A New Look

When the day of your Open House arrives you want your home to be warm and welcoming. You want prospective buyers to imagine what it would be like to live there and like what they see so much that they want to bid on the house. Home staging is the first step down the path to a successful home sale.

One of the best ways to pique buyer interest is to breathe new life into the home. This can be done with four simple steps. Applied to each room, the impact can be significant.

1. Start with a clean slate. You want each room to be clean and free of clutter. Identify unwanted items and sell or donate them. Things you want, but don’t necessarily need on a daily basis should be packed up and stored elsewhere. Next, give the room a thorough cleaning. Shampoo carpets. Clean draperies. Take the extra steps and make it shine. A clean home is always more appealing.

2. Once the room is clean, look at it with a fresh eye. Is there a piece of furniture that detracts from the space? Does the couch need a slipcover? A few simple changes can update the room.

3. Next, think about color. Nothing brings a room to life like a warm, inviting tone on the walls. A fresh coat of paint in a neutral tone can make the space more appealing. In addition, if you pick complimentary tones for each room it gives the home both character and a sense of continuity or flow.

4. Consider updating your accessories and wall art. Once you have decluttered, cleaned, made key changes and painted, you want to add in a few signature pieces to boost interest. For instance, an heirloom painting from your great aunt may have a lot of appeal to you, but it may not work in the room anymore. Replace it with a piece that is better suited for the space.