Northeast Utah is a picturesque landscape of rolling hills, majestic mountains, abundant lakes, and fruit orchards. The region is surrounded by some of the world's best skiing and hiking spots, including Park City Mountain and Bryce Canyon National Park. It is a wonderful place to live, and it can be a competitive place to sell real estate.
If you’re selling your beloved home, there's a lot you can do to make your property stand out from all the rest. Here are eight DIY home staging tips for setting your sale up for success.
1. Clean your house thoroughly
When preparing your home for its grand entrance on the market, the very first thing you should do is completely and thoroughly clean your house on every surface and in every corner. This includes wiping or washing down doors and windows until they are clear and sparkling. Ceiling fans, tabletops, and bookshelves should be free of dust and clutter. The cupboards, the garage, and all your storage spaces should also be cleaned out and well-organized. Of course, a clean house will be more appealing to potential buyers, setting a tone of luxury and sophistication right from the get-go.
The exterior of your house should also be neat and tidy. Trees and outdoor plants should be neatly trimmed. Cut the grass and rake fallen leaves. Pull out any weeds that have overgrown. The deck and patio should be swept up and cleared of any debris. Clean the rain gutters and make sure there's nothing propped up by the side of the house.
2. Depersonalize each room one by one
Your home should have minimal furniture, decorations, and personal items to create a neutral space. This will help potential buyers visualize the house with their own furniture and sense of style rather than feeling distracted. Remove memorabilia, family photos, custom refrigerator magnets, and other personal items. Depersonalizing your home will make it look more spacious and inviting.
3. Deep clean your carpet
If your house has carpet throughout, use a steam cleaner to thoroughly deep clean them. This will remove spots, stains, and built-up dirt. If your carpets have hard-to-remove dirt or stains, we recommend cleaning them professionally. While this incurs an additional expense, it's sure to add value and appeal when selling your home. Plus, cleaning is cheaper than replacing your carpet (although that’s another option).
Nowadays, homebuyers are very particular about flooring, and it's one of the details that they will examine closely. You want to remove all traces of crumbs, pet hair, or spills.
4. Organize your storage, closets, cabinets, and bookshelves
Having plenty of storage space, whether it's closets, cabinets, or bookshelves, is high on homebuyers' lists of must-haves when looking for a new property. When touring homes, buyers will usually open up the drawers, closets, and pantries to inspect those spaces. Thus, it's important that those areas have minimal items to appear clean, functional, and spacious. Organize your bookcases so that they are neat and not overflowing.
You can take unnecessary and non-essential items, such as seasonal clothes, decorations, extra dishes, and knickknacks, to a storage facility for the time being. You want to remove everything that’s absolutely non-essential.
5. Add a wall or full-length mirrors
Adding staged mirrors is a great DIY home staging tip to make rooms look even more impressive and alluring. Adding a well-placed wall or full-length mirror to any room can make it look brighter, more spacious, and more open. Mirrors reflect other parts of the room, creating the illusion that the reflection is an extension of the space. Mirrors also reflect light, so they can help illuminate dark areas and eliminate awkward shadows.
6. Buy new towels and bathroom sets
Bathrooms are the most used space in your house, so towels, bath rugs, and shower curtains tend to get very dirty very fast. Staging your bathroom with sleek new rugs, curtains, and linens will add appeal to your home overall and make it look newer and more sophisticated. We recommend even replacing the toilet seat and hiding away all your personal hygiene products. A clean and modern bathroom will add a level of comfort and luxury to your home tour.
7. Clean or replace your window treatments
Although window treatments are personal property, and you'll probably be taking them with you when you move, they make a significant difference in your home’s level of appeal. Stick with neutral colors and traditional patterns, such as beige and floral. Hang curtain rods higher to make windows appear more expansive and luxurious. We recommend having window treatments custom fitted for a sleek, pristine appearance that fits perfectly within the space.
8. Don’t forget the curb appeal
If you want to make a solid first impression, you can’t skip the curb appeal! Upleveling your curb appeal doesn’t have to be an extensive endeavor, either. Plant some in-season flowers, trim the hedges to match the windows, and be sure that any trees are in tip-top shape. Remove any clutter from the lawn, and set up a rocking chair or seated conversation area on the front porch for an added sense of invitation and intrigue. You want to create a beautiful, luxurious, cozy space that welcomes buyers inside to take a closer look at the rest of the property.
Work with an experienced and local real estate team
A top-notch real estate team will work with you every step of the way, from preparing your home before showing to connecting you with a network of professionals that can help with the entire home selling process. From expert home staging tips to innovative marketing strategies to negotiation tactics, expert Realtors Helene Kepas-Brown and Sarah Stewart of Maven Realty Utah have the skills that get results every time. Together, they make a formidable team with the passion, dedication, and resources for their clients to reach all their real estate goals. Contact them today.
*Header photo courtesy of Shutterstock
