There are few things more frustrating than watching your house sit on the market. It can be confusing and distressing to wonder why no buyers are interested in your home, especially if you know it has many wonderful features. However, sometimes the way you’ve presented your home doesn’t do it justice.
If you haven’t staged your home properly, it can be impossible for buyers to truly believe it’s the right home for them. Fortunately, the opposite is true as well. By making an effort to stage your home for sale, you can convince buyers that your house is the one they’ve been waiting for. Here are a few techniques you can use to make your house as appealing to buyers as possible.
Take Yourself Out of the Home
This isn’t literal – it’s okay to still live in the house while you sell it. However, the less personalized your house is, the faster it will move off the market. This is because buyers want to be able to picture themselves in your home. If it looks too lived-in, they’ll struggle to imagine living their own lives there.
To this end, remove any personalized wall art or decorations such as photos or monogrammed art. Swap it instead for neutral, universally appealing décor. The less stylized the interior design, the better. After all, everyone has a different sense of style. Go too far from classic design, and you’re more likely to turn buyers away.
Though you don’t have to live elsewhere, the only time you should literally remove yourself from the home is if you’re having a showing. Sellers at a home viewing tend to make buyers uncomfortable. Why? Buyers need to have an honest dialogue about your home, and they may not be able to with your present.
Check Out the Competition
If you’re not sure whether your home is hitting the mark when it comes to staging, take a look at other houses for sale in your area and how much they’re selling for (homes in O’Fallon currently have an average sale price of $240,000). This will give you a sense of what other people are doing. Not only will this allow you to make sure you’re on track, but it can also be a source of inspiration.
You can also check out local open houses, especially if your viewings have fallen flat. There are several subtle details that can make or break an open house. Checking out what other people do can clue you into positives – or negatives – that you can use to hone your own staging technique so that you don’t have to hire expensive professionals (staging costs average $2,300 – $3,200).
Focus on Curb Appeal
Remember that your house isn’t just on display online or during a showing; it’s also advertising itself to anyone who drives by and notices the “For Sale” sign on the lawn. If the front of your home gives off the wrong impression, you’re not likely to get any potential buyers from that advertising avenue.
Make sure your lawn is mowed and your landscaping is neat and tended for. Consider putting up some tasteful seasonal décor on the porch, and replace (or remove) any mismatched or broken-down patio furniture. If you want to give your façade an extra boost, consider painting your door a bold, attention-grabbing color.
Selling a home is a constant game of trying to catch the right attention at the right time. By staging your home properly, you give yourself the best chance of making a good impression with the time is right.
By Alice Robertson
Photo Credit: Pixabay
