The 5 Best Staging Tips to Sell Your Home

Even in the hottest of housing markets, it’s imperative to catch the attention of potential buyers when staging your home for viewings, online listings, and virtual tours. There are, however, plenty of mistakes and bad advice out there that can lead to a beautiful home falling short of its potential in the eyes of would-be buyers. 

When staging a home for sale, you want to think deeply about displaying a home in its best light, showing off its unique features, and giving buyers a chance to not only see themselves at home there but also give them aspirational ideas of what their home could look like. 

For home staging ideas that will attract potential buyers and have offers rolling in, you just need to have a few quick tips. When it comes to the best house staging tips, you will be surprised to learn how quick and easy they are to pull off. 

With just a little adjustment of furniture, the proper lighting, and a few stylish finishing touches, you can stage a home that impresses buyers the moment they walk through the door. For these essential home staging ideas, read on.

Tip #1: Consider How Your Home Will Photograph

A picture is worth a thousand words and the majority of home buyers start their search online. Incredible photographs can dictate whether they swipe past your listing or include it on their list of must-see homes. 

It’s true that when staging your home, you should focus on how it shows in person, but it is equally important to think about how it is perceived in the listing photos since many people’s very first impression of your home will be online. You don’t want to risk turning them off or preventing them from coming to see your home for themselves in person. 

Photography Solution

Photographers find the focal point in each room: windows, fireplaces, doors, etc. One of the best home staging tips is to arrange furniture to highlight these focal points. Avoid blocking the view of a window and stage your fireplace to highlight its charm. This will help potential buyers get a true feel for the size and scale of each room.

Tip #2: The Placement of Furniture and Area Rugs Matters

We know it’s tempting when staging your home, but avoid the impulse to position your furniture on a 45-degree angle. Angling furniture distorts the perspective of the room and does not make the room appear larger. 

In fact, it can make the room seem disproportionate and small. Angling these items distracts buyers. One of the most key house staging tips is to remember your goal: make your buyers understand each room as quickly and easily as possible. 

Furniture Placement Solution

When staging a home for sale, think strategically on how to maximize your home’s space while avoiding angles. Sometimes a round area rug can make more sense visually and be easier to work with. 

Start by removing odd-shaped furniture to begin with a clean slate. Then, add in items as you go and adjust accordingly. Bedroom staging ideas include putting the bed on the wall that makes the most sense visually rather than putting it at an odd angle that a buyer realistically wouldn’t replicate in their own home.

Tip #3: Staging Your Home With Light-Filled Surroundings

Buyers want “light and bright,” so having a lot of the proper lighting in your home is important. One of the most significant house staging tips when staging an older home, or a home with a lot of wood finishes, is to consider how to bring in natural light or brighten up a space through white paint or cream-colored furnishings. There are several home staging ideas for how to make darker rooms appear light and bright with the right tricks up your sleeve. 

Lighting Solution

Try adding various layers of lighting throughout the space with table and floor lamps. Just make sure they are the correct scale for your room. 

You can also maximize your home’s natural light by focusing on your windows. Make sure they are spic-and-span clean and pay close attention to your window treatments. They should be hung roughly two inches from the ceiling, not just above the window trim. This makes the room feel larger and maximizes your ceiling height. 

If you’ve done all you can with windows and light sources, another idea is to brighten up the room with a fresh coat of light-colored paint and furniture. If a room doesn’t have many windows, place a large mirror across from what you do have to bring that light to other parts of the room. 

Tip #4: Picture Who Your Potential Buyer Is

It’s possible that the perfect buyer for your home is just like you. However, it is likely that the real buyer is the complete opposite. You want every buyer who views your home to see it as a place that can suit their needs, whether they realize those needs or not. 

One of the best staging tips is to consider the buyers in the area and what they might be looking for in a home. Consider the types of buyers who attended nearby open houses to get an idea of who might be interested in touring or buying your home. 

Potential Buyer Solution

Think about who might your home appeal to given the style, size, location, and price. Fantasize about who you think your prospective buyer might be and put yourself in their shoes. 

If your home is located in a trendy area, incorporate the decorative touches that fit the interest in the area. Attracting a more traditional crowd? Keep things classic. 

Overall, it’s best to avoid overly specific décor and keep it clean, but not overly simple.

Tip #5: To Catch Their Eye, Be Eye-Catching

When trying to appeal to a large group of prospective buyers, it’s common for a seller to play it way too safe and wind up with a dull, uninteresting space that doesn’t impress anyone. Using too many muted color palettes without incorporating a little pop of color can make your home seem ordinary at best and too sterile and characterless at worst. 

Your goal should be to keep the furniture and décor neutral, but with a touch of flair. Character and charm, when executed properly, will be memorable to potential buyers and keep your home at the top of their minds. 

Eye-Catching Solutions

Keep your wall colors, furniture and window treatments neutral. Then, sprinkle some color throughout by adding colorful throw pillows in layers. Also, try adding a few exceptional paintings or prints to highlight the size and scale of each room. 

The key is to play it safe, but not too safe. Oftentimes, something as simple as an impressive painting above the fireplace can catch your buyers’ eye and will make them remember your home and forget all the rest. 

Staging Your Home to Sell

These home staging tips can come into play at every level of the staging process. From bedroom staging ideas to creating an inviting kitchen, it is essential to consider the right lighting, furniture and ambiance that will have buyers ready to make an offer. Follow the best staging tips out there and soon you’ll see it’s possible to transform any home into a dream home for any buyer.