Staging is a marketing investment in selling your home.  A clean updated interior, with special attention to details and upkeep, will demand a higher price and will appeal to more buyers in the shortest amount of time. The most important thing to understand is that once you decide to put your home on the market, it is no longer your home—it is a product.  Therefore, it needs to be marketed and prepared for sale like any other product. Think about it as you would if you were getting ready to sell your car.  You would do a number of things to prepare if for sale, such as detailing the inside and outside, changing the oil, checking the tires, etc.  You would highlight its best features to get the maximum amount for it. Luckily, we have already done the research for you.  And home staging is about creativity, not cash.  It can cost as little or as much as you want.

Entryway/Foyer:

The entryway/foyer is the first place a prospective buyer experiences the direct impact of your home.  Make sure that impact is a resounding one.  Keep in mind that our goal is to make the buyer feel they are being lead effortlessly through the rest of the house.

• Sweep porch/stairs.
• Apply a fresh coat of paint on the front door and trim.
• Replace or add “Welcome” mat.
• Clean interior entry of all clutter.
• Clear and clean out front hall closet.
• Checking working order of doorbell and exterior lights.

Living Room/Family Room/Rec Room:

• Repaint or touch up walls and ceilings.
• Clear off all coffee and end tables to just two or three magazines and one nice vase, but choose ones that are not too personal or controversial.
• Limit decorative pillows to two or three and add a throw to your couch.
• Rearrange furniture to showcase the room’s best feature, the focal point.
• Clean fireplace, mantel, shelving.
• Shampoo carpets and/or was wood floors.  If possible, have the carpets professionally cleaned.

Kitchen:

• Repaint or touch up walls and ceilings.
• Clean and polish everything.
• Clean the inside of refrigerators, ovens and dishwashers—people do look!
• Clean tile grout.
• Make faucets and fixtures sparkle.
• Clean the face of the cabinets.
• Group like items together in cabinets and face all labels to the front.
• Create more counter space by storing appliances in the cabinets.
• Keep the sink empty and clean on a daily basis.
• Put away pet feeding/water bowls when not in use.
• Keep all soaps, towels, sponges and cleaning products under the sink in a bucket.
• Empty the garbage regularly to prevent odors.

Dining Room:

• Repaint or touch up walls and ceilings.
• Remove tablecloth from table.
• Remove extra leaf from table to make room appear larger.
• Four chairs are all you need, additional chairs can be put in storage.

Bedrooms:

• Repaint or touch up walls and ceilings.
• Make beds everyday.
• If needed, invest in a new neutral bedspread.
• Clear off bedside table except for a small lamp and one book.
• Keep closet doors closed.  People will still open them, so make sure closets are clean and well-organized.

Bathrooms:

• Repaint or touch up walls and ceilings.
• Reduce toiletries to a decorative three and place them on a tray or in a basket.
• Switch hand soap to liquid soap.
• Clean or replace shower curtain; curtain should be drawn at all times; also make sure your tub and shower are clean, in case buyers peek behind your curtain.
• Repair/replace wallpaper that is peeling.
• Get rid of “fuzzy”, take off any toilet seat covers and remove throw rugs.
• Keep toilet lid down at all times.