STAGING YOUR HOME FOR SALE

The manner in which you stage your home will make a difference in how quickly your home will sell and in the amount sellers will be willing to offer. There are several things that you can do to make your home appear market-ready and then to make it appealing, once somebody visits.

Developing curb appeal. The front of your house is the first thing that buyers see when they drive by or up to the property and therefore the property needs to appear spotless.

Make your front door and porch very attractive.

Paint the door, if paint is needed.

Trim the lawn and shrubs and water, if needed.

Fix cracks and bulges in walks and driveways and remove any oil stains.

Replace warped shingles.

Paint siding and gutters, if necessary.

Straighten gutters that sag.

Replace broken doorbells.

Put out a fresh welcome mat and polish any door brass.

Staging inside the home. Once inside, home buyers look for homes that are in move-in condition. That does not mean that you have to totally remodel your house to make it acceptable. It does mean that you need to pay extra attention to the neatness and appearance of your home's interior.

Paint any surfaces that appear to be soiled or worn. Look at your walls from a buyer's perspective. Paint colors should be light, bright, and neutral. Cracks in the plaster should be repaired.

Give extra attention to cleaning the kitchen and baths. Remove any clutter from counters and cabinets and make sure that fixtures sparkle. If you have children, make sure that the appliances are free of fingerprints. Clean the oven and exhaust hood. Some buyers may judge the entire house by the cleanliness of the kitchens and baths.

Repair dripping faucets, crooked drawers, and sticking doors. Tighten the hardware, especially the doorknobs. Steam clean or replace the carpet.

Remove clutter from the closets. This may be an excellent time to have a garage sale or to donate unusable items to charity. If there are things that you simply cannot part with, it is advisable to rent temporary storage space so that you may store excess items and have your closets appear to be large and uncluttered.

Clean out basement and attic. Clean the furnnace front and hot water tank. A little extra effort here can put a lot extra in your pocket!

Clean out the garage. A cluttered garage may cause buyers to reject your house because they sense that there is not enough storage space.

Remove excess furniture and if necessary, store it in a temporary storage facility. Look at each room and ask yourself what you might be able to do to make the room look more open and less cluttered. Rooms with minimal, but well-placed furniture are much more attractive than rooms that are stuffed with extra chairs or dressers. Make sure the furniture is cleaned and neat in appearance.

Safety is a concern. Remove or tack down any rugs or flooring that could be hazardous and make sure rooms are well-lighted and that walkways are free of debris.

Be aware of anything that may cause pet odors and clean the area thoroughly with a product such as OdorBan or other enzymatic cleanser. As a pet owner, I can report that I am rarely conscious of the scent of pets in my home. However, as a realtor, I know that some people who do not have pets can quickly detect pet odors.

Before you put your home on the market, you should seek the advice of a real estate professional who can guide you through the process of staging your home.

If you live in the Western PA area and list your home with Joe Hirsch and Keller Wiliams Realty, Joe will send a home staging specialist to your house to help you to prepare your home for the market. There is no cost for this service. It is a free to our clients.

If you are considering a remodeling project, find out how much you can expect as a return on the investment. Check out our Remodeling page.

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Joe Hirsch, Realtor