Home Staging Top Tip Paint Is Your Best Friend

In this tough real estate market, it is imperative that anyone who is trying to sell their home do everything possible to present that home in the absolute best state possible. The way to achieve this goal is by staging the home for sale. Home staging is the process where the seller or someone else, such as an interior decorator, professional home stager or real estate agent, takes action to get the house in showroom condition. People quickly form an opinion about a space within seconds of setting foot inside the door; therefore, the house needs to make a positive impression at first glance.

Paint
Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to change the look and feel of a space. Since a fresh coat of paint will make a room appear clean, the right paint color is very important. The walls in the house need to be a neutral color so it is appealing to the largest number of people. While the current homeowner may love the color blue, a potential buyer may be turned off by the color, as well as the prospect of having to paint over that color if they do indeed purchase the house. Certain colors and shades of a color can make a room appear smaller than it actually is. This is because the paint color may make the walls appear to close in around anyone standing in the room. Many people think that white would be the best color choice, but white can appear too cold and generic looking. The prime choice for paint, when staging a home, is a slightly warm yet neutral color like an ecru, which is a warm off-white, a light green, which will reflect the color of nature or a pale yellow, which is warm without being too bright. The only exception to this rule is in the case of a small powder room, bedroom or a dining room. These are rooms that can look inviting if presented as cozy and intimate.

Modern Furniture
Because modern furniture tends to have clean lines, it is the best choice when staging a home for sale. Again, this goes back to the theory that potential buyers need to be able to envision themselves living in the space and modern furniture will work with many different design styles. The use of modern bedroom furniture, which has sleek lines and contemporary finishes, combined with neutral bed linens can easily remind people of a luxurious hotel. In the living room, sofas with streamlined frames and nondescript fabrics allow visitors to see the large windows and architectural details of a room, instead of focusing on a dated, wooden floral couch or an unappealing recliner. One last tip about furniture is the arrangement in relation to traffic flow. People need to be able to easily walk around furniture without having to squeeze past it, otherwise the room will appear small. If possible, pull some of the furniture away from the wall so it appears to be floating. It does not always have to be pushed up against a wall. This is another way to help a room to look larger. Position the furniture into groupings such as around a coffee table or facing the fireplace.

Remove Clutter
The idea is to remove or store all clutter and any personal items like family photos, pet beds or children’s toys from the home so that anyone viewing the house can easily picture themselves living there. This will, again, make a room appear larger. Too much stuff and too many tchotchkes interfere with the look of a room. These things can also make a house look dirty and too lived in for a buyer’s tastes. To enhance the allure of the house, only keep the most tasteful artwork and innocuous items on display. The items that are removed from the space can be sold or stored in a rental storage facility or at a friend or relatives house. It is not a good idea to simply box everything up and put it in the attic, basement or a spare room because potential buyers need to see the entire house in the best state.

Staging a home before potential buyers view it is the most effective way to get the house sold as quickly as possible. It will also ensure that the seller gets the best and highest price possible. Therefore, it is, without doubt, worth the extra time and additional expense to stage the house for scrutiny.