You can sell your home, and sell it well, in today’s market. Still, to sell your home fast and for the best possible price, you’ll need to present it at its very best. There’s a lot of talk lately about house staging—setting up your home, inside and out, to present the best possible image for the buyer. Realtors will tell you that staging works, and statistics back up their stories. You can hire a staging professional to advise you, but if you’re on a budget, you can still make a big difference (for very little money) by staging your own home. Here are the basics of staging to sell:

Declutter. A staged home will have less furniture, fewer accessories, and less stuff overall than most homes that are not on the market. As staging expert Barb Schwarz writes, “a de-cluttered home helps the buyer mentally ‘move in’ with their own things.” Clear, organize, and simplify your home. Try our four simple tips for decluttering your home to sell. Think of this as starting early to pack for your move. Get rid of anything you won’t want in your next home. Pack away anything you want to keep, but don’t want to have in your staged house. Some experts recommend putting away family pictures and other items that are deeply personal, to better help your buyer imagine their own life in your house.

Clean. It’s amazing the difference a good cleaning can make. Get carpets, window coverings, and windows clean and bright. Scrub your kitchen and bathrooms thoroughly, too, and make sure they’re clean for each showing. Check out our post on spring cleaning for cleaning tips for every occasion, from whole-house deep cleaning to quick tidy-ups before buyers arrive.

Make small repairs. If your home needs major, expensive repairs, consult your real estate agent to decide whether you should make those fixes before you put your house on the market, or negotiate the price knowing that your buyer will make the repairs later. On the other hand, small and simple repairs should be done right away. Replace burned out light bulbs and cracked fixtures. Patch and paint any walls or doors that need sprucing up. If your kitchen or bathroom cabinets are out of date, simply changing the handles and drawer pulls can make a big difference.

Don’t forget your yard. Your front yard is the first thing potential buyers will see, and your back yard is a major selling point. Be sure to keep your yards well manicured. Mow the lawns regularly, weed your garden, remove any dead plants, and keep everything well watered and fertilized throughout the spring and summer.

Keep it real. Remember that the goal of staging is to help potential buyers see themselves living in your home. This means that you get to live there, too. Keep things clean and low on clutter, but feel free to use and enjoy your home. Don’t cover furniture. Instead, keep couches available and accessorized with cozy pillows. If you have children, try to keep their toys tidy, but not completely out of sight. An empty sandbox or a toyless child’s room is a sad sight to see. A child’s room with a full toybox, a few toys spaced neatly on the shelves, and one beloved teddy or dolly on the bed looks like a comfortable place to grow up in.

The Staff at San Juan Realty, Inc.