Home Fluffing Staging Tips
How to Squeeze out that Extra Dollar When You Sell Your House
Get some home fluffing and staging tips to help you on your way to squeezing those extra few dollars out of your house sale. Show your home’s full potential by giving it a good fluff and a little staging!
When buying a new home, you will remember that you first saw a picture or drove by, if you didn’t like the look of the outside, then you just kept driving. This is an important fact to remember when we now go to sell our own home.
The first impression of the house is the one that will mean stop and come in or forget it.
So we need to make that street or curb appeal inviting and welcoming.
Start by trimming, cut everything back so it nice and neat and tidy. Make sure you can get to the front door with out your hair being skewered by a tree.
Get rid of all the dirt on the outside of the house, it is amazing how much street grim builds up on your walls. Hose down the house, remove the dirt, cobwebs and anything else lurking under the eaves.
Sparkly clear windows, inside and out, with no damaged glass are a must have, they make you house feel larger and accentuate your views.
Make your entrance inviting, surround it with good looking well cared for plants, perhaps some flowers in a pot, they always look cheerful and provide color. Remove anything dead and give the entry a good sweep and hose down. Paint or stain the steps, replacing any broken tiles. Spray for mould or slippery greenery that may be living there, you don’t want them to injure themselves on the way in.
Make the entry neat and tidy, it provides a good first impression.
There are simple things that we forget, that is that perspective buyers look everywhere, even in the dishwasher, so make sure you have at least washed the dishes, no nasty smells left for them to find.
This does take time but it has a double barreled effect, clean out all cupboards and wardrobes, this makes the spaces look larger and gives the appearance that the spaces are large and adequate. This also saves time when it comes to moving out.
More Home Fluffing Ideas
Run around the house with a duster and remove cobwebs, look for mold on the walls and children’s drawings. Get rid of any victims. You want to make sure that you house looks well cared for and not neglected.
Let as much natural light into the home as possible, open up blinds and curtains, go easy on the window opening, especially if it is windy.
Some simple things which can often be overlooked, make all the beds, yes even the children’s. Put all the dirty washing in the laundry or better still wash, dry and put away. You want to make sure there is nothing to turn off a potential buyer.
One important area is the kitchen, simple stuff here, keep it clean and tidy. Decorate by adding a bowl of fresh fruit or a vase of fragrant flowers to create a pleasant aroma. There are two minds about the fresh coffee brewing, it can be an unpleasant smell for some so if in doubt, keep the smells simple.
Have the stereo playing soft subtle background music, just enough to disguise the constant hum of traffic outside.
Check that all your door and window hardware is in working order, no sticky doors allowed. This provides a good impression of a well maintained house.
To give the air of space, remove most of your knick knacks from horizontal surfaces, pack them away for now. Remove any other clutter, the Swiss ball, yoga mats, Exercycle from the living room. Any furniture that is not immediately required, these ideas will all make your room feel bigger.
Try and get your kids house trained, even for the time that your house is on the market, it can be stressful enough if you have to do a quick tidy up before anyone comes to view your home, if you have to pick up toys etc, then it can be even worse. Try giving them one space to contain their mess.
Pets – this can be a big turn off for some people. Make sure that you keep their food out of sight. This should ensure that flies or insects don’t congregate around the pets bowl. Plus the smell can often be unpleasant, especially if your cat enjoys a feed of sardines.
Do the major recycling job around the house. Clear away any rubbish empty all wastepaper bins inside, nappy bins, recycling bins, green waste, and have a garage sale to get rid off all that stuff you’ve been hoarding to use on a rainy day. The rainy day has come and it is still there so why not recycle it and let someone else get some use from it.
Put fresh dry matching towels in all the bathrooms, make sure mirrors are crystal clean. Don’t let there be any drippy taps and don’t have a shower before the buyers come through as this will make the room feel damp.
To create a mood in your home, light some mildly scented candles in the living room, scatter some designer cushions and a throw for effect, turn on your side table lamps and open up a coffee table book.
In the winter season, have the fire going as this will make the home look and feel cosy. If you don’t have a fire, then turn the heaters on to ensure the home is warm. In the summer season turn on the air conditioning or fans to make the house feel comfortable well before the prospective buyer gets there.
Keep up the maintenance, mow the lawns, trim the edges, remove all weeds and you should be ready to get those extra few dollars for a well presented and maintained home.
Good luck and happy selling!
Written by Lee Brown
