The Four C’s of Real Estate Staging
By Gail Mayhugh
Making the best first impression is the most important thing you can do when selling your home. I always advise my client’s on the “Four C’s of Staging”: curb appeal, clutter, closets, and comfort.
The first “C” is curb appeal. Any REALTOR® would agree that this is one of the most important first impression that any buyer will have of your home. The home needs to be neat, clean and attractive from the curb to the back fence. Ask yourself these questions: What is your 1st Impression? Is it welcoming, attractive, well maintained? And most important, “Would you buy this house?”
This “C” is really two in one, clutter and cleanliness. The cleanliness of your home is going to be the first thing a buyer notices when they enter and then how much clutter is around. When selling a home it is on display, it should be in its best condition. You never want a buyer to question if it has been properly maintained. If it’s neat and tidy, buyers will assume that it has been properly maintained. If it’s cluttered and messy, they will wonder what else hasn’t been taken care of.
Clutter not only involves keeping the rooms picked up, but also removing items so the wonderful architectural features of the home can be seen. Uncluttering the home will make it feel more spacious along with having a well-maintained look.
The third “C” is your closets. Unfortunately, we live in the part of the country where storage is a problem in every home. We don’t have the luxury of basements and attics to store things in and one of the things that most homeowners look for is storage space. So clear the closets by half and pack away last season clothes. If your cabinets and closets are overflowing, you’re telling them that they won’t have enough storage space in the house.
The final “C”, comfort is very important when selling a resale home. This is about the comfort of prospective buyers not you. You’ll need to depersonalize and neutralize your home so that buyers will feel comfortable when walking through. You need to neutralize the fact that someone is living there now and has been going about their daily living in this house. All your personal items, prescriptions, and any sensitive items must be out of sight.
Depersonalizing your home involves removing photographs, awards, collections and items with your name on them, like your front door mat. You want the buyer to envision themselves in the house, not you.
When a house is on the market it is now a property for sale and no longer your home. The goal is to sell for the most amount you can in the least amount of time. So unfortunately it may be a little uncomfortable to live in what looks like a model home, but that’s just what needs to be done.
Gail Mayhugh
Owner of GMJ Interiors
702-269-7001
www.GMJinteriors.com