Why should you stage your home?

The simple answer to that is …..You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Buyers see everything that you have stopped seeing because of your busy life like the fresh coat of paint in the hallway you meant to do but never got around to or the deck that you meant to stain before it got too cold out.

People often think of the inside of the home when they think about home staging but the outside needs to be staged also. Curb appeal is often what attracts buyers to the home. Sometimes buyers won’t go inside the home if they don’t like the way it looks outside.

Tips for staging the outside…….

Go across the street and take a look at your house from the buyer’s perspective when they pull up.

• Tip 1- Walk around the perimeter of the home. Remove the garbage cans, discarded wood scraps and extra building materials. This is outside clutter and prevents the buyers from seeing the yard.
• Tip 2- Is the landscaping overgrown? Trim all the trees and shrubs so they don’t obstruct the view of the home. Overgrown landscaping can cause the inside of the home to be too dark because the sun isn’t getting in.
• Tip 3- Weed and mulch all flower beds. Groom and fertilize the lawn. Go the extra step and edge the lawn. It gives the impression of a well cared for lawn.
• Tip 4- Clear off the patio and the deck. Remove any dead plants. You want to set the stage for your outdoor living space.
• Tip 5- Check the paint on the house- especially the front door and trim. The paint job is one of the first things a potential buyer notices. Be sure to paint the front door. This will make the first impression on your buyer.
• Tip 6- Last but not least….Finish any unfinished projects. Most buyers are not interested in taking over someone else’s project.