Get your property ready for a staging

Real estate agents swear by it, but what exactly is staging?

Staging is the practice of strategically arranging furnishings and decor to make a house look its best while selling. You want to make it easier for potential buyers to visualise the property as theirs.

You can use a professional staging business who can provide on-trend funiture and decor. Your real estate agent might be able to recommend one. Or you can do it yourself, using some of the following tips.

First you will have to “clean” your property. There are a few steps you can do yourself without too much effort.

• Declutter the home - move things to storage that you won’t need daily or why not donate or throw out items you won’t take with you to your new home?
• Bring in the light! Remove old curtains and pull the blinds up to let the light come in. Buyers love to see bright rooms
• If you have pets, remove their items from the house a few days before the viewing. These items, like a dog bed or toys, can sometimes smell and that might put potential buyers off
• Present a clean and spacious kitchen - store appliances or other things that clutter the kitchen surfaces
• Remove personal photos and items - basically, make the home seem ownerless
• Consider painting over coloured walls and pick a neutral colour. Consider light grey, beige or white, this will also make the room appear more spacious (especially children’s bedrooms which are often painted bright colours or have distracting wallpaper)
• Clean out storage areas - stacked kitchen cupboards and cluttered wardrobes make it hard for buyers to see the storage potential
• Remove unnecessary furniture – this can be tricky but less furniture means more space
• Maximise the curb appeal - remove dead plants, cut down overgrown bushes or trees and get the lawnmower out

Now the hard work is done, your home might seem very “empty” or “lifeless”. This is in fact a good thing. It is now easier for buyers to imagine themselves in their potential new home and adding their own touch.
Next, you can focus on presenting a warm and welcome home, and here are our tips to do so:

• Schedule viewings when your house catches the most light
• Clean used plates and pots, fold and put away fresh laundry and remove any trash
• Take away your coats and shoes that would normally be at the entrance
• Don’t go overboard with colours - pick one warm colour for a signature colour theme throughout the home
• Accent this colour through vases, throw pillows, glasses
• Prepare your dining room table with place settings and an arrangement of fresh flowers as the centrepiece
• Make the home smell nice - fresh flowers or scented candles can do the trick
• Don’t use noisy appliances like dishwasher, washing machine and dryer during the viewing
• Use bright white linen for the beds instead of distracting patterns

Staging not only helps to find a buyer, it might actually get you a better price for your home! Double win with minimal effort!

Once you have found a buyer, lawlab can help secure that buyer and guide you through every step of the conveyancing process.

Richie Muir

Legal Director

Richie is an experienced and commercially astute lawyer specialising in property law. He leads lawlab’s team of legal advisors and is the go-to problem solver for complex or unusual matters.  Having spent many years living and studying in Europe he now calls Brisbane home. Outside of work he juggles his time helping bring up his 2 young daughters, playing football and developing property.