As a real estate investor, time and money are your biggest concerns. Everything from procuring funding to completing renovations must happen quickly if you want to be profitable, and selling a property is no different. If you want to sell a property quickly and for the most money possible, you need to highlight its best assets and really impress the potential buyers. The following five home staging tips will help you do just that.
What is Home Staging?
Home staging is the process of preparing a home to be viewed by potential buyers. During the staging process, investors and real estate agents work to highlight the home’s best assets, including things like architecture and layout, in a way that helps the buyer see themselves living their best lives inside that home. Many real estate investors keep storage units filled with neutral furnishings and decor for this purpose since they can be reused over and over again. It’s one of the must lucrative projects you can undertake when you compare the potential return on your time and money investment.
Top 5 Home Staging Tips
While there are countless tips for staging your home, there are five that stand out above the rest for real estate investors.
- Keep it clean and decluttered. Of all the home staging tips out there, this one is the most important. A clean and decluttered home helps potential buyers focus on the features instead of the mess. What’s more, too much clutter in a space can make it appear smaller than it is, which negatively affects the buyers’ opinions.
- Make it homey, but impersonal. Staging a home involves helping the buyers really see themselves inside the home. A throw over the back of the sofa and a crackling fireplace are fantastic because they homey, but impersonal. Things like family photos, hobby equipment, and even bright paint can lead buyers to feel out of place, which is something you want to avoid at all costs.
- Focus on freshness and light. There are several ways to make a home look fresh and bright. You can add some potted plants here and there, especially in the living room and bathroom spaces, but don’t go overboard. You can also open the drapes and use a wax warmer or candle to fill the main rooms with a subtle, yet pleasant aroma.
- Highlight each room’s purpose. Buyers will know what kitchens, bathrooms, and master suites are for, but they may not be sure what to do with an extra bedroom, a finished basement, or even a loft over the garage. It’s up to you to define each space to show the home’s potential. The goal isn’t necessarily to tell buyers how to use these rooms; instead, your goal is to show buyers the extent of the home’s usable, livable space.
- Don’t forget about curb appeal. Curb appeal is vital to attracting buyers, whether you’re hosting an open house or showing the home to one potential buyer at a time. A freshly-trimmed lawn and hedges, beautiful flowers (depending on the season), and clean siding – or even a fresh coat of paint – can make the property far more attractive.
If you are an investor who is looking for ways to sell your fix-and-flip or new construction properties as quickly as possible and for as much money as possible, don’t overlook the power of staging. These five tips for staging a home will serve you well in all your real estate endeavors, both now and in the future.