Staging a House for Sale

Deciding to bring your property to the market brings with it many tasks to get it ready for sale. One of the most important tasks in the process is preparing the property for it to be photographed (or videoed). “Home staging” is actually a well known phrase in the real estate industry and there are professionals out there who will stage the property for a fee. As a definition, home staging refers to the preparation of a house or apartment for presentation for photographs and/or for viewings. As mentioned, you can outsource this work to a professional and by choosing a professional, they can incorporate the use (via rental) of various items of furniture and dressings in order to make the property look even more aesthetically pleasing to potential buyers.

What Are the Benefits of Staging?

In our opinion it is possible to stage a property without the need for a professional stager. It does take time and an attention to detail but the benefits of staging will be a well presented property and it may even help to secure a higher sales price. Prospective purchasers like to picture themselves in a property and so taking time and care to present an immaculate property (interiors and exteriors) will likely reap dividends in the form of interest in your listing.

How Important is Home Staging?

Home staging is definitely an important activity in the run-up to listing your property for sale. The main advice when attempting to stage your property is to declutter. Time and time again, we see some property listing photographs where unattended items clutter out the room and draw the eye to the wrong places. Decluttering a house for the purposes of your property sale will make a massive difference to how it looks on your listing and the main advantage is that decluttering generally requires very little input of cash monetary outlay. There is no doubt that a successful and productive declutter requires effort but we’ve outlined some top tips for your declutter project below.

5 Decluttering Tips for Staging a Property

Once you have your decluttering project done, it’s time to look at your property objectively and see if there are any repairs that need to be done to improve its appearance. A deep clean of a kitchen can make a massive difference and again with effort, you can complete this yourself. Laying the table with a tablecloth or runner and setting with cutlery can look fantastic in a property listing photograph. A vase of flowers also always adds a wonderful touch.

For property staging, it’s so important not to forget the outside of the property. This is a little outside of your control when it’s an apartment but for a house, you can make sure the garden/lawn are trimmed and plants are looking their best. Hedging should be cut and if possible, place some nice plant pots outside the front door. An outside door mat also makes the entrance look neat and tidy and if possible, a power wash of the paths really does showcase the exterior driveway very well.

Room by Room Property Staging Tips

Front Door

Wash the front door with soapy water. Add potted plants either side of the door; topiary plants look very well also.

Entrance Hall

Declutter the space of coats, hats and umbrellas for the purposes of the photographs. Close the doors of all other rooms leading off the entrance hallway to showcase the space itself. Ensure nothing is hanging on stairs (if you have stairs).

Living Room

If you have an open fire or stove, ensure it’s set. Consider lighting it so create a nice aesthetic appeal for the photographs. Plump up any sofa cushions and ensure they are uniform in shape. Place any rugs in straight order and turn on any corner lamps that might be in the room to showcase any darker corners. Clear off clutter from coffee tables and mantles.

Kitchen

Declutter countertops even if it’s only for the photographs. A clear and clutter-free countertop will instantly make it appear larger. Push chairs into the dining table to make them look tidy and compact as they should not be the focus. Remove bins from the room or hide them when the property’s photographs are being taken. If possible temporarily remove them from the room when there is a viewing too to prevent any unwanted odours.

Bathrooms

Keep toilet seats down. Ensure toilet rolls are in place. Remove any unnecessary items that will catch people’s eyes. Shower screens and glass doors tend to show streaks so a deep clean here will look well in photographs.

Bedrooms

Declutter as much as is possible. Beds that are fully made will photograph very well. Plump up pillows and pull back curtains to really showcase the room. If there are mirrored wardrobe doors in the room, ensure they are sparkling clean.

Back Gardens

Even if your back garden isn’t landscaped, it’s so important to have it cleared in some way. Lawns and hedges trimmed etc. In contrast, an overgrown back garden adds nothing to the property and fails to show possible buyers the potential for that part of the property.

At Auctioneera, we host all viewings as part of our sales process and so we can guide you with any advice you need when getting your property ready for photographs and/or viewings.