Tennessee Real Estate Tips: Buying & Selling Made Easy

In today's real estate market, making a strong first impression is crucial for attracting buyers and achieving a quicker, more profitable sale. Staging your home is one of the most effective ways to showcase its best features, create an inviting atmosphere, and ultimately, increase its value. As a local Murfreesboro realtor, I'm here to share my top staging tips to help you prepare your home for success.

What is Home Staging?

Home staging is the art of preparing your home for sale by decluttering, cleaning, arranging furniture, and making cosmetic improvements to appeal to the widest range of potential buyers. It's about creating a lifestyle that buyers can envision themselves living.

I. Decluttering: The Foundation of Staging

    Before we even think about furniture arrangement or décor updates, the very first step is decluttering. I know firsthand that this can be the most challenging part of preparing your home for sale, but it's also the most impactful!  It's true, decluttering your own house can be tough! It's so much easier to go to someone else's home and start making decisions about what to keep or let go, because there's no emotional attachment involved. It can also be hard to imagine changing things around when you're comfortable with how everything's been for years.  However, let's remember a key shift in mindset: When you put your home on the market, you're transitioning from seeing it as your personal space to presenting it as a house ready to become someone else's home. Our goal is to help potential buyers envision themselves living and thriving in this space.

    So, as much as we might not like the idea, or even see the need, of rearranging things, it's time to take a fresh look! It's less about how we like the furniture positioned or that our dog has a favorite spot on the couch and he simply must see outside, and more about how the furniture looks in the space and how it makes the space look to potential buyers.  We want the furniture arrangement to make each room feel as open, spacious, and inviting as possible. We also want the overall look to be generic enough that buyers can easily picture their own belongings and style within the home.  To achieve this, we need to take a step back and detach ourselves emotionally from the space. We're now preparing it for someone else's future.

    This is also a fantastic opportunity to give items we no longer use to people who will use them, by donating them to local charities. And for things that are truly past their prime, it's a great time to let them go altogether. Why would we want to pack, move, and store items that we don't even use anymore?  By removing unused or unwanted items from the space, we create more visual breathing room. This, in turn, makes the home appear larger and more appealing to buyers – a win-win for everyone!

• Less is More: Remove excess furniture, personal items, and clutter from every room. Pack away items you don't use regularly.  Remember, you're going to be moving soon anyway.  Go ahead and start packing.  It will make your space look larger and it's less you will have to pack later.  It would be ideal to rent a storage unit but if you can't then you can put boxes in the garage.  Make sure to leave access to any utilities though.
• Closet Clean-Out: Organize closets and cabinets to show off their storage space. Buyers will open them, so make them look spacious and inviting.  This may be a great time to donate items you don't use instead of moving them to the new place.  Closet space is really important to buyers.  You are doing yourself a disservice if you show your house with a full messy closet.  If you are showing your house in the summer you should consider packing up your winter clothes and shoes so you have extra room.  Maybe even pack up all the summer clothes you don't wear.
• Neutralize Personal Items: Remove personal photos, collections, and overly personalized décor. Buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living in the space, not feel like they're intruding on your personal life.  Also, some people with younger children feel more comfortable removing items that display the name of their children before listing their house for safety reasons.  This is a good time to consider putting away valuables and firearms. 
• Consider a Storage Unit: If you have a lot of items to remove, consider renting a storage unit to keep them out of sight.  Also consider asking family members if they have extra storage space you can use for a short time. 

II. Furniture Arrangement: Creating Flow and Function

Once you've decluttered, it's time to arrange your furniture to maximize space and create a comfortable flow.

• Highlight Key Features: Arrange furniture to showcase the best features of each room, such as a fireplace, large windows, or hardwood floors.
• Create Conversation Areas: Arrange furniture to create inviting conversation areas in the living room and other gathering spaces.
• Maximize Space: Don't overcrowd rooms with furniture. Leave plenty of space for buyers to move around comfortably.  Too much furniture is one of the most common mistakes Sellers make and it normally makes the area seem smaller.  If it is possible to remove furniture, and keep just the minimum in a room, that is normally the best idea. 
• Use Proper Scale: Make sure furniture is appropriately sized for the room. Avoid using oversized furniture in small spaces.
• Consider a Professional Stager: If you're unsure about furniture arrangement, consider hiring a professional stager for guidance.  A professional is a good investment and money well spent.  If budget is a concern, consider asking a Stager for a consultation.  Many will offer a consultation where they will come to your house and then leave it to you to put their suggestions into action.

III. Curb Appeal: Making a Great First Impression

Your home's exterior is the first thing buyers see, so it's essential to make a great first impression.

• Lawn Care: Keep your lawn well-manicured, mow the grass regularly, and trim bushes and trees.  Ideally, potential buyers won't see a lot of lawn care projects when they walk up to your house.
• Landscaping: Add flowers and plants to enhance the curb appeal. Consider planting seasonal flowers for a pop of color.  A thin layer of fresh mulch will immediately improve the look of the landscaping.  Improving landscaping should be done before pictures are taken.  A pot of bright colored flowers near the front door for pictures and open houses is always a good idea!
• Clean Exterior Surfaces: Pressure wash your siding, driveway, and walkways to remove dirt and grime.
• Front Door Refresh: Repaint your front door, replace the doorknob, and add a new welcome mat. 
• Exterior Lighting: Ensure your exterior lighting is in good working order and provides adequate illumination at night.
• Clean Gutters: Make sure your gutters are clean and free of debris.

IV. Interior Enhancements:

• Neutral Paint Colors: Paint walls in neutral colors like beige or off-white to appeal to a wider range of buyers.
• Cleanliness is Key: Thoroughly clean every room, including windows, floors, and bathrooms. A sparkling clean home shows pride of ownership.
• Fresh Scents: Use subtle, pleasant scents to create an inviting atmosphere. Avoid overpowering fragrances.  If your house has a strong odor, even if you think it's fabulous, a potential buyer will wonder what you're trying to cover up.
• Update Fixtures: Consider updating outdated light fixtures, faucets, and cabinet hardware.
• Pay Attention to Details: Fix any minor repairs, such as leaky faucets, replace broken blinds, broken tiles, or squeaky doors.
• Let There Be Light: Maximize natural light by opening curtains and blinds. Add lamps to brighten up dark corners.  Windows should always be open and all the lights should be on for pictures and open houses.

V. Staging Specific Rooms:

• Living Room: Create a cozy and inviting atmosphere with comfortable seating, a coffee table, and decorative pillows and throws.
• Kitchen: Keep countertops clean and clutter-free. Stage with a few attractive accessories, such as a bowl of fruit or a vase of flowers.  Fresh flowers are very nice in kitchens during open houses!
• Bedrooms: Create a relaxing and inviting space with a comfortable bed, neutral bedding, and minimal accessories.  If you currently have any of your rooms, but especially bedrooms, painted bold colors it is a good idea to consider painting them a neutral color such as agreeable grey, pure white, alabaster, or accessible beige.
• Bathrooms: Keep bathrooms sparkling clean. Stage with fresh neutral colored, white is best, towels, decorative soaps, and a small plant.
• Always keep trash cans and dirty clothes hampers empty or put away for showings and open houses.

Preparing your home before it is an active listing is an investment that can often pay off handsomely in terms of a quicker sale and a higher price. I normally offer my clients a free professional cleaning, after the home is decluttered, before we take pictures so that the home is shown at it's best.  By following these practical tips, you can create a welcoming and appealing environment that captures the attention of buyers and helps them envision themselves living in your home. Contact me today to learn more about how I can help you achieve your real estate goals!

Courtney Isbell. 615-617-9937