Home Staging Tips to Get Market Ready

Homes can be sold or leased for the right price especially when furnished and designed convincingly. The value of a home can also increase when it's remodeled for high usability — for users regardless of budget, age, gender and physical disabilities.

But before making a home available to the market, it is helpful to consider basic home staging tips — everything from minor additions like lighting, furniture and paintwork to full interior renovations. Identifying what kind of family you're targeting to sell your home to, gives you an idea on what spaces to renovate.

• Space Conversion. Unused areas can be converted into additional rooms to make the house suitable for large families. Space can be maximized through proper placement of furniture and deciding whether to remove or add interior wall divisions. It is also cheaper to convert a basement or attic into a whole floor rather than adding another storey to the house. When fitted with an entryway, open areas can be more private.
• Create Leisure Spaces. Other commonly under-utilized areas are the patio and backyard. This bare space can be turned into an outdoor dining space, lounging area, or artist studio/workroom.
• Use lights to set the mood. Staging has a lot to do with portraying the home in its most presentable image and highlighting the assets of the house. And lighting is everything — it can evoke a feeling of warmth and coziness and adds drama to a space. Lamps are more suitable in creating this warm light rather than harsh fluorescent lighting. If you don't want to spend much on additional construction work, this sophisticated ambiance can be achieved through wall sconces, uplights, tracklights or pendant lamps.
• Avoid bold paintwork. Unless your catering towards a very artistic buyer, neutral colors are perfect for staging homes. Earth tones, whites and pastel hues create the illusion of space especially when it is in the same tone as the next room. Neutral, however, is not limited to beige or off-white. You can splash some pastel blue-green hues or warm tan and honey. Some buyers are turned off with bright colored-rooms and loud decorations.
• Hang some artwork. Art adds value, no doubt about that. These visually appealing pieces may be quite expensive but the personality it brings inside the room definitely makes an impact. If you're not into paintings, you can opt for framed photographs, signed prints, sculptures or decorative pieces. Most fine art photographs, especially those in black and white, go well with neutral-colored rooms. They also add a modern flair on any wall.

Last but not the least, possibly the most important of all even, is to clean all areas before setting an open house. Personal items and toiletries should be removed from the bedrooms and bathrooms so that possible clients can see how they can decorate the house themselves. Clutter and weird odor will surely turn off buyers, so make sure to have the property cleaned and deodorized thoroughly.

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