The number one thing you need to remember is that you want buyers to come in your home and see THEIR future home. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Your personal things make buyers feel like a guest. Help them see themselves living there by removing anything personalized (photos, monograms, nameplates, school or military memorabilia, religious symbols, etc.). Remember that you’ll have to pack these items for your upcoming move anyway. Go ahead and carefully store them away now.
- Clutter keeps buyers from seeing the potential in each room. Take a photo of your rooms and evaluate each one to see how much clutter you really do have. Better yet – have an objective friend or professional help you out. Now is the time to sell or donate all of the extra “stuff” that you don’t want to move to your new house anyway. There are companies, like Bee Organized, that offer friendly and efficient help when it comes to de-cluttering. Consider it a great investment.
- Some furniture is better than no furniture. An empty house can be tricky when it comes to imagining what will fit. Furniture helps with scale – you want your buyers to know that their bed, safe, table, etc. will work in the space. Clean furniture, neutral accessories, and attention to details like lighting and overall smell work together to make your listing feel like home.
You may want to hire a staging company to take care of the process so that you can focus on other important aspects of relocating. If it seems like too much extra trouble and expense, remember that studies show that 65% of staged homes sell for almost 10% more than their unstaged neighbors.