Texas Real Estate Blog & Market News

If you want to sell your home quickly – and who doesn’t? – there are many things you should do to prepare your home and draw buyers in. But perhaps the best way to increase the odds of selling your home fast is to stage it. Staging is the art of preparing your home to look as attractive as possible.

If you want to stage your home, you must consider what buyers are looking for in a home and transform it to reflect this. Here are some tips for making sure your home is staged and ready to sell:

First Impressions

The first impression buyers will get of your home is the exterior as they drive past, so you will want to catch their attention the minute they pull up to the curb. You will want to make sure your home is not in need of painting or repair, of course, but you also want to make sure it is attractive and welcoming. A few good strategies for preparing the outside of your home is to add a wreath to the front door, add potted flowers or plants on the front porch or walkway, and to make sure the front lawn is freshly mowed and that all plant or flower beds are weeded and mulched.

The White Glove Test

A beautiful home may have all the best features, but if it isn’t clean, you can be sure potential buyers will leave with a bad first impression. Don’t forget to clean the windows (inside and out), the appliances (inside and out), the bathrooms, the carpets, and the walls. In addition, make sure your home is free of any odors, and that includes pet odors, cigarette odors, or the odor from last night’s dinner.

Let in the Light

There’s no better way to stage your home than to make sure it is shown in its best light. And by best light we mean natural light. Before a showing, make sure all blinds are open and curtains are drawn back (showing those windows you just cleaned!). If you have a showing during the evening hours or on a cloudy day, make sure to turn all the lights on so buyers will be welcomed into a well-lit room every time they turn the corner.