What if there was something you could do to help your home sell faster and potentially at a higher price? Good news, there is — and it doesn’t require any special skills, just time and some good old fashioned elbow grease.
That “something” is staging your home, which involves decluttering, deep cleaning, and making some general improvements. In other words, the process of staging makes a home as appealing as possible in preparation for selling it. Simply put, staging your home helps prospective homebuyers envision themselves living there.
According to real estate experts, staging your home may help it sell faster and for up to 10% more. This is true regardless of the type of home (condo, townhome, single-family home, etc.) and even the specific housing market. In other words, staging a home for quick sale is always a good idea.
The question is, how do you actually go about staging your home for quick sale — particularly if you’re currently living in it? Glad you asked.
Staging a home for quick sale
With proven benefits, there’s no question about whether you should consider staging a home for quick sale — it’s just a matter of how to go about it. These simple steps will get the job done in no time!
1. Declutter
Decluttering is the first step you should take in staging a home for quick sale. Having clutter-free areas and surfaces presents your home as a “clean slate,” allowing prospective buyers to imagine their own belongings in the house or what types of changes they might make.
With AtticSpace’s innovative on-demand storage solution, decluttering has never been easier. Keep neutral furniture and a few key pieces of decor (we’ll get into that in more detail below), then order bins to store everything else temporarily. We’ll drop off the bins, then come pick them up and store them in our secure, climate-controlled facility for as long as you need. Once your home sells, you can have us bring your stuff back, order more bins to move the rest of your belongings, or wait until you’re in a new house and have us deliver everything there. With our flexible options, it’s entirely up to you!
2. Empty cabinets, drawers, and closets
Even though it may not technically be “clutter,” it’s a good idea to empty closets, cabinets, and drawers when staging a home for quick sale. Prospective homebuyers will open them and they don’t want to see last season’s clothes, mismatched glassware, or shelves filled with spices or medicine bottles. It’s okay to leave a few carefully curated things, like matching sets of dishes and glassware — but only if it adds to the aesthetic. Of course, you’ll probably want to put the cabinets’ contents in your AtticSpace storage bins.
3. Do sweat the small stuff
When someone walks through your house trying to imagine themselves living in it, they notice every speck of dust. As you’re staging a home for quick sale, don’t forget to wipe down windows and blinds, empty and clean your refrigerator (inside and out!), and hide electronics cords when possible. A few well-placed plants or flowers, as well as little details like throw pillows and coasters, go a long way in making an area feel more inviting.
4. Remove personal touches
While neutral little “extras” make a big impact in staging a home for quick sale, it’s important to keep the personal details out of it. That means removing photos and anything personalized with names. Remember, people are trying to imagine themselves in your home, and having a blank slate is an important part of doing that.
5. Boost curb appeal
Decluttering doesn’t only apply to inside your home — outside is just as (or maybe more!) important. It’s fairly common for prospective buyers to drive by homes they’re interested in, sometimes before they even tell their agent! As you stage your home, don’t forget to clean up your yard, both front and back. Store yard toys, excess patio furniture, tools, and other supplies you won’t need in the immediate future.
6. Do an upgrade
Finally, you may want to perform some upgrades in staging your home for quick sale. Touch paint up, particularly in high-visibility areas, replace light fixtures or drawer pulls, and consider putting in new flooring or refinishing cabinets. You may also want to hire a professional company to come in and deep clean. Even if you don’t have a large budget, many of these projects are simple DIY fixes and they’ll have a huge impact — remember, prospective buyers notice every little thing.
So, are you ready to start staging your home for quick sale? AtticSpace can help! We have a variety of storage plans, with assorted box and bin sizes to suit your needs. We’ll store your belongings for as long as you need in a secure facility and you can manage your account online, logging in to see what’s stored or letting us know you’d like something specific back. It really is that easy! Visit us online or call (504) 384-2457 today to get started!