YOUR HOME IS A STAGE
Quick, cost-effective ways to spruce up home sweet home

An investment of a few hundred or maybe a few thousand dollars in a home headed for the market - a sprucing up is called "home staging" - can yield you high returns!

Stage a house, why? Potential Buyers will only imagine what they see, not what it's going to be. Brokers who now focus on Home Staging Professionals advise if you don't clean the carpet or don't take down the old stained wallpaper or your young teens walls are painted bright green & pink, the buyer will not envision it any other way3;

When done well, staging makes a remarkable difference! We relisted a property that had been listed with 3 other agents, we didn't change the price, we staged it, and it sold within the first month.

Homes that are staged by accredited professionals sell in an average of approx one and a half months vs. an unstaged homes of approx 4 months or longer and with an increase in sales price  of 5 to 25 percent.

In light of this, the National Association of Realtors has expanded on the benefits of home staging. Real Estate agents on commissions are just as eager as the home sellers to boost up the home's selling price to lessen the time on the market.

If you choose to spruce up your home for your own enjoyment or increase your bottom line, take a peek below at some home stagers' advice and how it can give your house an amazing new look and profit you immensely:

Start at the street
" Your Curb appeal" isn't just a fancy phrase created to boost landscapers' income not at all, this is a crucial first impression that can make buyers either repelled of stopping to look any further or eager & willing to stop and step inside. Be sure your lawn and gardens look really good, have your trash cans and bikes are put away, commen sense things. The house numbers should look  attractive and easy to see, the front door should be just  spectacular, should you consider replacing it or painted it ? Should you updated the hardware? Think about it. Be sure to place some attractive potted plants by the door.

The Foyer
Next, their second first impression comes the second your potential buyer steps into the house. Is the coat rack over loaded with coats & other junk? Are your shoes underneath hanging out? What about your keys and other stuff in a dish on you table may suggest your a fabulous organizer, but it's not the way to sell this house. Round up the coats and shoes and put them in the closet, place the keys in your purse or away in a drawer somewhere. Now put a lovely vase of beautiful flowers on the table. A clutter free house is very attractive and appealing.

Consider using the 1/4 to 1/2 rule of thumb
Far to few homes on the market have too little furniture and too few accessories, infact the vast majority have simply too much. Don't just want to straighten up all that clutter! You want to remove some of the excess stuff. Consider this, try putting at least one-quarter of your furniture in the garage, one-third of your books in boxes and at least one-half of your knickknacks away. Use the same rule with cabinets, closets and counters. If they're stuffed full? Buyers tend to think they're too small. Keep them tidy and one-third to one-half empty (place just a few things on each shelf). Don't forget to pare down your outside furnishings and accessories, too.

Hire a cleaning crew to come regularly to sold
Or, at least for a one-time super-cleaning. Don't skip windows (inside & out), be sure they go behind the toilet, clean the bathroom grout, and remember under sinks! Theyll be looking under there too.  The potential buyer is inspecting there possible new home. Be sure the cleaning crew moves your furniture to vacuum behind and under it. Your paying for it, be sure its done right!

Arrange your home furnishings to highlight the beautiful architecture
Show off your homes best assets, The views, Your fireplaces, Your staicase. Spruce them up by framing or highlighting them, not covering them up or weighing them down! Consider placing your  tall objects,furniture, vases, paintings,plants, etc. against tall walls. Most importantly Do Not Block The Traffic Flow. Ask some friends for some imput, and arrange your furniture in different ways to. Again, pay special attention to your friends' opinions, be flexable! Remember, YOUR MOVING!

Be sure to use rooms as they were intended by the builder
Remove the exercise equipment from out of the guest room, put the guest bedroom furnature back in. Do you have an eat-in kitchen? Put a table and chairs in it to show it off. Now, your dining room, remove the home office equipment and filing cabinets out of your little-used dining room. Now, set that formal dining room as though you are expecting dinner guest any moment or put a beautiful vase with flowers. Think about it, let this room look inviting & beautiful as it was intended to be, A Formal Dinning Room.

Fix what is broken
Buyers are looking for flaws to help lower the sales price in negotiations. That wobbly stair rail may still support you and the crack in the ceiling plaster may not be structural, but, the buyers ponder what else is broken or just not quite right, and then start really eyeballing everything. Think about it, wouldnt you? So, no matter how minor the problem, take your toolbox around and start fixing. When you start to look for your new home you will be doing them same thing I guarenty it.

Update the obvious
A tired home looks tired because of the paint, hole in the wall, missing tile, hole in the carpet or furnishings. A new coat of neutral-toned paint is a buyer-pleasing backdrop for the buyer. Just emove that outdated furniture, in fact maybe trade sofas with a friend or relative while your house is on the market. Second option, buy some new pieces, or put them in the garage and rent some with a more contemporary style until your house is sold & closes. Are there too many area rugs? Or are the ones you have just old & tired looking? This can really detract from nice hard wood floors or tiles. Shag or other old-fashioned carpeting will turn buyers off. Replace the carpets if you can, if not cleaning them is a must. Update a tired kitchen with an inexpensive new countertop, new cabinet doors, or just new cabinet hardware can do wonders!

Erase your personality
Love Waterford? Collect frogs? Hearts? Dogs? A huge collection of wall Masks? Put it away!! Think that colorful quirky painting is and fun? At least half the people who see it won't agree, Just pack it up! Your Moving remember? Box up your collections, your personal photos, and anything you wouldn't expect to see on the floor of a furniture showroom. Oh, and put away blow dryers, makeup and toothbrushes. Buyers need to imagine themselves in your home, not wonder if the small little white box next to the tooth paste is for your false teeth or glass eye! Seriously though, its no one elses business what your daily hygen habits are, The buyers will not be remotely interested, nor would you be when to venture out to purchase your new home. Remember your moving.

Invite over friends that are not intimidated to tell you the truth
Ask several of you forthright friends to look through your house with the eye of a home buyer, ask them what needs to be changed in there point of view? Be carefull if you have pets, can you smell poopsy? Kitty box loaded? Keep it clean and out of site! A cracked window? Not-so-clean appliances? What's acceptable for daily living isn't likely to impress a buyer.

Last minute
For last-minute things - a stack of papers, a handful of dirty clothes - you need to put away before a showing, just put them in a box in the garage. Out of site, Out of mind3;3;.

YOULL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION!