Staging Your Home on a Tight Budget

When working with Sellers we always stress the importance of a staged home.  Most of the time sellers have only one chance at catching attention of a potential buyer.  Staging your home is a way to make your home appealing to incoming homebuyers and making it look its best on the Internet.

Staging a home can be done on a budget without loosing your entire budget. When we help our clients stage their home for sale, start with the following general tips.

1. De-clutter

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to stage your home is to get rid of clutter.  De-cluttering means not only removing unwanted items, but also getting rid of items that dont enhance the overall aesthetic of the room and some personal items.  The goal is to make a homeowner want to walk in your home,  and see how their life and their belongings fit in it.

2. Color is Important

We usually walk through the home with our clients to determine if there is a natural flow throughout the home, and how the colors flow from space to space.  We recommend neutral and muted tones, as well as color palettes of browns, grays and the grey tones of greens, blues and yellows.  Painting is the cheapest upgrade you can make to your home, and home buyers always appreciate rooms that flow comfortably together visually.  Get more tips on Painting your home.

3. Lighten and Brighten

You want to have as much light as possible filtering through your space. Clean your windows, you’d be surprised at how much a simple window cleaning can instantly improve natural light. Ditch the screens, which just add one more darkening layer. During an open house, we always make sure the shades are up.

New lighting fixtures are a quick and often inexpensive way to create ambiance. We recommend avoiding brass lighting fixtures, and instead use more  contemporary choices are brushed nickel and chrome finishes.   Use lighting to highlight special features—pendant lights to show off the kitchen island or sconces to illuminate a foyer. Under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen is affordable and makes countertops sparkle. Fluorescent light strips tend to be more affordable and easier to install than puck lights.

And don’t forget the basement. The biggest problem with basements is a lack of adequate lighting. While the natural-lighting flow often can’t be altered, adding lights will create a sense of open airy space on a par with the rest of the house. Paint walls an opaque color so natural light will appear brighter.