10 Steps to Stage Your Home and WOW Your Buyers

Getting ready to sell your home in Fairfax Station or the surrounding areas? Before you begin showing your home to buyers, take time to strategically stage it to highlight its true value. And don’t forget the “60-second rule”—you only have one minute to make a winning impression on prospective buyers. Here are 10 tips guaranteed to make any homebuyer fall in love in a minute flat!

The Exterior

The outside of your home is the first thing prospective buyers see and is equally as important as the inside. Spend some time showing your home’s exterior some love so that buyers are impressed before they even leave the car!

Create curb appeal

High-end homes naturally have a grand presence, but perhaps more importantly, they should have a welcoming feeling. Simple DIYs—such as planting bright flowers or replacing old house numbers—will have buyers falling in love before they even step foot inside!

Make your porch inviting

Your porch is an extension of your home’s overall curb appeal. Here in Fairfax Station, we appreciate a porch that compliments the pristine landscape of our homes. Makes buyers feel right at home with a new welcome mat or a fresh coat of paint on your front door—and don’t forget to leave your porch light on in the evenings for showings at night.

Spruce up outdoor areas

No matter how big your yard might be, there are always ways to make your outdoor space more welcoming. Make sure gardens are well-groomed, the lawn is mown, and any yard debris is removed. If your home is adorned with a spacious outdoor area, utilize the space by adding seating or dining areas for social gatherings.

Cleaning & Repairs

Nothing repels a buyer like lingering repair projects or a home that’s just not clean. While cleaning and repairs aren’t necessarily fun, you don’t want to lose out on a sale for easily preventable reasons.

Finish repair projects

Let’s be honest, we’ve all wanted to play the part of Chip and Joanna Gaines on Fixer Upper—and now’s your chance! Homebuyers want to view your home as a finished product, not a work in progress. Have your home in tip-top shape when it’s placed on the market, with all lingering repair projects completed.

Clear out the clutter

Selling your home serves as the prime opportunity to sort through your belongings and ensures you’re not taking excess items to your new place. Homebuyers prioritize storage, so take this time to declutter your closets, cabinets, and counter spaces to make them seem larger.

Deep clean EVERYTHING

Now’s the time to deep clean your home so that it sparkles and shines for showings. Get all those hard-to-reach places and hire a professional to help if necessary—trust us, it will be worth the expense. If you have a pet, you may want to steam clean your carpets and rugs.

Interior Decor

Now that you’ve won over buyers with the exterior of your home and tackled the basics, you can dive into the indoor decorations. You’re already halfway to having your buyer sold, so now’s the time to seal the deal!

Depersonalize your decor

You want potential buyers to be able to envision themselves living in your home, so you need to remove any personal decor and keep things simple for buyers. Depersonalize all decor and let your home speak for itself by keeping all accents neutral and tasteful.

Create balance with furniture

The placement of furniture impacts the flow of your home and can change the whole feel of a room. Rearrange furniture pieces into conversational groups to create cozy gathering areas and have furniture float away from walls to make rooms seem larger.

The Final Details

Being intentional with all the tiny details of your home is what will really wow your buyers. Just adding one extra special something could make the difference between a buyer that walks and a buyer that stays.

Place emphasis on functionality

Staging your home isn’t just about making it look nice—it also needs to be livable for buyers. It’s no secret that people spend a lot of time at home, so your home should be a functional space that fosters productivity. Carve out an area of your home to create a reading nook or reposition furniture around windows to have buyers bask in a room’s natural lighting.

Blend indoors with outdoors

Indoor-outdoor living areas are becoming increasingly common among luxury homeowners. This home design allows buyers to envision a lifestyle in which their indoor and outdoor lifestyles can seamlessly flow together. Creating an indoor-outdoor living space makes hosting events easier, expands your living area, and lets lots of natural light into your home.

Your Fairfax Station Selling Resource

If you’re ready to sell your Fairfax Station home, then it’s time to reach out to the Move With Marion Team. These staging tips are just the beginning of the expert advice and local area knowledge we have to help you successfully sell your home—and for top dollar, too! Drop us a line at 703-289-7355 and let’s get your home listed today.