Inexpensive DIY Staging Tips

Depending on the current real estate market, staging a home for sale may mean the difference between making the sale and having the home linger on the market. At the very least, it may mean entertaining offers that are lower than you would get if the home were staged. Take a look at this handy list we’ve compiled for you of DIY staging tips. They’re easy, and most are inexpensive.

Outdoors (Season-Dependent):

• Clean up garden beds and consider planting flowers or colorful foliage plants. Spread fresh mulch over the beds.

• Mow the lawn, trim hedges. In winter, clear snow and ice from the driveway and walkways.

• Sweep away any cobwebs on the front porch.

• Clean or repaint the front door.

• Purchase new house numbers: bigger is better.

• Purchase a seasonally appropriate door mat.

Interior

• Make closets, cupboards, and drawers look roomier by removing excess linens and other items you won’t be using. Refold what is left and stack or arrange everything neatly.

• Pack up almost everything on bookshelves, leaving only a few books and decorative items.

• Remove personal photos hung on the walls and replace them with impersonal artwork.

• Clear kitchen and bathroom counters of everything that isn’t ornamental.

• Remove large pieces of furniture.

• Create lots of light by cleaning windows and getting rid of heavy drapery. Check all of your light fixtures to make sure they have working bulbs. Make sure there is 100 watts for every 50 square feet of the room.

• Paint walls a neutral color.

• Replace old faucets, cabinetry, drawer pulls, and handles to make kitchens and bathrooms feel updated.

• Shop for decorative accessories at flea markets, garage sales, and second-hand stores, looking for artwork, vases, baskets, rugs, mirrors, pillows and any other items you need to stage the home.

• Pull furniture away from the walls and reposition chairs, sofas, and coffee tables to create a conversation area.

• Group accessories in threes.

• Most staged homes have floral arrangements. Remain within your budget by cutting attractive branches from trees in your yard

For additional staging-on-the-cheap ideas, surf the Internet. Sites like HGTV’s “Get it Sold” or “Designed to Sell” and various Pinterest boards offer some great tips.