Do empty homes sell faster?
Or do staged homes sell faster?
According to a survey by National Association of Realtors® (NAR) in 2017,
- staging increased the value of a home by 6-20%.
- Over 77% of buyers find it easier to visualize it as their future home, when it is staged.
- 40% of buyers are willing to walk through a staged home thy saw online.
- staged homes spend half the time on the market than non-staged homes.
I can personally vouch for having experienced these statistics as a seller. I remember the time when our house was in the market for sale. We were racing against time to find a buyer having already locked in on a potential place to move in.
If your house has been on the market and you have failed to find potential suitors, these are desperate times.
Desperate times call for drastic measures.
So, how can you stage your house to get the desired price?
Make the new buyer fall in love with your home. How? Make it spacious and airy. There is not a single soul on this planet who doesn’t love a sunny, bright, airy house that feels like you were in a football field, no matter how small. The transformation is simple. Go over some instant styling to create a magical feeling. So much so that you will start loving. Get inspired by the transformations below to change the look of your home.
Key takeaways:
1. INVITING ENTRYWAY/FOYER
First impressions makes for a lasting one. As the entrance to a home, no matter how well decorated or speckless the rest of the home is, if your entryway is a mess of shoe pile or discarded bills, you can the kiss the deal goodbye.
Some elements to a great foyer: a vase of fresh flowers or plant + mirror + bench or storage for shoes and keys. That’s it. No more. No less.
2. WHITE WALLS, IF YOU CAN
Paint the walls white, or in a neutral color palette that enhances the illusion of space.
The accent wall is a brilliant idea if you are living in. It’s tough to predict the choice of a buyer – for all you know, the bright color may be a big turn off, or just not their favorite. So play it safe with white and bring in the air. There was this overwhelming orange wall in the living room. I repainted it to a milder grey that was easy on the eyes.
3. CLEAR THE CLUTTER
Put away the magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, menu cards and stray bills. Don’t have too many artifacts on display. Make it as bare as you can. This will help the buyers visualize how their stuff will fit in and imagine them living here. Organize the kid’s room. Arrange the toys, books, board games etc. Ensure there are no cobwebs.
I went to great lengths during this period to make the home look presentable. We were always ready to receive visitors at short notice. Yes, it was a pressure on us, but it soon became a way of life to keep clutter out of sight. And, something that soon became a habit.
4. EMBRACE NEUTRALS
IC: sweetbliss_style
IC: via sweetbliss_style
If you are someone who loves furnishing in bright colors, the reds and yellows can get overwhelming for potential buyers. It inhibits visual movement forcing the eye to fixate on the bright colors. So keep it light and neutral. Yes, it will be an investment in bed sheets and cushion covers, if you don’t have. But, it will be something you wouldn’t regret as they can move with you to your new home.
5. LET THE NURSERY BE OUTSIDE
IC: Total Environment Photographer: Shamanth Patil of Good Homes
If the insides of your house look like a nursery, move the pots outside. Keep one large pot in that obscure corner while freeing up the surfaces and pathways. I know it is against common wisdom as plants signify life. Having too many of them at random places in the house personifies you and does not let the buyer visualize the space if they were to move in. Creating uninhibited movement around the house along with a neutral canvas and a hint of lived-in feel will let the space speak for itself.
6. SHOW OFF THE NATURAL LIGHT
Who likes dark rooms and dingy corners? If your space is blessed with natural light, then this is an architectural feature you should be proud of and boast about.
7. AMPLIFY A SPACE WITH A FULL LENGTH MIRROR:
IC: Stylizimo
If you feel a room is starved of square footage, create an illusion of space by using full length mirrors.
What does this image of fresh fruits and sweets evoke in your mind? Happiness? Satisfaction? At least for me, yes. It’s a reminder of how blessed we are and all the happy things in life. So yes, include offbeat styling such as this as well to make your house someone else’s dream home.
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