Staging can be essential to selling your home

Home staging plays a vital role in the selling process, so don’t overlook it. According to the National Association of Realtors, it makes a big difference in helping potential buyers envision themselves in the space. Here are some tips to improve your odds of a good sale.

Hire a pro

Home staging is a potential do-it-yourself job, but a professional stager can bring an expert eye that really polishes and sharpens the image of your space. And that can make a big difference; according to the NAR, a good staging job can increase the purchase price by as much as 20 percent. So think of it as an investment. You’ll pay between $800 and $2,850 for a qualified home stager, depending on home size.

Remove yourself

Your home is a reflection of you, your family and everything you’ve done there. Unfortunately, everything that makes it a unique home for you makes it harder for buyers to fall in love with it. The most important part of home staging is to delete those distinctive elements, including photographs, refrigerator magnets, customized furniture and anything else that adds your own stamp to the living space.

Think minimal

Beyond removing personal items, try to keep the home as decluttered as possible. Extraneous items tend to fill up the visual space. Make sure books, magazines, remote controls and other potential clutter items are neatly stowed away. Consider rearranging rooms to maximize symmetry, which make spaces look larger. Space out furniture and remove bulky items to open up the space more effectively.

If you haven’t already started to move your stuff to another home, consider renting a storage unit so you can further strip the space down by removing nonessential items.

Clean it up

This may seem obvious, but cleanliness is vital to a properly staged home. You want to do more than a deep clean; you want to make appliances shine, the floors gleam, and every corner free of dirt. If possible, give the home a good dusting before showings and look around for any debris that might have gone unnoticed (especially if you have children). Use scented candles or deodorizer to freshen up the space.

Don’t overlook minor details, either. Small things stand out when you’re showing a home, and they stand out all the more if everything else looks perfect. Touch up paint where it’s needed, make sure all your drains are unclogged, and check that all light bulbs are working and in good shape.

Use light to improve the look of your home as well. A brightly lit home is cheerier and welcoming. Open shades to allow in as much natural light as possible, and add some lamps here and there to brighten up areas where needed.