When you’re getting ready to list your Dallas-Fort Worth home for sale, the last thing you want to do is spend hundreds — or thousands — of dollars fixing up a home you’ll soon no longer own. That’s where low-budget staging comes in to play. If you’re worried about potential trouble spots that may scare away buyers, use some clever home staging ideas to make your house shine.
But first, a word of caution. Ensure that you aren’t knowingly hiding a major issue from people who may want to buy your home. Issues involving structural integrity or code violations like electrical or plumbing problems should be disclosed and addressed, and if not, will likely be found on inspection and either become a contingency on the sale or the reason for a lost sale. The following staging tips are meant for minor trouble spots and not to deceive buyers about large issues.
Outdated Finishings
Does your kitchen or bathrooms hearken back to an era you’d rather forget — the brassy 80s or wood-paneled 70s, perhaps? Kitchens and baths sell homes, so you may have legitimate worries that your outdated finishings may hinder buyers. Try these home staging ideas for quick fixes that will woo buyers.
- Paint. And then more paint. Paint can solve any number of problems and is one of the most cost-effective upgrades homeowners can undertake. Paint can soften ugly paneling, spruce up tired cabinetry, or make dark spaces more hospitable. And when you’re trying to draw attention away from fixtures that would be far more costly to update, a pristine paint job can be just the ticket to a quicker sale.
- Push and pull. Drawer and cabinet pulls can instantly freshen outdated storage. Get rid of dingy hardware and your buyers will focus on your new pulls instead of your old cabinets.
- Clean it up. Your daily or weekly cleaning chores may not be enough to remove decades of grime. Grab a bottle of white vinegar and some clean rags and scrub cabinets, walls, floors, and other hard spaces. Watch how even the oldest spaces can again shine.
Odd Shapes and Cramped Areas
Over time, you’ve probably adjusted your oddly shaped or small and cramped spaces to fit your needs, finding furniture to cram in or deciding to tolerate a certain amount of clutter or large furniture smushed into small areas. Your buyer doesn’t share your history, however, and so many only see that your home features wall-to-wall furniture and belongings without any additional space to breathe. Try these home staging tips to make these spaces inviting and exciting to buyers.
- Less is more. Pare your furniture down to the bare minimum necessary for a room. Instead of multiple couches and chairs and side tables shoved into a living area, for example, simply feature an intimate seating arrangement supported by tastefully sparse decorating pieces.
- Clear purpose. While you, perhaps, have used a front room just inside your door as an extra living space, perhaps consider turning it into a foyer or welcoming entrance point. Or maybe you use a space off your kitchen as a home office. Maybe it’s time to put in a small café table to show how this space may be better used as a breakfast room. Ensure each room of your home is staged with a clear purpose.
Distance and Perspective
Take a good hard look at your home from the perspective of a prospective buyer. Any areas that already drive you nuts — or would bother you as a buyer — are ripe for sprucing up or cleverly staging so you don’t miss that sale.
Image Source: Flickr/Real Estaging
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