Get your interior design hard hats on, friends. I’m here to talk to you about one of the best things you can do to sell a house for more money, and sell a house faster: home staging. Home staging is the process of decorating with the intent to feature your home in the best possible light for selling. A well-staged home can make a huge difference…it can increase a home’s selling price and the likelihood that it will sell quickly. In fact, recent data from Stagedhome.com shows that staged homes average 6 days for selling time on the market versus 48 days nationally. That’s huge!

When you stage a home, you are helping potential buyers envision their lives living inside that house…pulling fresh cookies out of the oven, taking a hot bath in candlelight, and putting their feet up after a long day. Stage a house right and you should have no problem selling your home quickly…no pressure. See below for my top tips on staging a home.

Fresh is Best

Adding greenery and flowers to spaces is always a good idea. Fresh is best, but faux will work too. And with fake plants and flowers, you have the added benefit of reusing them. If you are using fresh, It doesn’t matter whether you cut them straight from the garden or pick up a bunch at your favorite flower shop, the buyer will always appreciate the added touch. If you want to triple the shelf life of your bouquet, put the flowers in the fridge or a cool spot of the house for six hours before putting them out.

Create a Vision by Defining Spaces

Even though you most likely won’t be staging a home with a complete furniture set, you can still help buyers understand how they would live in the space and where they’d put their furniture. The best way to do this is by adding accents like area rugs. Use area rugs to define spaces and show where furniture would theoretically go so buyers can picture the layout of the room. Use a rug that complements the style of the house…nothing too busy or patterned (in most cases). 

You can also use inexpensive tables, chairs, and lamps to add warmth and depth to a room while still protecting your budget. This allows you to define a space and show buyers how a room is intended to be used. 

Find the Right Light

Lighting should not be taken lightly. The right light can drastically improve the mood within a home, creating a warm and bright ambiance versus a drab and unattractive space. Good lighting doesn’t have to be expensive…in fact, it can be free! Whenever you can, open up blinds and curtains to let natural light in instead of relying on the overhead lights. Even with lots of good natural light, you may still need to invest in nicer light fixtures. This is a great place to spend some of your home staging budget if you have it because it makes a huge difference. Think of your light fixtures as the “jewelry” of a room…and just like jewelry, you can get some pretty nice knockoffs! Replace outdated fixtures with updated, modern chandeliers and floor lamps, even if from inexpensive home goods stores, and watch the mood of the home be transformed.

Level Up the Curb Appeal

The outside of the home is just as important as the inside, as the outside is a reflection of what’s within. Make sure you have appealing curb appeal by pressure washing the driveway, adding a pop of color with some flowers, treating the windows, and rolling out the welcome mat. An easy way to brighten up the front entryway is by adding symmetrical planters with flowers on each side of the door. You can pick these up at Ikea or Home Depot for cheap. A fresh coat of paint on the front door will go a long way, too.

Home staging works best when you stick to tasteful, decorative touches. Be mindful of what you choose to bring into the house and focus on cleanliness, good lighting, fresh additions, and curb appeal. You can make this as inexpensive or as pricey as you want it to be, but remember that it’s not necessary to spend a lot of cash when staging a home. But you likely will spend some, but you will make that money back when you sell the house quickly and for a good price. And remember most of what you buy you will be able to reuse…so it really is an investment all around. Happy staging!

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