Your Guide to Home Staging that Looks Like the Magazines

If you are listing your home on the Healdsburg real estate market, you want to make it look as show-stopping as possible. Staging is an essential step to making your home look ready for magazine covers. Though home staging is a fun experience, it is also extremely beneficial in the process of selling your home. But, among all the other ins and outs of selling your property, how do you arrange and execute the picture-perfect look you are going for? How can home staging and home improvement increase your ROI?

 

Executing a well-staged property and ensuring things are in ideal shape for buyers will likely lead to stronger offers, allowing for a higher selling price and ROI. Through expert-guided steps and tips from Peter Colbert, you will be able to stage your home to the fullest of its potential so that your sale has the best possible outcome.

 

One of the most aesthetically pleasing parts of staged pictures you will find in a magazine is how clean they are. Void of personal items, clutter, visible dirt, and debris, they look artfully crafted. Replicating this down to the letter will be difficult while you are still living in your staged home, but it is possible. Work to declutter all visible areas of your home. Put away items in closets, drawers, or other storage units where possible.

 

Once your space is clear of any unessential items, you can begin to work toward getting the space completely clean with the help of a deep cleaning service. A full deep clean will usually include baseboard cleaning, dusting the ceilings, and cleaning all surfaces, floors, and any major stains from carpets. With all the cleaning and decluttering done, you will be ready to move forward in staging your home perfectly.

 

Although most people love their fur babies, no one is a fan of fur balls, pet dander, and clingy strands of shed hair. If you are a pet owner, it may be a good idea to leave your pet with friends or family while your home is being staged and sold to prevent your property from needing to be deep cleaned constantly to get rid of pet debris. Extra items like toys, litter boxes, and food bowls should be tucked away when possible to not clash with the ideal staged look of the home.

Before entering your property, prospective buyers encounter the outside of your home first. Everything from the condition of the structure, to the cleanliness of the yard, driveway, and walkway, will affect your property’s curb appeal. A perfect interior is a key part of staging, but a matching exterior will really help to seal the deal. If you have a large yard and flower beds, make sure to tend to them during the time that you are hosting showings. Any outdoor amenities like gazebos, patios, or pools that might need cleaning or maintenance can be spruced up while working on the outside as well.

 

Sweep the driveways and walkways free of stray pebbles, dirt, and leaves to make them look more pristine. Sparkling clean windows and touched-up exterior paint will also go a long way in the overall curb appeal of your home.

 

Be it the scent of smoke, pets, personal fragrances, or strong food smells, there is a likely chance that the scent will perturb an interested buyer. For certain scents, the deep cleaning process will help to eliminate and neutralize strong, unwelcoming smells. Others can only be eliminated by letting your home air out for extended periods of time or using air fresheners or candles.

 

If you opt for an additional scent, lean toward something that is extremely light, fresh, and neutral smelling. Options like potpourri, oil diffusers, or reed diffusers are easy to come by and are simple to use. For safety purposes, (especially in open houses), stay away from flammable choices like incense, candles, and wax burners to eliminate liability from any accidents.

Natural lighting is a sought-after quality that buyers are seeking in Healdsburg luxury homes. Whether your home is abundant in sunlight or not, there are ways to emphasize and increase the sunlight that comes into any given room.

 

A decorative mirror added to a corner across from the main window will reflect the brightness of the sunlight and open up the space instantly. It is also beneficial to eliminate darkening curtains or blinds, ideally opening them during daylight hours or replacing them with lighter-toned fabrics.

 

If your property has floor-to-ceiling windows, this is a great time to add simple touches near them, such as a standing floor plant, to assist in drawing attention to the windows and the view and sunlight they bring.

 

If you browse home or real estate magazines, you will find that most (if not all) bathrooms and kitchens are bare. This is by design, as kitchens and bathrooms are rooms with very clear purposes, and the fixtures and surfaces in them are often luxurious enough to exist as standalone elements.

 

If your kitchen boasts high-quality marble countertops, show them off by keeping them clutter-free. The same can be said for refrigerators and stovetops. Removing magnets, tea kettles, or pots and pans from these surfaces and simply cleaning and shining them will refresh the look of your kitchen and allow for a focus on the amenities in the kitchen, not the decor.

 

Simple items like cushioned rugs by the sink or refrigerator are nice touches to keep the areas feeling homey and not sterile. Bathrooms will benefit from the same philosophy, with the addition of simple hand towels accentuating a nice towel rack or an open shower door to give a glimpse of an impressive shower head and accent wall.

 

Now that you have ideas blooming in your head about how to get closer to creating your perfectly staged home, you just need an agent to help you through the process. Contact Peter Colbert of the Wine Country Colbert Group today to begin staging your home and closing on your ideal home sale.

 

To further spark your inspiration, take a moment to browse the team’s featured properties that have been staged to perfection. Staging, showing, and selling your home with an amazing agent like Peter will put your home among the most sought-after Healdsburg homes for sale. Get started today!

_{*Header photo courtesy of Unsplash}