There’s more to listing Highlands Ranch, CO, homes for sale than just getting them ready for a few open houses and home showings. You need to get your home sale-ready and keep it that way even when you have nothing scheduled. This process is called staging and makes it easier for you to showcase the highlights of your house and hide the minor quirks people might not fall in love with. There’s a lot more that goes into staging a house than just getting rid of clutter. So, where do you start?
The staging process can feel overwhelming, but if you stick with these easy tips, you’ll have your house ready in no time. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Clean Your Floors
You can bet that people touring your house will notice when your floors are dirty or your carpets are stained, but you’re not just getting the house ready for them. You’re also getting it ready for photos and those photos ALWAYS capture the dirt and grime.
Steam clean each carpeted room as thoroughly as possible. The carpets don’t have to look like-new, but they should look clean to anyone visiting your home. If you have tile or hardwood floors, sweep and mop them regularly. If the finish on those hard surfaces is dull, you may want to have the floors spot polished or refinished altogether.
2. Minimize Fun Paint Colors
Neutral tones are the name of the game when you’re trying to sell your house, but this doesn’t mean you have to stick with boring white walls in every room. Choose beige, light gray, or eggshell for the bulk of your walls. You can leave the bright colors for accent walls if they work with your furniture, but those bright colors should never be the primary color in a room.
Bright paint colors on every wall can be distracting for people looking at your house, both in person and online. By covering those colors with a neutral tone, you’ll open up the space, make the rooms feel brighter, and give buyers a chance to picture themselves in your house.
3. Give Each Room a Purpose
When you have spare rooms, it’s easy to fall into the trap of using them for nothing more than storage. This is fine if you’re not listing your home for sale, but if you’re trying to move, you need to give those rooms a better purpose. Clear out the junk from those overflow rooms and think about how each one might be best used. Would one make a better dedicated office or a guest room? Could you repurpose some of those items you’ve kept in storage to make that happen? If so, great! If not, it’s still best to show the room empty than it is to present a cluttered mess.
4. Organize Your Closets
When people are searching for Highlands Ranch, CO, homes for sale, they want to see every nook and cranny. Don’t photograph your closets or leave them closed during open houses, it’s not in your best interest. You can count on people touring your home to open cabinets, doors, and storage areas.
Get your closet ready and show it off when you decide to list your home. This may mean getting rid of some of your old or outdated clothing, but that’s okay! It will make packing up easier when the house does sell.
5. Get Creative
Every house has one or two areas that are just a little awkward. This can be anything from an alcove in the kitchen to open space under the stairs. Use those areas to your advantage and find unique ways to give them purpose. For example, setting up a small desk under the stairs or hanging a bulletin board in the kitchen alcove can show buyers just how unique your home really is.
6. Add Color the Right Way
We just told you that bold paint colors aren’t the best choice for homes going on the market, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add color back into your space. Add leafy plants to the bedrooms and bathrooms to make the space look more inviting. It doesn’t take much—just a few potted plants in the living room, some decorative candles on the dining room table, or a vase of fresh flowers in the master bedroom.
7. Leave the Listing (and Showing) to the Pros
You don’t have to try to list your house with other Highlands Ranch homes for sale on your own. Let our team handle the job. Contact us to schedule an appointment.