In our previous blog, Managing Your Move When You’ve Listed Your Property, we discussed best practices for moving and selling your home when they occur at the same time. In this blog, we address one specific aspect of home resale: staging.
Many real estate professionals recommend home staging because it gives potential buyers a feel for the space and prompts them to picture their own furnishings in the house. However, the idea of packing up and staging concurrently can be intimidating.
In this blog, we break down the basics of how to stage your home as you move to a new one.
1. Begin in Your Closets, Cupboards, and Drawers
When you think about prospective buyers walking through your house, you may only picture them considering the easily visible spaces. However, most buyers also consider available storage when looking at home listings, so consider closets, cupboards, and drawers the best place to start to stage your home.
Resist the temptation to cram items not involved in your staging into the nearest closet, cupboard, or drawer. Someone is sure to see those objects during a showing.
Instead, start your packing efforts in these storage areas. Ensure that the inside of each space is clean. You can remove all items or keep minimal staging in place. For example, your set of good silverware in a kitchen drawer or a few pairs of shoes and hanging clothes in a closet can keep the space homey rather than sterile.
2. Clean Thoroughly
No matter what other staging efforts you make, the first thing many visitors will notice is dust, clutter, and unpleasant odors. As you pack up individual rooms, do a thorough cleaning as well. Remember to give rarely cleaned areas, like baseboards and HVAC returns, a once-over as well.
You may want to have your carpets professionally cleaned and rent an air purifier or ozone machine to eliminate existing smells, especially if you have pets. Additionally, prioritize the removal of potential odors like old trash. When you stage your home, try to keep bedroom, home office, and bathroom trash cans empty during showing times.
3. Consider Professional Staging and Packing Services
As you attempt to sell your home using staging, you shouldn’t underestimate the value of expert assistance. In our blog on managing your move, we highlighted some of the benefits of professional real estate and packing services.
First, pack your personal effects that don’t have universal appeal to buyers.
In addition to these options, you may want to consider full or partial services to stage your home. These services can be particularly helpful if you have mismatched or older furniture that doesn’t show well since stagers supply new furnishings to fit the space.
Full stagers can overhaul an empty house to make it as appealing to buyers as possible. If you choose this option, you should complete packing and cleaning before you schedule staging. In this situation, self-storage or storage through your mover can be a wise choice.
Some staging companies also offer minor repairs and renovation services to get your home in tip-top shape before buyers arrive.
Partial stagers may work in one or two specific rooms to maximize the impact of your showings or supplement your DIY staging. If you can stage the most important rooms in your house yourself but are missing key pieces like artwork and decor, then consider bringing in a fluff stager to put these final touches in place.
4. Make Arrangements for Your Pets
In addition to working to eliminate pet odors, as discussed in the cleaning section, you should also consider keeping your pets in a separate location as you stage your home.
Even dog and cat lovers don’t want to find litter boxes, food bowls, and other pet supplies in a house they’re considering purchasing. Additionally, enthusiastic pets can sometimes undo your hard staging work or coat beautiful furnishings with shed fur.
5. Set Aside Quick Staging Supplies
If you plan to live in your home while it’s staged, you’ll obviously have to use some of the furnishings and clean up small messes on a daily basis. Set aside quick staging supplies like cleaning wipes and show towels to replace the dishcloths and bath towels you actually use, and scented candles to freshen your home’s air.
Mark your scheduled showings on your calendar and ensure that your home returns to perfection before each open house begins.
Use these guidelines to increase your home’s chance of selling quickly. You may also want to consult with your real estate agent and mover for personalized recommendations to pack and stage your home.
For full-service packing and moving options, trust the experienced team at Wheaton World Wide Moving. Give us a call today to learn more about our services.
