Fairfield Home Staging Series: Step 3 to Prepare your Home for Sale
Fairfield Home Staging Series: Step 3 to Prepare your Fairfield County Home for Sale: Declutter!
Welcome to Step 3 of our Fairfield Home Staging Blog Series! So far, in our Fairfield Home Staging series, we have reviewed:
Home Staging Step 1: FAIRFIELD HOME STAGING SERIES: STEP #1 IN PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE: Click here to view the Fairfield Home Staging Blog
Home Staging Step 2: FAIRFIELD HOME STAGING SERIES: STEP 2 TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR SALE: Click here to view the Fairfield Home Staging Blog
Now, on to Home Staging Step 3: Declutter
“Everybody’s gotta have a little place for their stuff. That’s all life is about. Trying to find a place for your stuff.” — George Carlin
When it comes to selling your home, nobody wants to see all of your stuff. It’s time to start purging your stuff or putting it into a storage facility. This is a crucial step in the Home Staging process, and is Step 3 in our Fairfield Home Staging series. Think “less is more”. You’ll need to pack away everything that you either don’t use every day or doesn’t make your house beautiful. Do you still need all of your kids baby toys and clothes? Do you need your jeans from high school? Of course if you are downsizing, this purge is a necessity. An an important component of Home Staging, decluttering goes beyond the basement and attic. Its ok to have packed boxes neatly stacked in both these spaced but clear out the rest. Every closet and cabinet needs to be addressed because buyers are nosy and open up all drawers/cabinets.
Living room 3 | Fairfield Home Staging by Susan Corvo
You want them to think there is plenty of room for storage, even if it is a little small and tight.
Start with the bathroom
vanity/medicine cabinet and
clear out/throw out old toiletries. Leave room for a small tote with
your essential toiletries that you will hide for showings. Always keep a
simple soap dispenser by each sink. The linen closet
should be used for just that, towels and linens, maybe some toiletries.
If you are storing everything but the kitchen sink in this small closet,
time to reorganize it to look like Macy’s bath department. In the
kitchen, you need to be able to see the countertops.
No
appliances other than the coffee machine should be visible. No one
wants to see the dirty toaster oven or blender. A nice kitchen aid stand
mixer would be acceptable. Definitely no mail in piles or scattered
around. All cabinets and drawers should be organized and look roomy.
Since you already removed personal items in step 2 of our Fairfield Home
Staging Blog series “depersonalize”, the only thing left to pack up are
any leftover nic nacs. Remember, the buyer needs to imagine their own
belongings in each room… there is no room for clutter, especially
dealing in the competitive Fairfield County, CT real estate market. If
your rooms are crowded with too much furniture or bulky pieces, maybe
rent a storage unit or relocate items to other rooms or the basement.
The furniture
should also be arranged to allow the best
flow in the room and highlight the focal point. Meaning the sofa may
need to be relocated to highlight the fireplace rather than the TV.
Bedrooms should contain the bed, nightstands and maybe a desk if space
permits.
Bedroom | Fairfield Home Staging by Susan Corvo
The goal is to make the room look spacious. All rooms should be staged as they were meant to be.
Meaning that a dining room should be a dining room, not the play room. Throw away stacks of magazines, papers or books. This goes for the furniture outside of your home as well. Whether it’s a front porch, a deck, or a pool and patio you want to arrange the furniture so that it is presentable.
This may seem a little crazy but marketing a home is all in the details. Really, a buyer doesn’t want to know you live there. If you need some Fairfield Home Staging assistance, call me!
Call Susan Corvo Redesign for an Fairfield County home staging consultation: 203.220.9137
