The Essentials to Styling Your Home to Sell Quickly

When listing a home on the market, it’s important to do everything in your power to ensure it sells as quickly as possible. Not only will sitting on the market for a protracted period of time leave your money tied up in the home, but it can also make your property seem less appealing to prospective buyers. Here are some of the best steps you can take to make your home sell quickly.

Many homes that have been in the hands of the same owner for many years have slowly fallen out of date in terms of interior decor. If you want your home to sell fast, it’s important to update its appearance before listing it. Fresh paint and new flooring will be relatively inexpensive, but they will make your home much more appealing to potential buyers. Look through some home magazines to get a sense of what the preferred styles are at the moment, as these will typically be what buyers are looking for.

Some homeowners, especially those who sell without the help of an agent, make the mistake of showing their homes with the furniture arranged as it usually is. While this may be the most comfortable arrangement of furniture you have found, it probably isn’t the best for styling a home to sell. Try rearranging the furniture and decor in your living spaces to make them look larger. In your living room, for example, position couches or loveseats near the edges of the room to create a large, open space in the center, as this will make the room look larger than it actually is.

As minor a matter as it may seem, home lighting plays a large role in how potential buyers will view your property. Dim, outdated lighting will make your home seem less inviting. Modern lighting that illuminates your spaces more thoroughly, on the other hand, will tend to appeal to home buyers. At the moment, bright but cool lights are very much in style.

Because it is used multiple times every day, a home’s kitchen is one of its most important spaces. Buyers will be looking for a kitchen with modern styling, so be sure you can give it to them. This can be as simple as updating paint or wallpaper, but there are also several other steps you can take. Replacing countertops, sinks or cabinet hardware, for example, will help to improve the appearance of the space.

In the process of styling a home ahead of putting it on the market, some homeowners focus entirely on their indoor areas and ignore the outdoor elements of their properties. This is a major mistake, as the outdoor part of your property will be the first thing a buyer sees upon arriving. Make sure that your yard is well-trimmed and tastefully landscaped. You may also consider laying down fresh grass seed or fertilizer before listing your home in order to make your lawn appear fuller and healthier.

Get Photo-Ready

When a potential buyer first sees your home, chances are he or she will be looking at an online listing. If you want to make your home stand out from the pack, be sure you’re ready for a professional real estate photographer to take great pictures in your living spaces. One good way to ready your home for this process is to carefully position small decorative or accent pieces on shelves while keeping tables largely clear. Ideally, the pictures of your home should make it look friendly, inviting and livable. For this reason, it is rarely a good idea to list a home with photographs of empty rooms, as this will make it harder for buyers to visualize themselves living in it.

Focus On Your Entryway

Houses are a lot like people in that those who are seeing them for the first time form opinions very quickly based on their appearances. This is why your home’s entryway is such an important space if you want it to sell quickly. Upon entering your house, a potential buyer should form a positive impression immediately. To help this happen, you can install tile or hardwood flooring or position a table with a tasteful decor piece or two by the door. The exterior of your entrance should also be striking, with good-looking lighting fixtures and door hardware in place.

There’s never an absolute guarantee that your house will sell quickly, but with proper styling you can vastly increase the chances that it will. Remember as you prepare your home to look at it through the eyes of a prospective buyer, rather than as someone who has lived there for years. By understanding what a buyer will be looking for, you can style your house to appeal to the person who is hunting for a new home.