Selling your home can be both an exciting and stressful experience. Before you show your house, there are a few strategic ways you can focus on to ensure that your home shows well so prospective buyers can picture themselves in the space and will want to put in an offer.
How the Lighting Shows
Bright spaces seem larger and more welcoming. For every room in your house, stage it with bright light. This may mean you have to add a few lamps to certain areas or replace bulbs that have become a bit too dim. The right lighting design can even work to highlight the architectural features of the home or to create a certain ambiance. It definitely shouldn’t be underestimated when the time comes to show your home.
Making your home bright also means that you should leave just about every light on during showings in order to create a welcoming, breezy space. Prospective buyers will certainly appreciate not having to hunt out light switches or remember to turn them off.
How the Home Smells
No matter how long you have lived in your home, you’re probably immune to its unique smell. The worst thing you could do is leave your home as-is for potential buyers to be confronted with a pungent smell. This is especially true if you have children, pets, or a full trash can. Diffusing comforting scents can create a welcoming atmosphere and immediately put prospective buyers at ease. Some good scents include calming lavender, soothing tangerine, or a fresh cookie scent.
How Much Clutter
The more you can pack away now, you should. You want your home to feel as open and spacious as possible. Clearing out some belongings is vital to that feeling. Make sure there is no more than three items on the kitchen counters. Limit it to a coffee pot, blender, and toaster.
Style your bookshelves. Pack away most of the books and leave a few larger coffee table books or figurines, and remove personal photos. You want prospective buyers to picture themselves in the home, so make that easy by taking down the family photos.
Even if you only have enough time before your first showings to accomplish these three items, you will be very glad you did. The home will show better, feel more inviting, and really give prospective buyers the chance to feel the space and imagine themselves in it. Even better, completing these steps will give you a head start on your packing, a clean home, and nice smells.
Staging a home isn’t the only way to boost your home’s curb appeal. Click here for tips on how much you should renovate your home before selling.