12 Secrets for Staging a House to Sell Quickly

Has news of an unexpected move for work happened recently? Could be a growing family means you will quickly outgrow your current home? Or maybe you find yourself in a hot market, and it’s prime time to downsize? While it would be ideal to have months to prepare for putting a home on the market, it truly never happens like that in my experience. Have no fear. With a few tips and tricks in this sponsored post, I’ll share secrets for staging a house to sell quickly.

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12 Secrets for Staging a House to Sell Quickly

While some realtors offer professional services to help sellers stage a home, not everyone does. If money is tight you certainly don’t want to spend additional money to hire someone. If a home is dated quite a bit, some realtors might recommend updating paint, flooring, kitchens, and bathrooms. But that all comes at a price. If the market is hot, and your home value falls within a good price point, it might not be necessary to update or upgrade. After all, new homeowners will likely make their own changes.

A lot of the recommendations for staging a house is common sense. That said, almost every single one of the recent listings I’ve looked at this year failed to do some basic things. Those things immediately stood out to me and to prospective buyers I am sure.

As someone who has sold her home in less than 24 hours (YES I DID), make sure to go through this list of tips and tricks.

Focus on Curb Appeal

In order to close a deal you have to get potential buyers inside the house. That’s why you always hear about “curb appeal” from realtors and HGTV fans. If someone were to drive by, what would they say about your home? Is the porch inviting and welcoming? Is the landscape nicely trimmed? Or is the lawn full of weeds? The roof missing shingles? The pathway to the door filled with toys and garden hoses?

Grab their attention with pops of color. Plant bright seasonal flowers in either the flower bed or flower pots near the door.

Make sure the front door is appealing and maintained. If it’s a wood door, make sure it’s not dingy from the outside elements. I know in Texas a wood door can easily lose its luster with all the allergens – yellow pollen everywhere. If needs sprucing up, spray equal parts of water and vinegar in a bottle for a homemade cleanser and wipe gently. Another option is to have a handyman refinish the front door by sanding and restaining. We have done that and it’s amazing what it does to the look of the home.

Though I’m talking about budget friendly options in this post, if you need or want to spend money before putting it on the market, this is where to spend it – for curb appeal and the outside of the home. There’s nothing like a fresh paint job on a building and any shutters. Painters will often fix  any sealing problems around windows and doors as well. The roof needs to be in good shape. Make sure the shrubs and trees are pruned back and sprinkler systems are working.

Remove Personal Photographs

Walk around your home and remove any personal pictures. When a potential buyer walks in they want that model home feel to it. Homey yet not too personal that they can’t see themselves living in it. Plus, when you remove the photos, you are likely removing any cluttered areas. Think minimalistic.

Store Valuable Belongs (Monetary and Otherwise) Away

During any showings or open houses, there will be many people walking through your private areas – rooms, closets, drawers. Make sure to put anything of value in a locked and safe place or remove it to another location.

This goes for sentimental items too. I know there are things not worth much  money in my home, but I would be crushed if someone accidentally broke it.

Remove Everyday Items from View

This is the one that I see most when I look at house listings, including some of my friends. I scroll through the photographs on a real estate website and what do I see? The house might be lovely, but I spy a razor in the bathtub. I spy cleaning supplies on the counter in the laundry room. I spy toasters and all sorts of appliances cluttering the kitchen countertops.

It looks a little too much like someone lives there. Which in reality they do, but it shouldn’t look like that.

Make it look  move-in ready. Before you leave the house knowing someone is about to show it, put the toothbrushes away in a drawer. Clear the countertops. For goodness sake don’t have a basket of laundry in the living room. Yes, all things I see.

Get a Little OCD with Cabinets and Pantry

The kitchen is the hub of the home. Make it pretty and most of all organized. Bring your obsessive compulsive tendencies to the forefront. Organize the canned vegetables in rows. Have a trendy basket full of the bread and crackers. It’ll make the prospective buyer smile.

Clean Microwave, Oven, and Stovetop

Though it can be hard, make sure to keep where you prepare and cook food as clean as possible. Smells (especially in the microwave and oven) can be overwhelming, so be sure to stay on top of that.

TIP: If you’ve never been able to scrub clean those drip pans on the stovetop, buy replacement ones. Nice and shiny!

Set a Beautiful Tablescape

Whether seasonal or not, create a beautiful tablescape in your dining room. Set the table complete with placemats and napkins.

Increase Lighting

If a room suffers from a lack of natural light, consider purchasing some additional lighting or increase the wattage on light bulbs as directions and safety permit.

Remove Carpeting Stains

Sometimes there isn’t time to clean entire carpets because of all the work there is to do, but make sure to remove any stains. Especially if you have pets, remove any signs of them.

Empty Trash and Clean those Toilets

Be sure to leave the lids down on all toilet seats, but rest assured that some potential buyers will take a peek. They are looking for hardwater stains or scrubbing damage. Make sure to keep them clean. Don’t forget to empty the trash, keeping the home free of smells.

Move Excess Furniture and Clothing Out of the House

One way to make a room seem bigger than it is, is to limit the amount of furniture in it. If a particular room is cluttered with too many sofas, chairs or small tables, let’s get rid of them temporarily. Make it easier for potential buyers to walk around. Let them go through the home easily.

I know what you’re thinking. Where would I put extra furniture? This is when you rent a small off-site storage facility, unless you are lucky enough to have a family member with extra room in the garage.

There’s one smart move you can make when prepping to stage your house for a quick sell – hire a moving company like Our Truck Moving. They’ll handle everything and make this part of the staging process a breeze. You won’t hurt your back or sprain your ankle. Just let the pros handle it and you can hire them once you sell your home too.

These Garland piano movers move more than just pianos, though if you’ve got a baby grand in your living room, they’ll handle it with care. From china cabinets filled with glass to all your clutter in the garage, they’ll get your home stage-ready and looking larger in no time.

Bake Some Cookies

Though the last secret, it’s a good one. It worked like a charm too. Bake some cookies (just don’t burn them) to have the house smelling heavenly upon a potential buyer’s arrival.