Last Updated on September 3, 2024
Besides landing on the right price to sell your home quickly, staging your home correctly is one of the easiest things you can do to ensure your home sells in a timely manner. In fact, a recent study from Realtor Magazine indicated that staged homes on the market sold for 25% more than homes without staging. Listing your home soon? Here are the most inexpensive ways to prepare your home to sell for more!
Paint the most important spaces
A can of paint can quickly transform your space and provide a warm, neutral backdrop that’s sure to impress home buyers. If you’re on a tight budget, consider investing time and money into the places that buyers care most about–bathrooms, kitchens and the primary bedroom.
Choose a neutral that will go with most decor and one that speaks to your homes fixed elements. Sherwin Williams Accolade or Natural Tan are great choices, as are Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray or Ballet White.
It’s also a good idea to paint your front door if it’s due for a fresh coat. You can browse some of our favorite front door colors here.
Stage closets and pantry
Storage is a big ticket item on most buyers’ wish lists. In your hurry to deep clean and tuck away personal items, don’t forget to organize your closets and pantry spaces. All storage areas should be 30% empty to create the illusion of more space. Aim to remove everything from the ground, or at least group like items in decorative baskets.
Stage your kitchen countertops
Bring your kitchen to life by staging your countertop. Before decorating, make sure to heavily edit your countertops. A coffee maker is fine, but consider removing a toaster/toaster oven and other unnecessary items from the countertops. Once you’ve decluttered, consider adding in a colorful pot with a plant, fresh flowers in a vase on your island, pretty cookbooks, and wooden cutting boards.
Evaluate your lighting
Most homes don’t have enough task lighting. It’s never a bad idea to make a quick trip to Home Goods or Target and add a few inexpensive lamps to create a pretty ambiance in your home.
While you’re at it, evaluate the temperature of your light bulbs and make sure every bulb is the same temp. 2700k is our favorite color temperature for a warm white glow, and we also like 3000k for a more neutral white that isn’t too bright. Lightbulbs with a temperature higher than 3000k tend to look too sterile and clinical.
Bring in color through plants
Add in something living in each room of the main living areas by bringing in plants and flowers. Orchids are lovely any time of the year and bloom for 3 months at a time. Ferns, snake plants, and pothos are low-maintenance and add in color and life.
Clean your carpets
If you have a lot of carpet in your home, and especially if you have pets, it’s a good idea to go ahead and spend the money to have your carpets professionally cleaned. Carpet tends to hold on to smells and the added cost of cleaning your carpets is definitely worth not turning potential buyers away, thanks to an unpleasant smell.
Pressure wash your house
Pressure washing the average-sized home can run between $200 and $300. Going the DIY route will save you more, but if you have a two-story home, this may prove more trouble than it’s worth. Don’t underestimate the value of good curb appeal and make plans to give the outside of your home a good deep clean.
Find a Realtor who offers staging advice
Finally, rather than spend money hiring a professional home stager, seek out a realtor who is well-versed in staging homes to sell for more. Many times, staging a home involves a skilled Realtor who knows how to position a home that presents well to buyers.
Allen Tate is the Carolinas’ largest real estate company with more than 70 offices and 1,800 Realtors in the Charlotte, Triad, Triangle, High Country, Upstate SC, Highlands/Cashiers and Asheville/Mountain regions. Allen Tate is a partner of Howard Hanna Real Estate, the largest privately held real estate broker in the U.S., with 500 real estate, mortgage, insurance, title, and escrow service offices and 15,000 sales associates and staff across 13 states. For more information, visit www.allentate.com and www.howardhanna.com.
