One of the busiest times to buy and sell homes is here! We’ve talked a few times about staging your house to sell. It’s important from the very beginning of the process when pictures are being taken for your MLS listing, all the way to when potential buyers are walking through your home during showings and open houses.

According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2015 Profile of Home Staging there are certain rooms in your house that should get special attention. Here are the top 5:

1.      Living Room

2.      Kitchen

3.      Master Bedroom

4.      Dining Room

5.      Bathroom

These may seem very obvious but they are often overlooked.

So what kinds of things can you do to make your home more appealing to people looking at your house online or at showings? If the house you are selling is completely empty, it might be beneficial to hire a professional stager and stage at least the rooms listed above.

If you don’t want to spend the money to hire somebody here are some things you can do to get better pictures and make your home ready for showings:

·        Remove any little rugs you have by doors, bathrooms, kitchens, etc. Also remove clutter and counter top appliances from kitchen counters. Declutter everything while you’re at it. The goal is to make the rooms appear as large and open as possible. Clutter is always distracting to the eye.

·        Remove excess furniture from overly crowded rooms.

·        Make the bedrooms look as inviting as possible. A perfectly made bed with nice pillows is a must.

·        Let the light in! Open the curtains and turn on accent lighting. Your home will appear more inviting.

·        Make the bathrooms sparkle. Clean and declutter sinks and showers. No toothbrushes or toiletries in site!  New, fluffy towels add a sense of freshness.

·        Clean your whole house while you’re at it.

Staging is so important. We can’t drive this point home enough. Proper staging will most likely get you more showings (because your pictures look good online). And, when people walk through your home, they will be able to visualize themselves living there more clearly. Ultimately, it may result in a higher offer which is the ultimate goal.

(Sources:  http://tinyurl.com/ool9dn4, http://tinyurl.com/p8f3nnl)