Home Staging Advice for Sellers on a Budget
While it’s possible to hire people to carry out staging activities on your home, there are some things you can take care of yourself to save money. Let’s look at ways you can stick to your budget while getting your house ready for sale.
Get the Clutter Out
When decluttering, it’s best to tackle the task room by room so you don’t feel overwhelmed. If you follow Good Housekeeping’s tips, you’ll get an idea of what to look for in each room. For example, to declutter your kitchen, you can throw out expired canned goods and food that has been in the freezer for more than three months. Your living room will be clearer if you create additional storage and get rid of CDs you no longer listen to. If you have items such as cookware, glassware, strollers or lamps, these could be good for a garage sale. This would help you clear up some space as well as put some money in your pocket. Even if your clothing is in good condition, it may not do well at a garage sale, so look into possible charities that take clothing donations. Some of these charities include The Salvation Army, Donate My Dress and American Red Cross.
Make the Home Less About You
Experts say that making your home less personal will help buyers see the potential of the living spaces and imagine themselves living there. To depersonalize your home, you should put away framed photographs and decor tailored to your personal tastes. You’ll also need to hide books, toiletries and diplomas. If your current paint color scheme is too bright for the average buyer, then take some advice from HGTV and paint your bedroom a soft cerulean. Warm browns are great for the living room, while the house’s exterior will pop if the walls are gray-beige with a navy blue front door. Using a storage unit to store personal items you have no space for is an option, but it should be a last resort as it’s an added cost.
Stage the Home Affordably
Before you stage your home, it’s recommended that you hire professional cleaners to go through the property. While this will incur a cost—$256 on average in the San Diego area—professionals will be more thorough and get into areas that you may overlook. Once the home is clean, you can start staging by rearranging furniture to complement the space and create a clear traffic flow. You can condense the furniture in the dining room to give the impression of a larger space and set the dining table for a more appealing look. Window treatments should be adequate for the space and work properly. A small investment in new shower curtains will also make a good impression on your buyers.
To get an idea of what other sellers with homes in your house’s price range are doing, you can attend other open houses in the area or look at their pictures online. During your research, you’ll find that the average sale price of homes in La Jolla is a whopping $1.14 million, which will come in handy when it’s time to sell your home.
Get Your House Seen
An increasing number of home buyers are using online sources to find their ideal homes. While your real estate agent is planning open houses and putting things in place to get your house on the market, you can generate interest yourself. According to Adweek, you can use social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram to reach your intended buyers. If your real estate agent hasn’t already placed your home on realtor websites, then you can also make use of websites such as Redfin. For these online listings to be successful, you must ensure you have photographs taken of your home. It’s best if these photographs are taken by a professional unless you have some experience with photography.
A lot of things go into getting a house ready for sale, but it doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. You should only call in the professionals when it’s absolutely necessary and handle the small items yourself.
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