Selling your home is a completely different experience than living in it, and it requires a very different mindset. When you are creating a home to live in, your goal is to make it comfortable for you and your family. When you are selling a home your goal is to make it comfortable for prospective buyers. Forget the reality of every day living. Make it look like a model home so you can sell it quickly and for the highest price.
Home staging is particularly important now because the housing market has changed dramatically, and a lot of sellers are finding that it's taking much longer to sell their homes than they thought it would. Don't wait until your home has been on the market for a while. Make it look great for the very first sale day and get it sold fast. The longer it's on the market the less your chances are for getting the price you want.
First, you need to depersonalize. All of the things that make you feel at home, like photographs and chatchkies, will make a prospective new owner feel like they are invading your personal space. They may feel uncomfortable enough to rush out before they have time to think about whether the house would work for them, they might be distracted by your things and not see the details of the house, or they may just be unable to see themselves living in the space because you are still occupying it so completely. Pack up all of your most personal and visible belongings, and look forward to seeing them again when you move into your new home.
Next, no matter how large or small your home, you want it to look as spacious as possible. This is where you really have to forget the reality of every day life. Perhaps you need two large storage pieces in your bedroom to hold all of your clothes and accessories, but they are making the room look small and cramped, instead of large and spacious. Remove one or both of them. Right now, the way the room looks is more important than the fact that you will be inconvenienced.
Clutter. You’ve heard it before, but I can’t stress it enough. It’s your worst enemy. Pack it or throw it away, but don't try to hide it, because perspective buyers will probably find it!
Make sure that every room has just one function. An exercise room/guest room/office is going to confuse your buyers, making it difficult for them to come to a decision. Simplify each room, and when you are feeling the inconvenience of that in your everyday life, just think about the money you will be earning and how soon you will be living in your new home!
Don't hide any great architectural features behind furniture, drapes or accessories. Let your fireplace, your beautiful woodwork, and the great view out the window be focal points in your rooms. In a room where there is no architectural focal point, create one by accessorizing a coffee table, dining table, window, bed, or bookcase.
Make your home comfortable for your buyers. Make it easy for them to see how great it is, and imagine themselves living there. Then you will be able to realize your dream of living in your new space sooner rather than later!
