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Properly staging your home is one of the best and most important ways to entice potential buyers and bring in offers. Staging allows your home to be seen in its best light and allow potential buyers to visualize themselves and their family in the home. Creating a warm and inviting space will go a long way towards getting the offers your home deserves.

๐Ÿก Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is arguably one of the most important staging categories. If potential buys don’t notice or don’t like the look of the house from the outside, they probably won’t be making any appointments to see the inside. A few simple updates include painting the front door with an eye-catching, but appealing color, freshening up flower beds with plants that are in bloom, and power-washing sidewalks and driveways. If there is a front porch, make sure it is warm and inviting with seating areas and cushions to complement the house colors.

๐ŸŽ› Kitchens

Kitchens are a huge selling point. Maximize the look of your counter space by storing appliances such as toasters, mixers, or coffee makers. Replacing old cabinets can be costly, but painting or staining, and replacing hardware, can breathe new life into the kitchen. Increase natural lighting if possible, by replacing heavier curtains with valances or sheer panels. Bright, light-filled kitchens are extremely desirable. If you have children and their artwork is displayed prominently on the refrigerator, now is the time to move it to a drawer.

๐Ÿ› Bedrooms

Bedrooms, specifically master bedrooms, should be as gender neutral as possible. Avoid bright wall colors and repaint, if needed. Ideally, you want potential buyers to be able to visualize themselves relaxing in this retreat you have created. Again, remove clutter and any items that are extremely personal, such as family photos. Other bedrooms, if already gendered, don’t necessarily need to be redone. However, simplify the theme as much as possible. It can be difficult to stage a child or teenager’s room, if the house is still occupied. Hopefully potential buyers will understand that, but extra work might need to be done in these rooms, such as moving toys or taking down posters. If any bedrooms are being used for other purposes, such as an office or play room, be sure to make that clear to potential buyers, via furniture and decorations.

๐Ÿ› Bathrooms

Every bathroom in the house should look like the Queen of England is coming to visit. Fresh, luxe towels on the towel bar, sparkling hardware on sinks, tubs, and doors, and bright, clean grout and walls are a must. Remove clutter from sinks and tubs, hang a new shower curtain, and display some candles to create a welcoming and appealing space. Depending on the age of the house, updated fixtures might be necessary. If a new commode is out of the budget, some elbow grease and a fresh coat of paint on the walls is also a good option.

๐Ÿ›‹ Living Rooms

Living rooms often end up being a catch-all for household items. Invest in additional storage solutions like baskets to hold extra throws, if possible. Remove clutter and most personal items, so potential buyers can visualize their belongings in this space. Rearrange furniture to create open space and comfortable seating areas, and absolutely have the carpet cleaned. If there is a fireplace in the living room, some additional work might be needed. Is there an out-of-date fire screen? Replace or remove it. Does the brick need an update? Scrub it and then see if it needs some polish or paint. The living room should look welcoming and lived in, so consider adding comfy throw pillows to couches or arm chairs.

๐Ÿ’ก Tips for Keeping Things Show Ready

It should go without saying that a deep clean and de-clutter is imperative. Once unnecessary items are stored or moved off site, the rearranging, if needed, and the deep cleaning can begin. Grimy showers and dirty grout are red flags to potential buyers, so make sure to pay special attention to those areas. Keeping your home show ready with children in the house can be more difficult, but it can be done. Create a schedule for cleaning that everyone can help with and give incentives to the children such as dinner out or a trip to the park. Avoid buying anything new, if you can, to keep clutter to a minimum. If possible, live in as few rooms as you can, while waiting to sell your home, so when buyers want a showing, it’s a quick pick-up instead of a whole-house deep clean.

Your real estate agent is the best source of information about the local community and real estate topics. Call Tom Verhelst at 218-205-2604 | Karen Zell at 218-731-6836 to learn more about local areas, discuss selling a house, or tour available homes for sale.

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