According to a 2022 National Association of Realtors (NAR) report, around 80% of homes sold in the U.S. are occupied. This shows that mostly sellers prefer to sell the house while staying into it. As you are one of those, who do not prefer to the transactional housing and do not want to pay the extra mortgage. Then, selling the property while living there is the best consideration. It not only saves your money, also save the time and energy that you pay while settling into another place. In this article AF Residential gives some tips to do staging while living there.
Key takeaways
- Staging is influential element of selling. Get rid of the staff that you do not require anymore.
- DIY can help to give the expensive outlook such as using home remedies to improve the Maintenace of the house.
- Wall painting can change the overall look of the house. Moreover, using the high- quality rags and doormats enhance the beauty of the house.
- Maintain the cleanliness of the house by do the organizing the home essential on daily basis.
What is meant by staging?
Staging is the process of preparing, cleaning, organizing and decluttering the house for selling. This is considered the most important factor which influences to get the right buyer in the minimum time as well as the costing of the property. Well, some sellers prefer to stage an empty house for a more polished look, others find it more practical to sell while occupying the space.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that 28% of sellers' agents indicated that staged homes (which can include homes that are lived in) sell faster and for more money than those that are not staged.
However, it is a bit difficult to sell the house in which you are living. Because this is your comfort zone. And maybe you avoid doing daily or weekly cleaning because of the workload. At this time, when you are ready to leave the house, I think you need to say goodbye in a pleasant manner by giving the house an opportunity to make a new start with new figures. You can hire home tidiness experts to manage the housework. But if you do not want to hire anyone, then follow these tips to stage your house while living in it. These are factors that our estate agents suggest to their clients.
Tips to do staging while living there
Styling the house in the minimum budge
If you are looking for the strategies, through you can do the interior styling in the minimum budget then, this article is completely covering the whole procedure in detail. There are some elements if you considered them very well. This will change the look of your home.
Decluttering
Decluttering refers to removing unnecessary items from the house. Before doing this, you need to declutter your mind. It is necessary to accept that only for the short period of time you are living here and as soon the buyer comes with a great deal you have to say goodbye to your place. Consequently, remove your family pictures or any memorial from the wall; this will help the buyer envision easily. Moreover, arrange your staff into three categories by using the 3-box rule: donate, remain, and discard. This technique helps you to arrange the whole staff in the minimum amount of time. Decluttering means throwing out all the things like the expired food in your food vanity, extra things on your bath counter, and unnecessary receipts in the drawers. Do a deep examination and figure out what you want and what needs to go into the bin.
By doing this you will get the clear idea about what you need to do in the next step. Install some organizers to organize the remaining things. Such categorize the clothes into the different baskets. It will give the sophisticated look to your ward drab.
Now, the question is how we determine which thing should be kept and which should be discarded. Follow the rule of 90 days.
Suggestion: If you do not wear any item from the previous 90 days and don’t have planned to wear in the next 90 days, then discard it. This is the simple rule that helps you to avoid keeping the unnecessary items.
Focus on the kitchen area, bathrooms and the living areas. These are most traffic portion of the house might be possible these areas need more attention.
Create Neutral and Inviting Spaces
Changing the wall colors is necessary when you are the kind of person who loves to live in bright colors such as yellow, Pink, Blue, or other variations. It is highly recommended that the walls be painted because there is a high possibility that the buyer will hesitate to buy the house in a color, he/she does not like. Moreover, whitewashing gives the buyer a big canvas to imagine himself/herself in the house. Remove each item that shows the person's look at the house, such as items, family pictures, or personalized decor. You can use the indoor plants to give your interior a more natural look. That also looks classy. This is how you can neutralize the space and bestow the space for the upcoming person.
Suggestion: Choose the neutral colors such as beige, gray and other soft colors for the walls, furniture, and decor. These colors create the illusion of bigger space and allow the buyer to envision his/her own style in the space.
Maximize the space
As you are living in the house, there is a high chance that you will arrange the furniture or other amenities at your convenience. This is how you give a personalized look to your space. But as your property is about to sell, rearrange each item of the furniture and de- personalize it. Spare some space so it can be easily walked by the visitor. As more places look spacious, the chance of the visitor becoming your buyer increases. Moreover, using neutral colors gives the illusion of more space. Make sure to arrange the furniture in a vertical manner. As the tall furniture like wardrobes, bookshelves, cabinets, or tall hangings, place them in a vertical direction. Moreover, you can use the rugs in vacant places, such as simple patterns and solid colors, and choose neutral colors. This gives an expensive look to the house and also creates the illusion that the space is wider. Moreover, rugs can define the area of the house, as if you can separate two different areas through them.
Keep the home neat, clean, and tidy.
It is essential that your house look clean and tidy. Clean the dust from the cabinets, pantries, and cupboards. Examine the most traffic areas of the house. Because these are points where there is a high chance of getting dirty, make sure that the floor and the utensils are spotless and show Sparkes. Another area is the kitchen. Take care of the cleanliness of the kitchen utensils. Clear the countertop from the pile of products or dishes. Clean with thoroughly. As you have the facility of dish-washer. Then, also make it stain-free.
If there is hard grease, it cannot be removed by wiping through the cloth in any spot in the kitchen. Then, follow this formula.
Use 3-4 cups of baking soda, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and mix it well and make the paste. Now, apply this paste on the greasy area and left it for 5-10 minutes. After it, scrub that area with the sponge or cloth and wipe away with the wet cloth.
Focus on the curb appeal
Many times, you might have heard about making changes to the exterior side or making it attractive. Tidying up the driveway or the walkway of the house. You can use a broom or a vacuum that is specifically designed for this. If the front door lighting of the house is dim, then change it. The visitor may come at night time, and there is the possibility that he/she does not like the outlook or judge it on the basis of how it looks. Second, select some days in the week or the month to trim or mow the backyard area. However, the messy front side of the house because of the lawn is considered as a bad impression. Visitors may think that they need to do some work in that area. Another element is that the neutral shade
(brown, grey, beige) door mate is water resistant. This makes your house sophisticated by the outlook.
Suggestions: Agents considered 18×30 inches of the doormat are an ideal size as compared to the 12×18 inches. Because it is so short, it is difficult to cover the space in front of the door.
Always make the house ready for the visitor.
Once you have done all the deep cleaning and fixed all the defective parts of the house, then try to maintain the cleanliness of the house. Put your dirty clothes into the bin that you keep for the clothes. Try to wash your dishes, do the cleaning of the microwave, and throw out the garbage outside before going to bed. If you are a smoker, then it is preferable to smoke outside, or if you have a pet, then clean it regularly. Both two factors can create a bad odor in the house. You should use fresheners to make the house odor fabulous. Keep the things in their actual place. Check out the toilets and bathroom essentials, such as toiletries in the bath. This daily day-to-day discipline routine makes your house neat and clean. So, you don't need to be anxious about visiting; you will be ready for your buyer with great confidence and zeal.
Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and absorb any unpleasant smells. Put the baking soda in the small bowls and placed them around the home. Especially on the smelliest areas such as bathroom, refrigerator or trash cans. Also, by sprinkling it on the carpets and rest it for 15 minutes, then vacuum it, the bad odor will be eliminated.
Conclusion
To wrap up, staging is an essential process of selling the property. And if you want to do staging while living there, then you can do it by following by clear instructions and precautions, it will make you stress-free in the case of not wanting to hire the agent for the home styling or having the minimum budget. All things that are mentioned are necessary, such as de-personalizing the house so that the visitor can see and imagine how he/she can decorate the house. And other things like decluttering or maintaining the curb appeal. All these factors nourish the chances of getting buyers with a desirable amount.
Moreover, if you want to know the budget that you should plan for spending on to do staging while living there, then you can contact with our experts. We are here to assist you.
Frequently Ask Questions (FAQ’s)
What is home staging and why this is important while selling the house?
Home staging is the process of preparing the house for sale. This method maximizes the chance of getting a desirable amount of the house. This refers to cleaning, organizing, decluttering, and doing some updates on the furniture to make the property presentable.
How can I stage my home on a budget?
Well, makeover the house is not too expensive. The minor changes can impact on the big scale. Such as decluttering, deep cleaning, using the neutral colors can impact on the signify level.
What is the first step in staging a home?
The first should be difficult as there is the phrase “eat the frog first”. So, in home styling start with the decluttering. Discard all those thongs which you do not need anymore.
Should I paint my walls before staging?
This totally based on the situation. Like if the property isn’t in the good state. Such as the paint is peeling off or you had some bright colors then it is advisable to do the paint wall. Otherwise, it will be fine if you do not do.
How can I make my home look bigger during interior design?
Use the maximizing natural light, neutral color on the wall, rearranging the furniture into the vertical direction, or using the rugs in the solid color. This will create the illusion of the more space.
How can I enhance my home’s curb appeal?
By following these steps, you can increase the curb appeal:
- Moving the lawn
- Clean the driveway
- Use doormats
- Update the outdoor lightening
How to do staging while living there?
Staging the house while living in, need to maintain the daily cleanliness and organization. You need to declutter the high-traffic areas such as kitchen, living room and bathrooms. Always preparing your house for welcoming.
1. Is it necessary to hire professional stages?
Hiring the experts to give the outlook of the house gives a high-quality result. It is recommended but not necessary. You can stage your house by using DIY methods, especially when your budget is minimal.