Effective Staging Tactics for House Sellers

Putting your home on the market in the current economic climate requires some serious tactics to ensure it sells easily and quickly. There is plenty of talk about the UK coming out of recession but the effect of that is not being felt in the property market as the banks and building societies continue to make it difficult for many people to secure a mortgage.

When you are selling your home you are competing against other people selling homes just as nice as yours so you need to take the process seriously if you are to secure one of the rare buyers out there who does have the funds to proceed with a purchase. Your home must be well-priced and impeccably presented if you are to get that sale that will allow you to move on to a new home and new life.

However, staging your home for a sale can be an emotional wrench; it requires you to analyse your treasured possessions with a professional rather than personal eye and be ruthless in removing anything that doesn't add a benefit to the presentation. You may even find that you start to question your desire to move as you review your home and possessions. Looking at a treasured item usually ignored on a shelf can bring back fond memories of your home so be prepared to be tough on yourself and your belongings.

Staging a home is much more than simply giving it a good clean and doing a bit of de-cluttering but consider how you would feel if you couldn't sell and move to a different home. That consideration may make you bear the emotional upheaval of staging your home well.

So just how can you stage your home effectively for quick and easy sale and, most importantly, at a good price? Here are some tips:

1. Take a good look around. First go and visit some show homes to see how the professionals do it; take notes (or even photos if no one is looking) to help you remember what features you could implement in your own home. Much of it is simply the effect of a pristine environment with new bedlinen, towels, lamps etc. – all things that you can take with you when you move.
2. Draw up a plan.You will need to work in a systematic way from a written plan to stage your home. Randomly changing or moving items will simply not produce the desired effect. Excel is a useful tool here for noting all the things you plan to change whether its simply new bedlinen or a fresh coat of paint throughout. Don't forget to try and remove extraneous items of furniture that is making rooms look smaller than they really are. If necessary, rent a self-storage unit on a short-term lease to store what you don't need in the house while selling it.
3. Ask for an honest opinion. Ask a good friend, family member or estate agent to review the home once the staging is complete. Ask them to be brutally honest with their feedback and take their advice.
4. Let in the light. One of the features that is most attractive to potential buyers is how light and bright a property feels. That effect can be created by painting dark walls a neutral shade or simply by taking down heavy curtains to let more natural light in.
5. Clean, clean and clean again. The difference between a thoroughly clean home can be the difference between a sale at a good price or not. If necessary get a professional cleaning team in; you will be amazed at what they can achieve in just a day.

4. De-clutter. No staging of a home is complete without a really thorough declutter. Kitchen worktops, floors, tables even shelves should be as clear as possible for a truly clutter free home. Go through your home removing anything that is not essential then go through it all over again and store away any essential items still on show. This is where the self storage bedford unit you rented for your unnecessary pieces of furniture will come in handy.

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.