Have you ever wondered why high-end stores invest so many employee hours in keeping clothes uniformly folded after customers have rifled through looking for their size? Why car sale lots wash the cars on an almost daily basis? Or, why you're willing to pay a little more for gasoline at a station with a clean restroom? The reason is that, as with any product, presentation is tremendously important to the perception of value and disirability. A consumer will instinctively pay more for products on neat shelves in clean, well-cared for spaces than they will for an item they found in a bin of mismatched items in a poorly lit, sticky floored, discount store. The same is for houses. People assign higher value to well-cared for, clean, and visually appealing homes.
Home staging is a seller's opportunity to convey value to potential buyers. On the low end, a seller might simply declutter and clean up the yard, whereas a more aggressive staging could include significant renovations in addition to engaging the services of a professional home stager. Which range of the spectrum you land on will depend upon the current condition of your home and the amount of time and money you have to invest. Once you've taken care of basic repairs, decluttered and cleaned up, there are a few high impact improvements you can make even with limited time or funds.
Clear out the Garage
All that household decluttering you've done can leave you with a garage packed floor to ceiling with furniture, appliances, and boxes. It's great to have it out of the house, but now the garage is chaotic and littered. Move it all to a temporary storage facility. This is truly a minimal cost/maximum benefit fix to make.
Patch and Paint
Take EVERYTHING off the walls, patch the holes, and give the entire interior a fresh coat of neutral paint before you rehang only a few tasteful items. Interior paint is a significant factor in how a buyer decides the accuracy of the "move-in ready" description on the listing.
Carpet
Have the carpets cleaned, or better yet, replaced. Like paint, this is a factor of the "move-in ready" perception. Stained or odorous carpeting is a huge turn-off for buyers, while clean/new carpet is an investment that will increase value far beyond your cost.
Landscaping
The exterior is your chance to give a great first impression. Trimmed trees, fresh bark or other landscaping materials, green grass and color filled planters by the door are a huge plus for desirability and value. If you have pets, you MUST remove any kind of what my family calls 'dog dirt' (regardless of what you call it, you know what I mean!).
Replace the Toilets
I know this one doesn't typically make the lists thrown around by realtors and stagers; but honestly, even an outdated bathroom can be significantly improved in the eyes of a buyer with a fresh, clean, new toilet. A handyman or plumber can quickly switch out the old with the new!
If you've done it right, you may end up with second thoughts on selling such a beautiful home, One of the best compliments I've received as a home stager is the time a client walked into his staged home, then turned and told his real estate agent, "I want to make an offer!".
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