that can help prospective buyers envision themselves in your home.
1. Declutter & De-Personalize
One of the biggest things that homeowners who are selling while living in a home fail to do is declutter. While we may enjoy being surrounded by things that remind us of memories, others may not enjoy your huge collection of family photos or vintage shot glasses. Removing items from up above kitchen countertops, magnets on the refrigerator, tabletop items, and other cluttery looking items can help give your home the sleek look buyers are looking for. Make sure that your collection of vintage dolls gets packed away safely as well as you don’t want to scare any potential buyers off!
2. Deep clean
While living in your home, it’s easy to overlook dirt and grime that may have built up while you were living there, but a person who has never seen in before may quickly see the dirtiness. Make sure to wipe down walls, flood molding, window sills, and check for cobwebs. Clean all visible areas of appliances including handles (especially if you have white appliances) and backsplashes. You may even want to consider touching up scrapes and dings on the walls and windows that you can’t scrub out.
3. Remove some furniture
One easy way to make a space look a lot larger is to start offloading furniture. Having two stools instead of four can make a space look surprisingly larger. Remove unused tables, chairs, stools, and other items to help make you space look larger and help potential buyers get an idea of what they could put there.
4. Update your lighting
Sometimes swapping out the lighting in your space can give it enough “oomph” to make it feel a lot more modern than it used to. While no one is expecting you to go out and purchase a chandelier, if you have pendant lighting, for example, you can remove the pendant shades and swap them out for some more modern wire cages, and swap out the bulbs for Edison style bulbs, if your space allows. There are lots of accessories that can help you get a more modern look with your lighting. Take a walk through the local hardware store to get some ideas!
5. Make a good first impression
The first thing a potential buyer will see is your entryway, so it’s worthwhile to make sure that your front entryway is clean and comfortable, both inside and out. Clean around the exterior of your door, remove any seasonal decorations, and finally choose to fix that crooked front lamp you’ve been thinking about for years. You may even want to sweep your walkway and maybe pick up a potted plant or two for the front.
What kind of staging tips did you find most helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
