All the Home-Buying World is a Stage

While the present economy has created a great time to buy a home, selling a home is another matter, times are a bit tougher. The market is overflowing with For Sale signs, so when selling your home, the object is to make it memorable. You can do this by staging your home so that potential buyers can see them living there as soon as they walk through the door. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to give your home that inviting appeal, just make note of what the professionals do using furniture, décor and other accessories. Here are a few ideas:

Strong Points
All homes have strengths and weaknesses. As a seller, you need to highlight the strengths and play down the weaknesses of your home. One thing buyers look for is storage space. If your home is a little short in that area, be sure you organize what you do have, such as cabinets. Messy cabinets make it look like you’re lacking storage. A clean, organized cabinet increases the perception of space.

Couch Rotato
The way furniture is placed around a room can dictate how big the room appears. Many people think pushing furniture against the walls make the rooms look bigger. According to some experts, it may have the opposite effect. The key is to “float” your furniture. Keep it away from walls and group it (loveseat, table and chair on a decorative rug).

On Purpose
Do you have a room that doesn’t get much use other than as a holding cell for clutter? Give that room purpose. First, clear out all the clutter. Now create a brand new use for the room. How about a sewing room? Or a reading area, office or game room? You want potential buyers to be able to see themselves living in your home right away. A dedicated room does a much better job of that than a room stacked with old magazines and lawn furniture.

Lights!
The proper lighting can make a home look more inviting. Low-wattage bulbs should be replaced with higher wattages. A rule of thumb is to have 100 watts of light for every 50 square feet. Also, each room should have three types of lighting: overhead, task (reading/pendant) and accent (lamps/sconces). Make use of the natural lighting you have; open the shades and remove heavy drapes, they make rooms appear smaller.

Bath & Spa
A bathroom is a bathroom, right? Make yours more inviting by giving it the spa treatment. Add towels of different sizes rolled up and presented in a basket or on a tray. Include candles (lit or unlit). Perhaps a plant or new shower curtain. Again, the purpose is to make the space as welcoming as possible to a potential buyer.

Good Scents
Baking cookies or cinnamon rolls before a possible buyer arrives creates a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Aromatherapy at work, and it sure beats the smell of disinfectant from the hurried clean-up you did!


With a little effort, you can turn just another home on a buyer’s open house parade into one he/she will remember long after leaving.

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