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Staging a house for sale is one of the most important marketing methods available. According to the National Association of Realtors’ survey, 83% percent of buyers’ agents found staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. If potential buyers can’t see themselves living in the house, they will walk away. 

A house that is adequately staged can entice a potential buyer during a showing. But don’t forget the drawing power of great photography. Follow the tips in this article, and your house will become picture-perfect for some great real estate photos.

1. Clean 

A clean house is the starting point of any successful staging. A dirty house tends to neutralize the benefits of any other staging tips.

Start with the floors. Carpets should be professionally cleaned. Any damage on a wooden floor should be wiped over with a matching stain, and the entire surface should be polished with an approved polishing material. Clean any dirty grout lines with a suitable grout cleaner. 

And carefully clean any marble surfaces with a cleaner especially made for marble, otherwise you can damage the floor or it can lose its gloss. This article by Houston cleaning experts at Quick Response Janitorial Services explains how to properly clean marble flooring without damaging the surface.

Clean bathrooms thoroughly by removing any statins from the porcelain or stainless steel.

2. Declutter 

Clutter makes a home appear small and as if it has too little storage space. Consider renting a storage unit. And remove all unnecessary items from the house.

Remove all but essential clothing from the closets. Get rid of knick knacks that crowd display spaces. If you have small children, box up all but a few toys, and remove them from the house. Make sure the remaining toys are stored out of sight. Get worn and dated furniture out of the house.   

3. De-personalize the Interior 

Buyers should not be able to tell your age, culture, our preferences after staging your house. To neutralize the home, remove any identifying items.

The step-by-step guide on WikiHow explains how to thoroughly prepare a house. According to it, you should remove family photos and framed memorabilia from the walls. Make sure to remove all posters from any child’s bedroom. What you leave on the walls should be non-controversial, beautiful, and have broad appeal to most home buyers.

Store all trophies, ribbons, and other acknowledgments of personal success.

Repaint any walls in children’s bedrooms that have been personalized with their name, etc.

4. Achieve Proper Lighting 

Natural light has a profound effect on the way we feel about a space. So trim any shrubs that are blocking the windows. Remove and discard dated window treatments (you probably can’t use them when you move, and the new buyer won’t want them). 

A recent survey by RealEstateBees.com, a national resource for real estate professionals, questioned number of professional photographers in the US on how to take the most appealing property photos. Most of them emphasized the importance of good lighting. To achieve the desired effect, photographers’ tips included cleaning and repairing any blinds and keep them open for staging (except for a window facing an undesirable object such as a railroad track or a junk car in the neighbor’s backyard). 

Keep the glass clean—both inside and out. And consider to replace some bulbs with sunlight-imitating LED bulbs.

5. Perform Small Repairs Where Needed 

Make all the necessary repairs, if possible. At the least, perform the small repairs needed around the house. The list from HouseLogic names the most critical fixtures that should be performed. 

Make sure that no faucet leaks, and that no toilet runs. Check all interior and exterior doors for proper function. Fix dings in walls and repaint any rooms that have damaged wall surfaces. Check the roof for loose shingles. And make sure all siding is securely attached. A professional mason should repair cracks in brick walls. If you have a mailbox, make sure that it sets correctly and that the lid opens and closes properly.

6. Work on Curb Appeal

Mow the Lawn 

During the growing season, keep the lawn watered and mowed. Make sure to trim the grass around the trees and shrubs. As a general rule, all the grass around the perimeter should be no taller than the grass in the yard. And edging the lawn along driveways and walkways gives a sharp definition that appeals to buyers.

Add Outside Furniture 

If you have nice outdoor furniture, arrange it in such a way that a potential buyer would want to sit down and relax in your beautiful environment. If you don’t, buy or rent enough furniture to define your outdoor space. Most people like to entertain outdoors. Help them imagine entertaining at your home.

Decorate 

If you have existing flower beds, clean them up, so the flowers don’t have to compete with weeds. Place potted plants at your entrance to welcome visitors. Lawn ornaments are risky unless they are neutral to all types of buyers. Remove ornaments that could trigger an undesirable first impression of your home, such as flowers growing in a toilet bowl. 

Prepare the Pool 

Don’t let potential buyers open the backyard gate to a pool filled with debris. Out of season, cover the pool with a nice pool cover. In season, keep the water sparkling clean with the proper maintenance and pool chemicals. 

Make sure that the pool doesn’t look like a safety hazard. Repair or replace any existing pool fencing that is damaged or missing. And if the pool has no fencing, consider adding a beautiful fence. A pool safety equipment contractor from Houston TX, Pool Guard Texas, explained the difference between the types and installation methods of pool fences, answered questions that homeowners may have when considering the purchase, and shared photos of each fencing type.

A potential buyer must feel like your backyard would be safe for their family.

7. Hire a Trusted Home Staging Professional

While you can do all of these tips yourself, consider hiring a professional staging company to take care of the work. They frequently have furniture, so you won’t have to rent any if your house is vacant.

A staging professional will know what draws buyers to your home, and what doesn’t. They can take on the stress of directing the staging process. If you want to do some of the work, they will steer you in the right direction. If you don’t want anything to do with the staging process, they can bring in other professionals to do the work.