How to Stage Your Flip to Sell

How to Stage Your Flip to Sell

By Rachel Stevens

According to the National Association of Realtors, seventy-one percent of sellers’ agents believe a well-staged environment increases the dollar value buyers are willing to offer. While staging your house isn’t guaranteed to get you more money, it’s an important marketing tool that can help you compete at the right price and sell faster. By properly staging a home, you’re helping buyers fall in love with the property and envision themselves living there. Check out these helpful tips below to see how you can effectively stage each area of your house.

Living room

The living room typically has the most activity in any home, so you’ll want to create a comfortable and welcoming environment. To start, add a few furniture pieces such as a couch, coffee table, end tables, and maybe even an accent chair. You want the room to feel spacious, yet lived in. This doesn’t mean you have to go out and splurge on expensive furniture. You can easily find a quality eye-catching sofa by shopping at a discount furniture store or even use realistic pop-up furniture to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Once you have updated your furniture, arrange it in conversational groups and add a few accent pillows and table lamps. To bring balance to the room, be sure to arrange your accessories symmetrically. You can even add a few bright pieces to the room for a splash of color. Consider setting the scene by displaying a board game or even a tea service on the coffee table to help potential buyers really imagine living in your home.

Kitchen

While the living room typically has the most activity, the kitchen is the heart of the home. First, clear everything from the countertops with the exception of one or two decorative items like a bowl of fresh fruit, a vase or pitcher of flowers to create a fresh, clean look. Scrub dirt, stains, and grime from the walls, cabinets, handles, and backsplashes and be sure to wash out the cabinet interiors. Go through all of the other cupboards and drawers and narrow down the items to a minimum. If you have a pantry in your kitchen, organize it and leave a bit of empty space to make it appear bigger. Store items in decorative baskets or canisters and be sure to display a few of your fancier looking pantry items. If you have a nice dish set and glassware, arrange them nicely in your cabinets.

Dining room

Set up your dining room in a way that inspires potential buyers to envision themselves entertaining there. You’ll want to create an environment that strikes the right tone– isn’t overly formal or too casual. Lay a decorative table runner in the center of the table with a few decorating elements, such as candle holders or small floral vases. You can also set a few wine glasses on the table as well, to help create a balance between dining and entertaining.

Bedrooms

Your bedroom is the most personal space in your home, so it may take more work for it to appeal to all buyers. Ditch the floral comforter and go with a more gender-neutral look. Keep it simple and remove any video game consoles, posters, and other personalized items to depersonalize the room and create a relaxing setting anyone can see themselves in at the end of a long day. If you have any jewelry or other valuables, be sure to put them in a safe place. For the extra bedrooms in your house, consider giving them a new identity as a home office or playroom to show off all the different possibilities your home has to offer.

Bathroom

Just like the kitchen, you should clean and sanitize the walls, floor, counters, shower door, faucets, shower head, and cabinets. Be sure to scrub the tile grout and caulk around the tub as well, ensuring everything looks sparkling clean! Get rid of any clutter from the countertop, tub, and top of the toilet. Don’t forget to pack up and hide all of your personal products. You can easily give off luxurious spa vibes with fluffy white towels, a white shower curtain, a fresh bath mat, decorative baskets, candles, and a few plants. Potential buyers will fall for this relaxing oasis!

Rachel Stevens is a freelance writer with a passion for all things home related. When she’s not writing she can be found working on her latest DIY project.