7 Home Staging Ideas to Get Your House Ready to Sell

Even in a hot real estate market, home staging can have big benefits as you prepare your house for sale.

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Updated · 5 min read
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Written by Taylor Getler
Writer
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Edited by Beth Buczynski
Head of Content, New Markets

Buying a home isn't just a major financial decision, it’s also a highly emotional one, requiring buyers to visualize what it would really be like to live in a new home. As you prepare to sell your house, home staging is a process that can help potential buyers imagine their own life in the house without distraction.

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What is home staging?

Home staging is the process of getting your house ready to sell by making it as marketable as possible. If you haven’t properly “set the stage” before potential buyers view your home, it can be harder for them to see its full potential and imagine how their life would fit into the space. By cleaning, decluttering, styling and simplifying your home — or hiring a professional home stager to do it for you — you can highlight the property’s best features and offer a blank slate for buyers to visualize their future.

What does home staging include?

Some sellers choose to hire a professional home stager, while others may ask their real estate agent to help style the home. Alternatively, you can take advantage of best home staging practices yourself by focusing on seven key areas.

1. Declutter

Potential buyers will want to see that your home is well taken care of, and a messy space is likely to turn them off. Additionally, too much clutter can suffocate a room and make it feel smaller. Space is one of the best assets that your home has, and you want to be sure to show that off.

Getting rid of any junk that you may have accumulated will allow the buyer to focus on the space itself, without getting overwhelmed by too much stuff throughout the home.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Consider selling your clutter in a yard sale — real or virtual — and put the proceeds toward your closing costs, which are often between 6% and 10% of your home’s sale price.

Don’t be tempted to simply hide your clutter in the closets, either; many buyers covet storage space, and closets that are full to bursting may give the impression that storage is lacking.

2. Depersonalize

Family portraits, religious iconography and even signs of your pets may give potential buyers the nagging feeling that they are walking through someone else’s house, rather than their future home. While it can be nice for the house to feel a little lived in, it’s better to give the impression that the current owners could be anybody. This allows potential buyers to imagine their own belongings in the home without thinking too much about the current residents. Some of your belongings could also send signals about your lifestyle or background to potential buyers, and because of their personal biases, impact how many offers you receive or the price of their bids.

Any decorations, flags or other signifiers of the season should be put away as well. Not only are these items a distraction, but they will also immediately date any photographs included when you list the home.

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