The 2 primary goals of home staging are: 1. To help a house sell quicker; and 2. To potentially recieve higher offers than an unstaged home. Whether you want to stage your home yourself or hire a professional, the valuable information below can help you understand the basics.

(1) Great Curb Appeal

Poor curb appeal resuls in a negative first impression for a potential homebuyer. Your home must look pristine on the outside, as well as the inside. So, clean up your landscaping, mow the lawn, and repair broken or damaged windows, screens, shutters, steps, and other exterior items. Give your front door a fresh coat of paint and a new welcome mat to ramp up the curb appeal.

(2) Clean Environment

Keep your house squeaky clean while it's on the market! A dirty or cluttered home certainly doesn't appeal to a future homeowner. Dead insects, stained carpets, dirty windows, cobwebs, etc. can all be red flags for a Buyer, and can suggest poor home maintenance. The first step to marketing your home properly is to present (and maintain!) a clean environment.

(3) Neutral Wall Colors

Neutral wall colors provide a pleasant backdrop for your home's furniture and accessories, as well as a clean look for photos. If it's been a while since your walls have been painted, cover them with a fresh coat of paint, or touch-up areas that need it, prior to staging your home. Choosing a neutral hue not only makes for a calm and fresh feel, but also provides a "blank slate" for Buyers.

(4) Minimalist Mindset

Think minimalism when staging your home. Put away everything that fosters a cluttered appearance, including toys, books, small electronics, an abundance of decorative items, cookware, medicines, personal hygiene articles, and more. Next, examine your patio, deck, or porch and stash any miscellaneous items you find.

(5) De-personalized Spaces

Make your home as generic as possible for staging purposes. For example, pack up your family photos, sports memorabilia, political articles, military-related items, weapons, and other personal paraphernalia. De-personalizing your space allows a homebuyer to not only have a clearer vision of your home, but to better visualize it becoming their home once personal items have been removed.

(6) Furniture Layout

An uncrowded, well-designed furniture layout creates the appearance of a more spacious, organized, functional home. Remove any furniture pieces that are crowding the walkways, blocking the windows, or overpowering a room. Leave a 3-foot wide path for major walkways throughout your home, and a minimum 2-foot clearance around beds.

(7) Clutter-Free Walls

Remove everything on your walls in each room, except for a few large neutral-themed paintings. Fill in the nail holes with spackling compound and touch up the blemishes with paint that matches your existing wall color.

(8) Sunny Spaces & Well-Lit Rooms

It's one of your home staging missions to make your interior spaces feel light, bright, and as large as possible -- not dark, dingy, and small. You can do this by letting as much natural light flood your home as possible. Remove dark drapes, raise the blinds, and pull your curtains wide open. Clean windows can make a huge difference, so if your windows are looking dingy from water spots and streaks, have them professionally cleaned. After you take advantage of all the natural light possible, look into changing out interior lighting/light bulbs for bright, white hues that match, and add lamps where needed to brighten up dark spaces. 

(9) Clean, Neat Beds

Part of staging your home is neatly making all the beds every day. A simple white comforter, crisp white bed skirt, and fluffy bed pillows covered with white shams are all you need for a clean, pulled-together, neutral look. Also, remove all stuffed animals, dolls, or colorful toss pillows from the beds.

(10) Well-Maintained Appearance

Great staging will be quickly forgotten if the home beyond the furniture and lighting does not appear well-maintained. Fix squeaky door/cabinet hinges, tighten wobbly doorknobs, and nail down loose porch or deck boards. Replace any light bulbs that aren't working, and keep your home free of unpleasant odors by emptying your indoor trash cans often. Always keep your home organized, clean, and clutter-free.

Whether you choose to tackle staging yourself, or hire a professional stager, remember that a well-staged home is a key component to selling your home quicker, and for a higher price!