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DIY Home Staging: 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Home staging is one of the most important, but often under-thought, steps to listing a home. There are many things to consider when taking pictures of your home and it's hard to know where to start. If you're thinking of selling your home, we're here to help you make your home look its best and attract the right buyer. Keep reading to learn about the 5 most common home staging mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Not Thinking About How Your Home Will Photograph
When staging your home, it is important to remember that the pictures you are taking will become the first introduction to your home for potential homebuyers. Be sure the pictures you are taking highlight your home. Consider choosing a window or fireplace as your focal point and arranging furniture around that.
2. Arranging Furniture At An Angle
Many people like to angle furniture when preparing their home to sell, thinking that it will make the space look larger. However, doing this skews the perspective of a space and makes a room feel off.
3. Skimping On Lighting
"Airy and bright" is always eye-catching for a homebuyer and makes every space look more appealing, so having lots of lighting in a home is key. Maximize a room's natural light with window treatments that let in plenty of it. A simple way to boost brightness is to pay attention to curtain placement. Hanging curtains two inches from the ceiling rather than right above the window trim makes the windows seem bigger and the room taller—both big positives when selling a home.
4. Not Thinking About Who Your Buyer Is
Is your buyer most likely to be a young family? A single professional? Empty nesters? You want buyers to see your home as a place that fits their lifestyle, so identify who might be most interested in your location and type of home. For a family home, consider staging the spare bedroom as a nursery or kid's room. However, for a home more suited for a single individual, consider staging that second bedroom as a home office or home office/spare-bedroom hybrid instead.
5. Neglecting Exterior Areas
First impressions matter, especially when it comes to selling your home. Curb appeal is the first thing a potential buyer will notice about your home. Is the paint on your fence chipped or have weeds overtaken your flower beds and potted plants? Consider cleaning things up outside before taking pictures and hosting your first viewing. A fresh coat of paint, power spraying your siding, and trimming the lawn could mean the difference between a buyer putting in an offer or not.
With so much to think about as you prepare to sell your home, we hope this list will be able to serve as a helpful resource. Regardless of whether you are buying, selling, or merely have questions about real estate, Lincoln Realty would love to help you! Fill out the contact form below and a team member will reach out to you soon!