When trying to sell a home, the goal is to help prospective buyers envision themselves living there one day. Ultimately, your goal should be to make your home look as neutral as possible, like a canvas for buyers to paint on in their minds. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend exorbitant amounts of money to reach that goal. Let’s take a look at a few tips and tricks for staging your home on a budget to help you rake in potential buyers.
Put Away Personalized Items
Remember that the goal is to make your home as neutral as possible, so your first task is to put away the family photos and memorabilia. However, this doesn’t mean you have to put them away forever—just when prospective buyers look at the home. To make things easier for yourself, store these items in easy-to-access storage cases or drawers so that you can easily put them back up.
Also, you don’t have to put away every single family photo. Just avoid having them on every wall. Make sure to put away the sports memorabilia just in case someone who hates your favorite team happens to walk through.
Place Slipcovers Over Old Furniture
If you have furniture that needs a little TLC, you don’t need to spend more money refurbishing or buying new furniture. Using a slipcover is a classy way to cover a tattered couch or spruce up an old dining chair cushion. Today’s slipcovers come in a variety of colors, and you don’t need to use the old-fashioned plastic water-resistant covers that Grandma used to have. Just make sure that whatever slipcover you choose matches the interior decor in the rest of the room.
Deep Clean the Home
When staging your home, you’re going to have to deep clean like you’ve never deep cleaned before. If you want to stage your home on a budget, this is the most important tip. If the home is dirty, none of these other staging tips will matter, and while this may take some time, it’s worth it. Start by dusting and sweeping every nook and cranny, which may involve temporarily rearranging some furniture. Then, you’ll want to wipe down, mop, and disinfect every surface—but don’t try to do this all in one day! Deep cleaning your home takes time, so don’t be surprised if this takes a week or more.
Ensure the Interior Smells Fresh
There are a few rooms you want to focus your staging efforts on, and arguably, none is more important than the entryway. It’s the first thing prospective buyers will see, and first impressions are incredibly important!
When someone enters your home, the first thing that will hit them is the smell. The last thing you want is for a buyer to turn around and walk out. However, you don’t want to overdo it with candles and incense, either. Instead, open the windows, clean the HVAC system, and ensure that any candles you use have a neutral scent, like fresh linens or lemon.
