You know you need to stage your home. Studies have shown again and again that staging your home before it goes on the market helps your house sell faster and for more money. The best time to stage? Before the first prospective buyer ever walks through the door.
If you or your Realtor are planning an open house, staging is all the more imperative. Open house day is your home’s first chance to make a first impression. First impressions matter. Here’s some thoughtful advice from Charlotte’s preferred staging company about how to stage for an open house.
Start Outside
Your open house won’t be the only one! It’s imperative your home’s curb appeal is, well, appealing enough to get buyers to park the car and traipse all the way inside. A home with peeling paint and an overgrown yard simply won’t get as many visitors as a home that has proper outdoor staging. Focus on color, cleanliness, and creating a welcoming entryway.
Make Space
Open houses can get crowded. The more people that are in your home, the harder it’s going to be for it to feel spacious. Remove any excess furniture and knick-knacks and be sure to leave at least 24-36” or so between furniture for people to comfortably move around. If the weather’s nice enough, consider opening the doors so people aren’t constantly shuffling out of the way to open them. Think about anything people might bump into or get stuck behind (that old clock on the mantle?) and remove it. You don’t need any distractions at your open house.
Add Lighting
You want your home as bright as it can possibly be on open house day. Adding lamps, opening windows and curtains, and even amping up ceiling lighting is crucial; the lighter and brighter your home feels, the more space buyers intuit. Be sure to brighten up each room individually through light, neutral color palettes and furniture that doesn’t weigh down the space.
Be a Standout
Staging isn’t about making your home fit in, it’s about making your home’s best qualities stand out. You should assume buyers are going to visit several homes the same day they see yours… how will your house stand out? Consider how to make your property memorable: Special emphasis on your huge picture window? An adorable indoor-outdoor living room? A fully-staged “media room” upstairs?
Creative Home Stagers has been staging homes for open houses for years. We understand the Charlotte market and we know how to make your house stand out.
Ready to talk staging? Contact us for a consultation today.
704.315.5802