Is Your Athens GA Home for Sale? More Staging Tips

Posted on May 21, 2009 by hankbailey

Before putting your home on the market for sale, here are a few tips to stage your home and set it apart from your competition;

• Make your Front Door Inviting; Stain it, paint it, put new hardware on the front door. Put new house numbers on your house and paint your mailbox. Put seasonal flowers and possibly a wreath on the front door.
• Clear out the Clutter in your Home; Hey, it’s Spring, do some spring cleaning. Anything you don’t need, recycle, give away, or throw out. Depersonalize your home as much you can possibly live with so other people can see themselves living there.
• If possible, downsize your Furniture. If you have options, a love seat makes a room look larger than a sofa. A queen sized bed is not so overpowering compared to a King. Also, float your furniture. By moving furniture off the walls it creates pathways and makes a room feel open.
• When you decorate the bookshelves, end tables, or coffee tables, don’t decorate with more than three to a grouping. More than this looks cluttered.
• This next idea is either work or money, and so it will be typically the last thing most homeowners will want to do, but if you replace worn carpeting and refinish the hardwood floors, it makes all the difference in the world when the house is being shown to potential buyers. Start out by having the carpet professionally cleaned. If that doesn’t work, consider replacing. It will instantly make your home feel “new” and “fresh” again.
• Get rid of wallpaper. End of story.
• Get rid of the pets! At least get rid of the odors associated with pets. Hey, I have a dog and a cat, and I know the moment I walk into a house or a room in a house that pets are kept that there is a “special funk” associated with animals in the home.
• Finally, don’t forget about the yard. A cluttered, overgrown yard can detract from everything from curb appeal to a homeowner’s ability to show off their outdoor space.

If you are a buyer in our market, these are probably the best buying conditions in 30 years! If you would like to search the Athens MLS please take a look at listings in our “Classic City” today! On this web MLS search solution you can search every listing on the Georgia MLS for the Greater Athens area or in your Georgia town!