Home staging is an important part of preparing your home for viewing by prospective buyers. It’s more
than just getting your home ready for others to view it, it’s about presenting your home in the best light
possible. If Shakespeare had written about home staging, he’d probably say, “All the home’s a stage, the
furniture and décor are merely players.” In other words, everything in your home is just a prop to help sell
your home. If it isn’t helping, then it’s hurting, and you should get rid of it.

Once you’ve finished staging your home, it should have the appearance of being big, bright, clean, and
warm – a place where buyers want to live. The home staging process is so important that many sellers
hire a professional to add just the right touches to their homes. Here are some things you can do to stage
your home.

Scrub Your Home

It goes without saying that cleaning up your home is a part of the home staging process. This cleanup
needs to go beyond the normal Saturday morning routine cleaning, and even beyond spring cleaning.
You have to make sure every crack and crevice has been cleared of dirt and dust. Remove the grime
from around faucets and the grits from between the tiles. Clear the dust and cobwebs from corners and
window sills. It’s even a good idea to pressure wash the driveway and clean the garage doors. Leave no
square inch of your home untouched.

Remove the Clutter

One of the simplest, yet most difficult ways to make your home more
appealing is to get rid of the clutter. Many professional home stagers say if
you haven’t used it in 3 months, put it in a box and store it; if you haven’t
used it in a year, get rid of it. Be careful about emotional attachments to
clutter that can keep you from getting rid of unnecessary items. Keep in mind
that prospective home buyers won’t have the same attachments to your
things as you do.

Arrange Your Furniture

Though the tendency is to push furniture against the wall, it doesn’t make
the room look as open as you think it does. Pulling the furniture forward the
center of the room actually makes the room look and feel more comfortable.
It creates a natural walkway through the room and creates a cozier feel. But,
if you must leave your furniture against the wall, have no more than two
pieces of furniture on the same wall.

Improve the Lighting

Lightening up a room makes it feel larger and more inviting, especially in the
living room, dining room, and kitchen. The more natural light you can allow in,
the better. Rather than using thick draperies, opt for sheers, which will let
sunshine in. You can make a narrow window look wider by adding longer
curtain rods. Make a short window seem longer by hanging the rod higher
and hanging a curtain with vertical stripes.

Generally, you should have about 100 watts for every 50 square feet of room.
Illuminate a room using a combination of overhead lights, floor lamps, and
table lamps.

Give Rooms a Single Purpose

Avoid having rooms with multiple uses. Having a workout room and an office all in one will only confuse
buyers. Instead, pick a purpose and decorate the room to fit that purpose. Remove excess clutter that will
turn buyers away from an otherwise useful room.

Hire a Professional

If you’ve gone through everything on this list and you’re still not sure exactly how to make your home look
more attractive to buyers, you can hire a professional home stager. You can search for an accredited
home stager at StagedHomes.com. Your real estate agent might also lend a hand in staging your home
or referring you to a reputable home stager.

This article was submitted by Robert Valentine of Financial and Retirement Management.Robert Valentine is a well-known expert in the matters concerning investors. His articles on financial planning matters that concern investors have been published by several publications throughout the United States.