Three Presentation Pointers You Won't Want to Pass Up

When you're selling your home, you'll come across articles that tell you staging is an art and a great investment and something no seller should pass on, and it's true. Sometimes. Other times, the market you're selling in doesn't really call for staging, or your home is already in pretty good shape. You've de-personalized, de-cluttered, and de-emphasized any parts of the home that may stand out because of bright paint, dated fixtures, or a multitude of other sins. So what else would a stager do that you wouldn't think of? Read on to get three tips professional stagers use to sell houses.

1. Get out the big guns. Not literally, of course, because that might just scare away your buyers before they walk in the door! To get professional results, you need professional tools. That means renting a power washing for your home's siding, walkway, deck, patio, or porch. If your yard never got a good lawn laid down, you might want to bring in some sod. If you're a do-it-yourselfer installing floors or other significant features to give the interior a facelift, make sure you have the right tools for the job. Renting or buying the correct implements may cost you more now, but you'll make it up when the buyer can't resist making an offer on your home.
2. Do sweat the small stuff. Uneven or sloppy paint, dusty or grimy baseboards and cobwebs on the ceilings all spell neglect and a lack of pride of ownership. Your home should be your castle and the tidiness of it genuinely reflects how well it has been taken care of. You need to do all you can to make sure your house is absolutely free of all dirt, dinge, and decrepitude. Get on your hands and knees and scrub down those baseboards with a toothbrush, if that's what it takes to get them looking as though they were just installed. When a house is impeccably clean, buyers view the dated fireplace or ugly dining room chandelier as less of a hassle to deal with.
3. Everything old is new again. Even if your sofa and chairs are from 1972, they should be in impeccable condition. If you're thinking about buying new furniture for your new home, you may want to purchase it now while you're living in your current home. That way, your home gets a bit of a facelift and you don't have to worry about getting rid of your furniture when you move out. If you can't afford new furniture or you don't need it, make sure you vacuum, clean, and otherwise refresh your furniture. It should look as much as possible like it just came off the show room floor. No, the buyers are probably not purchasing your furniture, but it is surprising how much of an effect it has on their impressions of the property.

You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on a professional stager and new furniture to get a great offer on your home. As long as you're looking at your home from an unbiased perspective and/or using the opinions of a very honest friend, you'll have no problem making it welcoming and attractive to buyers. When you were selling your house or condo, did you do anything you think made an impact in your sale? What about as a buyer- what really turned you off a house? Weigh in with your opinions in the comments, and good luck with your staging!