recommended to sellers were decluttering the home (93 percent), entire home cleaning (89 percent), carpet cleaning (81 percent), and removing pets during showings (80 percent). Most buyers form an opinion about a home within the first 7–10 seconds of arriving.
Source: National Association of REALTORS®
NEUTRALIZE FOR EYE APPEAL
The idea is to neutralize the home of personal taste or decoration so that buyers can easily envision the home as it would be outfitted in their taste or with their possessions without the distractions of the seller’s taste and possessions. Staging accomplishes this goal and helps buyers envision living in each space of the house. An effective way to achieve this is to paint all rooms in a neutral color. A wide range of neutrals from soft grays to warm beiges is available. Painting the interior gives newness and freshness and can make the home appear more spacious. Using the same color in visibly adjacent rooms gives the house a seamless look and uninterrupted flow. Changing your window coverings to match the walls can create an illusion of more space. Dark or bold wall colors can dampen interest in a home if used in large spaces; however, they can be used effectively as accent colors.
FOCUS ON FURNITURE: LESS IS MORE!
In staging, minimization is a key to creating a visibly inviting space so that the home shopper can envision or imagine life in that space. Like any home owner, you’ll take your furniture with you when you move out of your home. Until then, your personal taste and style will likely be a distraction to shoppers. Since you’ll have to move anyway, why not clear out as many of your personal
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