If you are planning to sell your Lake Martin home this year, staging it to sell is a wise home-selling decision! On average, for every $1 home sellers put into staging their home, they earn $2 in increased sale price. As your Lake Martin real estate team, we’re here to share some home staging basics with you, along with tips for every room!

Here are the five golden rules to staging:

1.  Depersonalize. Buyers want to imagine themselves living in your house. To help them, remove anything that is too personalized to you. This includes family photos, child’s artwork and so on.

2.  Maximize. Maximize the space in your home. This means decluttering the home and removing anything that isn’t necessary or that doesn’t portray your home in the best light. For example, by removing clutter from closets, it makes them look more spacious rather than cramped.

3.  Sanitize. Once you declutter, it’s time to give your Lake Martin home a deep cleaning. This includes not only floors, windows and countertops, but also inside cabinets, baseboards, walls, ceilings, etc. Consider hiring a professional company if you’re not up for the elbow grease!

4.  Modernize. Unless you’re Lake Martin home is pretty new, most homes could use an upgrade or two. Bring in a real estate professional to help you determine what is considered outdated, and the best upgrades you could make that will yield the best return on investment. It could be as small as replacing the knobs on your kitchen cabinets.

5.  Neutralize. If you’ve got bold colors in your lake home, consider neutralizing them for the sale. Neutral colors are the safest way to appeal to the highest number of buyers. Bursts of colorful accessories pair well with neutral walls and décor!

Here are some specific room tips to get you started:

Bedrooms – Use gender neutral colors with walls and accessories, add headboard for visual appeal, declutter closets and use matching hangers.

Bathrooms – Clear countertops of everything but a few essentials, like soap and a hand towel. Display white towels for a spa-like feel. Scrub down walls, shower doors, everything.

Kitchen – Modernize cabinets with a coat of wood stain or paint, and replace cabinet hardware with brushed silver or stainless steel. Clean inside appliances and cabinets, and remove clutter from countertops. Set the table with an eye-catching centerpiece in the middle.

Living Room – Open all the blinds and curtains during the day, and include ample lighting at night. Replace all bulbs in the house. Use light-colored furniture when possible, to make the space look larger. Add a couple plants. Turn furniture toward each other to create a social scene.

For more staging tips, check out this RISMedia infographic, or contact us, The Haynie Team! We’re here to answer all of your home-selling questions, to offer home staging advice, and to guide you through the entire home-selling process in the Lake Martin real estate market! Give us a call and let’s get started!

Becky Haynie, Associate Broker / Realtor
Lake Martin Realty
www.HomeOnLakeMartin.com