Mastering Home Staging: Elevating Your Property’s Appeal for a Successful Sale

Buyers’ agent won’t have to say: “Picture this!”  The buyers will see your home at its best.

Before listing your home, it’s essential to prepare it for sale. The buyers are looking for the best, so the house for sale can become unnoticeable, if it’s not in pristine condition and attractive to the buyers.

Helping the buyers to fall in love with your property takes more than running the vacuum and fluffing the pillows – it’s all about de-cluttering, repairing, updating, and depersonalizing. It can be as simple as changing the room’s color or as drastic as gutting and updating the bathroom.

While you preparing your home for sale, imagine being a buyer and walk through your home like it’s the first time. The goal is to make potential buyers to become overwhelmed with the “Wow!” factor. You want the buyers to walk in and say, “This is where I’ll curl up with my favorite book.” Or “This is where I’ll entertain the boss, or relatives for Thanksgiving!” Or “This is where the kids will play and that is where we will relax and watch TV!”

Depending on your home’s condition, some renovations or even minor touch-ups, such as a coat of fresh paint, can go a long way towards making a favorable first impression on the potential buyers. But while minor touch-ups and paint can lay the groundwork for enhancing your home’s appeal, the true magic lies in professional staging techniques.

Does staging a home before putting it on the market make a significant difference? The short answer is “Yes”! In fact,  according to the National Association of REALTORS® “2023 Profile of Home Staging”, 81% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home, and 41% of buyers were more willing to walk through a home they saw online. The reason –  well staged homes look better, photograph better, and show better. And as a result, sell for higher price, and sell faster than non-staged homes.

The right Home Staging will feature the home and not the occupants and their personal items. Remember, you will only get one opportunity to make a positive first impression with the potential buyers.

You can prepare your home for sale by using staging tips from this article or by hiring a professional to stage your home.

In order to present your home in the best possible light and beat the competition, all these areas of the house will need your special attention:

 

LIVING ROOM | KITCHEN | BEDROOMS | DINING ROOM | BATHROOMS | WALLS & WINDOWS | THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE | EXTERIOR | FOR PET OWNERS | DAY OF SHOWING

Living Room

  • When placing anything from accent pillows and table lamps, go for symmetry, which is pleasing to the eye.
  • Light it up with lamps. Chic lamps provide both added lighting and appealing decor.
  • Make that fireplace glow. Scrub away soot stains and replace the old screen.
  • If you’re using staging furniture or buying slip covers, choose light colors for an airy, inviting feel.
  • Whatever amount of furniture you have in your living room, remove a few pieces to make the room feel spacious.
  • Use bright, coordinated accessories like accent pillows and throw blankets for a chic splash of color.
  • Help buyers imagine their life in your home. Set the scene by displaying a board game or tea service on the coffee table, and arrange furniture in conversational groups.
  • Let a slideshow of beautiful images play on your television like a screensaver. prepare your home for sale

Kitchen

 

  • Clear everything from the countertops except for one or two decorative items, such as a vase of flowers or bowl of fresh fruit.
  • Pack up all the dishes except one attractive, matching set. Do the same with glassware, flatware, and cookware, and pare down all other cupboard and drawer items down to the minimum.
  • Freshen up and modernize those cabinets with a fresh coat of paint or stain and new hardware.
  • Seriously evaluate your appliances. Can they look new again with a good scrubbing? Give it the old college try or consider replacing with new models. The Real Estate Staging Association strongly recommends stainless steel.
  • Remove those fridge magnets and give the door and handles a good cleaning.
  • Scrub dirt, grime, and stains from walls, cabinets, and backsplashes.
  • Clean cabinet interiors, especially under the sink.
  • Clean and organize the pantry, leaving some empty space to make it look bigger. Store items in decorative baskets and display a few jars of fancy jam and other upscale condiments.
  • Empty all trash cans and move them out of sight. prepare home for sale

Bedrooms

  • Pack up all but the clothes you’re wearing this season to make you closets look larger.
  • Swap out the motley crew of mismatched hangers in your closet for a set of wooden ones to create a classy, boutique look.
  • Put jewelry and other valuables in a safe spot.
  • Consider giving extra bedrooms a new identity as a home office, sewing room, or another interesting function.
  • Remove televisions or video game consoles from bedrooms to depersonalize and create a serene setting.

Dining Room

  • Let buyers entertain the idea of entertaining. Set out some chic place settings around the table, or a few wine glasses and a decanter on the buffet.
  • Strike a balance between overly formal and too casual with an attractive runner and a few fun, decorative elements — think small floral vases or short candle holders.

Bathrooms

  • It’s de-grime time: Scrub and sanitize the walls, floor, shower door — virtually every surface that comes in contact with steam.
  • Spend extra time scrubbing that tile grout and re-caulk around the tub if necessary.
  • If your bathroom tile is dated, try paint instead of replacing it. Start with a high-adhesion primer and either epoxy or latex paint.
  • Remove clutter from the countertop, tub, and top of toilet. Clean surfaces until they gleam.
  • Pack up and hide all your personal products — from medicine to razors.
  • Create a luxury spa look with a fancy soap dispenser, fluffy white towels, decorative baskets, candles, plants, a white shower curtain, and a new bath mat.
  • Fix leaky or running toilets and replace toilet seats.
  • Remove hard water stains on faucets and shower heads. (Try vinegar!)
  • Take a daring sniff of the drains. Odorous? Clean them out, and deodorize with baking soda, boiling water, or vinegar.
  • Time for a new sink anyway? Try a pedestal sink to optimize precious bathroom space.

Walls, Windows & More

  • Have a dark corner or hallway? Brighten it up with a decorative mirror.
  • Neutralize the walls. If any rooms are painted in dark colors, repaint white or beige.
  • Paint adjacent rooms the same color to make the whole space feel larger.
  • Fill nicks and holes in walls, and touch up with paint.
  • Sorry, wood paneling. It’s time. Paint over paneling with a neutral color. To really cover your tracks, use wood filler between panels and paint over the entire thing.
  • Make sure every switch plate and outlet cover matches and looks brand new.
  • Wash the windows, inside and out. Repair any holes or tears in screens.
  • Replace those family portraits with interesting art placed strategically throughout the house. Avoid leaving dead space on walls.

Throughout the House

  • Declutter! Consider it pre-packing for your move. Box up books, clothes, and personal items and place them (neatly!) in the garage or — better yet — a rented storage unit.
  • Don’t forget to include memorabilia in those decluttering bins. Family photos, diplomas, and the kids’ artwork should all go.
  • Keep closets, basements, and attics as empty as possible to maximize the appearance of storage space.
  • Transform underused areas of the house — the alcove under the stairs or the end of a hallway — into functional spots. Add a desk to create a mini office, or a chair and small bookshelf for a reading nook.
  • Swap dim lights for high-wattage bulbs.
  • Check every door, drawer, and cabinet to ensure they open and close easily. Swap out any faulty — or dingy — hardware.
  • Damaged or aging hardwood floors? Replace damaged boards with new wood, sand down the entire floor, and re-stain.
  • Do a deep (deep, deep) clean. Hire a professional cleaning service to clean your home from top to bottom — including carpets — before viewings.

Exterior

  • Hang attractive house numbers that are legible from the road.
  • Brighten up your porch with fresh paint or stain.
  • Add a fresh coat of paint to the front door, preferably red, black, blue, or wood stain, so long as it complements the trim and doesn’t blend, says The Real Estate Staging Association. Steer clear of unconventional colors like purple.
  • Buy a new doormat to welcome home buyers.
  • Power-wash the house exterior, walkway, steps, driveway, and porch until everything sparkles.
  • Make sure the locks and doorbell function.
  • Make that mailbox look clean and welcoming, or get a new one.
  • Plant lots of colorful blooms in attractive pots and planter beds.
  • Trim back trees and shrubs from the approach to the front door.
  • Whip that yard into shape with fresh sod or new seed
  • Store yard equipment and children’s toys out of sight.
  • Repair shaky banisters.
  • Get a hammock (or bocce ball game or raised fire pit) to show off how fun your yard can be.
  • Dress up any imperfect planting area with mulch.
  • Make sure entryway lights function and are free of cobwebs and insects.
  • Hide trash cans, recycle bins, and garden hoses.
  • Don’t forget your outdoor living space. Stage your patio like a second living room, with fashionable furniture, accent pillows, an outdoor rug, and other patio-friendly decor.

For Pet Owners

  • Scrub those pet stains on the carpets and rugs until totally gone or replace them if necessary. Try cleaning formulas made especially for pet odors.
  • Pet odors soak into your best friend’s favorite things. Completely remove pet beds (or Fido’s most-loved couch), blankets, toys, play structures, food bowls, and the like.
  • Use air fresheners that eliminate odors, rather than simply mask them. There’s nothing worse than the smell of artificial pine with kitty litter undertones.
  • Repair or remove any furniture that’s been scratched or gnawed on.
  • Clean all pet “presents” from the yard.
  • Keep cat boxes immaculate and hidden away, or — better yet — see how your feline-loving friends feel about a temporary house guest and remove litter boxes altogether.
  • Remove any dog or cat doors. Pets? What pets?
  • When you leave the house for a viewing, take all the furry (or feathery or scaly) residents along with you.
  • Make a pet hair sweep the last thing you do before you leave the house.

Day of Showing

 

  • Add a seasonal touch. Simmer cinnamon sticks in the fall and set out fresh cut lilacs in the spring.
  • Tidy like you’ve never tidied before.
  • Avoid cooking any food for your own meals, but do bake some cookies or other baked goods to leave a welcoming aroma behind.
  • Take off. After all that staging work, you deserve a trip to the spa while potential home buyers are busy falling in love with your house.

Bottom Line

When selling your home, staging tips described in this article have to be used as an important marketing tool to help you compete with other homes and, at the end, to Get the Most Money.

Ready to make a move? Click Here to schedule free no obligation seller consultation!

Sources: HouseLogic.com – Natalie Burg; “Home Staging For Profit” by Barbara Jennings.

How to Sell Your House Fast for Cash in Vienna VA, Alexandria VA, McLean, Falls Church, Fairfax & Around Northern Virginia

How to Sell Your House Fast and “Pain-Free”: Selling Your Home in Vienna VA, Alexandria VA, McLean VA, Fairfax, Burke, Falls Church & around Northern Virginia for Cash and in “As-Is” Condition


• We buy homes in all conditions

• We don’t charge Realtor Fees

• And Settle with Cash Offers


 

 

Quick Overview of Northern Virginia Real Estate Market

If you need to sell your house fast in Vienna VA, McLean VA or other communities of Northern Virginia, please, before making a final decision, take a look at this article to learn about the benefits of selling your home directly to builder or property investor for cash and in “As-Is” condition.

You may have noticed that Northern Virginia real estate market is bubbling over with options for new construction homes. Contemporary home buyers with their criteria for newer homes with open floor plans, high ceilings, walking closets and luxurious bathrooms are driving real estate market away from older properties and towards new homes with most up to date amenities.

As a result, many local builders and property investors in Northern Virginia are looking to buy properties in “as-is” condition, so they can build new homes and accommodate the needs of the modern families.

If you are owning an older home, including condo, townhouse or single family home, in VIENNA, MCLEAN, FAIRFAX, GREAT FALLS, ALEXANDRIA, OAKTON, BURKE, ANNANDALE or FALLS CHURCH and thinking about selling, you can avoid the hassle of a traditional sale and DO NOT have to pay AGENT FEES for selling you home.


“The best part? The builders or property investors will pay you CASH and will accommodate your ideal closing date.”


Selling Your House to a Builder or Investor for Cash vs Traditional Sale. What are the major differences?

In a current Northern Virginia real estate market in such towns as Vienna VA, McLean VA, Great Falls VA, Fairfax VA, and Falls Church VA, many sellers have two options:

❶  Sell your home fast to a home builder or property investor in “As-Is” condition.

Or to go through a traditional sale by putting your house on the market with the Realtor® and selling it through MLS system.

 

FIRST OPTION: Selling your home in “as-is” condition is straightforward and will not require the sellers to do any work on the house or schedule showings and Open Houses.

The builder or investor will buy your home in “as-is” condition through a direct sale and will invest time and money to build a new home or renovate the property and sell it later.

This option is ideal for the home sellers who don’t want to spend money and time on all needed pre-sale preparations, such as staging, repairs and updates, and it becomes an optimal choice to the sellers who are looking for a quick and easy house sale and want to avoid paying real estate agent fees.

The builder or property investor will make an offer, and if you are satisfied with the price and the closing date, the contract is signed.

You’ll be paid cash for your house in as soon as two (2) weeks – the closing time is usually flexible, and the builder can accommodate your ideal move out date or offer a rent-back.

SECOND OPTION: Will involve a house makeover that might include upgrading of the bathrooms and the kitchen, repainting, and staging. It is very important to know what appeals to today’s home buyers and consider those trends when you are remodeling in order to get most return on your investment or ROI.

The property should be available for the daily showings from 9:00 am until 8:00 pm until the house goes under contract, and also, the Open Houses have to be held every Sunday.

Traditional Sale usually costs sellers between 5%-6% in agent fees – up to $36,000 for $600,000 home.

 

Benefits to the Sellers who Sell Directly to the Investors and Builders:

  • CASH OFFER
  • NO MIDDLE MAN (the deal will be done directly between you and a builder/investor)
  • NO REALTOR FEES
  • FREE HOME EVALUATION
  • NO REPAIRS
  • QUICK CLOSE
  • YOU SELL THE HOUSE IN AS-IS CONDITION
  • NO APPRAISAL
  • NO LENDING RESTRICTIONS

 

Selling Your House Fast for Cash in “As-Is” Condition to an Investor: How Will You Avoid Agent Fees?

When you decide to sell your house fast in “as-is” condition with us, there are will be no realtor fees involved!

How does it work?

Because of my professional arrangements with the local builders and investors, we’ve agreed that it would be most beneficial to the sellers and future home buyers to eliminate traditional 6% real estate agent’s fees.


“For example: if you sell your home to us for $600,000, you will save up to $36,000.”


The builder or investor will purchase your property and convert it into a home that satisfies the needs of the potential home buyers.

My role as a real estate agent is to help you to get in touch with reputable local builders and property investors and take the property through a vetting process – my services to you are FREE of charge.

Here’s How to Get Started:

STEP 1: Please Call/Text us at (571) 455-0178 or submit your information HERE

We’ll discuss the condition and the features of your home and schedule a walk-through.


STEP 2: Meet with us at your home

For the most accurate evaluation, a quick walk-through is ideal. We will evaluate a condition of your home, and you will have an opportunity to meet with us in person and ask questions. This evaluation is FREE of charge, and there will be no pressure and no strings attached.


STEP 3: Choose your closing date and settle

If the numbers work, and you are satisfied with our offer, the contract is signed. All you’ll have to do is to come to the Settlement. We will close on a date that is most convenient to you. Option for rent back is available.

 

In Conclusion:

If you need to sell your home fast, before committing to the extensive renovations and making a final decision on a type of sale, please meet with me for a consultation.

Property evaluation consultation is FREE. It will allow me to identify the type of sale that your property fits the most and will enable you to ask questions.

 

 


Examples of Our Past Projects:

 

1833 CLIFDALE CT, VIENNA VA 22181

1833 Clifdale Ct, Vienna, VA

1833 Clifdale Ct, Vienna VA 22182. This house was purchased directly from the Seller through cash transaction. Flexible closing date was very important to the home owner and was met by the investor/buyer.

 

7782 TANGIER DR, SPRINGFIELD, VA 22153

7782 Tangier Dr, Springfield, VA

7782 Tangier Dr, Springfield, VA 22153. This home was purchased off market for cash. The sellers needed to have three months of free Rent-Back and the investor was able to accommodate.

 

9909 MONTCLAIR CT, VIENNA VA 22181

9909 Montclair Ct, Vienna, VA

9909 Montclair Ct, Vienna VA 22181. This home was purchased directly from the Seller who was moving to Florida. The seller wanted to stay discreet, wanted to avoid paying agent fees and liked the convenience of not doing any home sale preparations.

 


About Us

We are a locally based company trusted by the home sellers and buyers throughout Northern Virginia.

We help homeowners who want to sell on their own schedule without an agent and with zero hassle. We pride ourselves on our reputation for working one-on-one with each customer to handle their individual situations and needs.

With the ability to directly purchase homes in “As-Is” condition and make cash offers, we can create an extremely fast, and hassle-free transaction.

We are truly committed to helping each individual customer. We focus on fast response, integrity, and over-delivering on customer service. By putting the customer’s needs first, whether selling or buying a home, we can help you realize your real estate goals.

The process of selling to an investor is very easy. My vetted investor will come through your property (he’ll need 15-20 minutes) to evaluate the condition of the property then, within 24-48 hours, he’ll send you an offer. If you agree to the conditions, the documents are signed.

There are no obligations, no endless marketing calls, and no marketing emails.


Contact Us:

Two ways to contact us and receive the benefits of this special offer:

  1. Please fill out “What Your Home is Worth” form for a FREE no obligation Home Valuation Report.
  2. Call/ text: (571) 455-0189 or e-mail: homes@natashalingle.com to ask questions, learn about the process of selling your home, and schedule FREE no obligation sellers’ consultation.

Have additional questions? Please contact us directly by calling or texting at (571) 455-0178 or by filling out contact  form.