Top 5 Tips to Staging Your Home

The right staging and presentation can make at least tens of thousands of dollars difference in a home's sale price. Even in a seller's market it's important to focus on cost-effective ways to showcase a property in it's best light, which brings us to tip number 1:

1. LIGHT: Lose the heavy window treatments and open blinds either all the way or 3/4 to let light in. Strategically placed mirrors can reflect natural light and make rooms feel larger. Make sure there's plenty of lighting in each room too, especially for late afternoon or evening showings.
2. DE-CLUTTER: Less is more. Leave just a few key furniture pieces in each room that highlight its ideal use and remove everything from tabletops, counters and vanities with only one accent item or grouping like fresh flowers in each space.
3. CLEAN: No matter how dated a home is, having it spotlessly cleaned before any showings can make a huge difference in how buyers view its potential. 
4. CURB APPEAL: Depending on the season it will be important to mow the lawn, weed beds, get that fall leaf clean-up done or shovel off the driveway and walkways. First impressions are everything and buyers should have a great experience the moment they pull up to the house.
5. REPAIR: Some basic repairs (think fixing a giant hole in the drywall or repairing a dripping faucet) can give you a huge return on the cost of the work. Other updates (for example replacing windows or systems that still have plenty of life left) may not be as worthwhile though; make sure to check with your agent before tackling a big project.

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