Selling your Chicago Home? Staging tips under $100
If you are ready to sell your Chicago home, you should consider hiring a home staging professional to help you assess the changes that will help you sell faster and for more money. Here though we’ll identify some home staging tips that could save you thousands of dollars as well as generating more offers, all for less than $100.
Home staging tips under $100 for selling your Chicago home
Staging your Chicago home doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are tips by real estate expert Barbara Corcoran, on The Today Show, on simple changes under $100 you can do on your own when preparing to sell.
Assess your home outside first – Start by assessing the exterior of your home. This is the first impression when potential buyers pull up (or do drive-bys prior to contacting a real estate professional). Make sure that everything is neat and tidy. Bushes should be trimmed. Remulch your beds. Sweep porches and give the front door a fresh coat of paint. Consider changing the color to one that is currently trendy, a tried and true traditional color, or one that will blend, making your home feel larger. This is where an expert eye can really save you money.
Let people mentally move in – I love the line from Barbara Corcoran, “Let people move in. They can’t see past the clutter.” Of course one of the first rules we learned in home staging class is never to call our client’s stuff clutter, but we all know what it is. The vast majority of us have way too much stuff. Barbara says that most of us need to remove about 50% of our belongings when selling. I’ll bet she’s right about that. Of course you do need to be careful because removing the wrong things or too much can make you look like you are experiencing a major life change (like divorce) or make your home sterile. Again, a home staging consultation can go a long way to help you make the most of your DIY budget.
Paint a bright happy color – {insert record scratch sound here} When we say bright happy color, we actually mean fresh and neutral. Please don’t choose sunshine yellow or any color that can be found in a box of crayola. There is nothing quite like fresh paint, but the right color is of the highest importance. If you pick the wrong color, buyers will just feel they need to paint over it anyway.
Let the sun shine in – take it from Pebbles and Bam Bam (oh am I showing my age?) sun is a great thing. Buyers love sunny room and they show much better than dark ones. Regardless of how much money you spent on those custom drapes 15 years ago, it’s time to take them down.
Clean, clean, and clean some more – “People don’t want to use other people’s bathrooms.” AMEN! Barbara is exactly right. White glove clean is the only way for a home to be when it is on the market.
Make the most of your budget and hire a Chicago Home Stager
Especially if you only have a small budget, hiring a Chicago Home Stager is the best place to begin if you are thinking about selling. Our team of professionals can help show you where your budget is best spent, allowing you to maximize your return on investment. Don’t guess which colors or which changes will make the most difference, find out from the experts.
For more information on how to prepare your home for sale in today’s market, call Margaret and our team of home staging professionals today 815-530-3566.
