Home Staging, Oregon Real Estate, Sundance Realty

4 Home Staging Mistakes to Avoid
September 24, 2019
by Alice Robertson

Home staging is a process that can go a long way in helping you sell your house. Whether buyers visit the house or see photos of it online, proper staging can have a major impact on whether they’ll make an offer for your home.

Unfortunately, sellers sometimes make some mistakes when staging their homes for sale. If you wish to get the process right, read through these common staging mistakes to learn what not to do when staging your home.

1.Personalizing Your Décor

Understandably, you want your house to be as cozy and comfortable as possible, so you’re going to use décor, colors, and accessories that appeal to you. Unfortunately, this can often work against you.

When staging your home, it’s not about what you like, but what will appeal to your buyers. For this reason, be as neutral as possible since it’s not possible to meet every buyer’s taste and preference.

Some things you can do to depersonalize your house is to remove your photos and accessories that hold sentimental value. You also need to tone down the colors on your walls and upholstery. Use neutral colors like white, gray, and beige.

2.Using Too Many Items in Staging

Another mistake sellers make is over-staging. This refers to using too many items in trying to make the space appealing, making your home feel cramped and unwelcoming, which is a huge turnoff for buyers.

Avoid using too many accessories, wall hangings, or too much air freshener. Instead, let in some fresh air by leaving the windows open if it’s not too cold out.

3.Lack of Curb Appeal

First impressions really matter. This especially goes for the front and backyard of your home. If your yard needs some work, don’t hold back on making improvements. Some of the things you can do are to repair the driveway, repaint the outside of your home (painting a home’s exterior averages $1,811 – $3,201), trim the hedges, and add some shrubs. Ensure dead and fake plants are removed and that everything looks fresh and alive.

4.Ignoring What’s on the Market

When selling your home, you are among many sellers competing for the attention of buyers interested in purchasing a home. As such, it’s advisable to check how other sellers are staging their houses for sale.

Making visits to a few open houses will go a long way in giving you staging ideas. You’ll not only get staging ideas but understand the prevailing market rates. Remember you don’t want to list your home at a price buyers are not willing to pay (in Salem, homes have been selling for $311,000 on average).

Final Thoughts

Home staging is a process sellers can’t afford to ignore. It enhances your chances for a quick sale by creating an appealing atmosphere for buyers.

Unfortunately, many sellers don’t understand the dos and don’ts of home staging. Among the common mistakes are staging with too much furniture, not depersonalizing, neglecting curb appeal, and not checking on the competition.