How to Stage a House to Sell Fast | Travelers Insurance (2024)

How to Stage a House to Sell Fast | Travelers Insurance (1)

By Travelers

2 minutes

After you’ve cleared the clutterfrom around your home, you’re ready to start staging it for potential buyers. Depending on your timeframe and budget, you can hire a professional stager to coordinate the details, or work directly with a furniture rental company to deliver furniture, housewares and appliances. The goal of staging a home for sale is to make your home appealing, spacious and memorable.

Even if you choose not to bring in anything new as part of the staging process, here are some simple home staging tips that you can do to make your home stand out.

  • Focus on your best features.Whether it’s a great view, a cozy fireplace or an inviting eating area, highlight the focal points of the house. This approach can help you prioritize your staging budget. Maybe you rent a new patio set to show off the possibilities of entertaining outside on your deck. Or it could be as simple as adding lighting to emphasize the dining room or moving an armchair to attract the buyer’s eyes to the fireplace.
  • Addition by subtraction.Before bringing in new furniture and accessories, start by removing extra furnishings. For example, a crowded bookcase may suggest a lack of built-in storage and you don’t want buyers focusing on the titles on the shelves instead of on your walk-in closets. It will also make the house look bigger, which is nearly universally appealing to potential buyers.
  • Lived in, but better.An empty home can be overwhelming to buyers, who can’t imagine what it would look like fully furnished. If you have already moved out of your home, consider renting furniture. Many furniture rental companies also offer appliances and housewares by room, so you can include small touches, including items for the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms.
  • Something to remember.When making design decisions during remodeling, the conventional wisdom is to choose neutrals that will go with the new buyer’s décor. You can go a bit bolder with furniture and decorations in staging — it’s okay for the home to convey a sense of personality and make buyers want to linger. You want to give buyers a sense of the lifestyle they would enjoy if they bought your house. It helps if you make it memorable.
  • Make it shine.Don’t underestimate the power of a clean house. It’s an important part of staging, too. Wash your windows, clear the cobwebs from the corners and apply a fresh coat of paint to areas that need it. Switch out cabinet pulls and handles for a relatively inexpensive update. When prioritizing your time, pay extra attention to bathrooms and kitchens, where buyers tend to focus.

Above all, remember that staging involves more than a one-size-fits-all solution, like simply bringing in a sleek new sofa or a vase of fresh-cut flowers. Your home has a story, and staging allows you to tell it. And, if you end up falling in love with some of the furniture, many staging companies will let you buy it and bring it with you. Happy staging!

Selling your home is a good time to review your homeowners coverage. Learn more aboutTravelers homeowners insurance.

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FAQs

When staging the home, the seller should not? ›

When staging a home, the seller should not demonstrate negative property aspects, such as proximity to landfills or factories, and instead focus on highlighting its strengths. Real-estate ads often show only the positive features, and it's up to the buyer to investigate further.

What are the most important considerations when staging a home? ›

Stage a home to make more money
  • Make a good first impression. ...
  • Declutter the living room. ...
  • Spruce up your kitchen. ...
  • Create inviting bedrooms. ...
  • Clean up outside. ...
  • Deep clean your home. ...
  • Showcase great lighting.
Aug 1, 2023

What is the 3 foot 5 foot rule in staging a home? ›

This usually includes decluttering, depersonalizing, and making cosmetic improvements. One important rule of thumb for home staging is the 3-foot 5-foot rule. This rule states that you should spend 3 feet in front of and 5 feet behind your home staged for sale.

Do homes sell faster with staging? ›

For many, home staging results in a higher selling price and a quicker home sale. 6 There are downsides to home staging, such as creating more work prior to listing and ancillary costs like storing your property, but these downsides are often outweighed by the benefits of staging.

How to make your home stand out when selling? ›

Don't forget the finishing touches; many are inexpensive additions that will attract home buyers.
  1. Plant flowers or put potted flowers around the front door.
  2. Add a fresh doormat.
  3. Replace or paint your light fixtures and be sure all the bulbs work.
  4. Polish your house numbers or replace them.

How to stage your home to sell for top dollar? ›

7 Tips to Sell Your Home for Top Dollar
  1. Stage your home. ...
  2. Depersonalize it. ...
  3. Maximize light and space. ...
  4. Update and repair, but don't remodel. ...
  5. Focus on the kitchen. ...
  6. Boost curb appeal. ...
  7. Hire the right real estate agent.

Should you set the table when staging a home? ›

Should You Set the Table When Staging a Home? The question of whether or not to set the table when staging a home is really up to the homeowner or home stager, but it's generally thought that people should avoid setting the table to ensure that potential buyers focus on the space, not your stuff.

Is it easier to sell a house staged or empty? ›

The debate of whether homes sell faster when empty or staged is a long-standing one. There are certainly pros and cons for both methods, but the general opinion is that staged houses are “easier” to sell. However, that doesn't mean there isn't any benefit of cleaning out before listing your property on the market.

Should you hang pictures when staging a house? ›

Your home is where your design personality shines through, but when staging your house for sale, it's important to keep personal mementos and photos tucked away to appeal to a wide range of buyers.

How do I stage my house myself? ›

A few recommended home-staging tips are to declutter, clean, or replace your appliances so they look new; remove any personal items such as photos and monogrammed towels; and get rid of odors.

When staging a home does the furniture stay? ›

It's not yours to keep. As the laws will vary by state, If, as you state, California law says that the furniture now belongs to the new owner (similar to NC RE law), it's not your problem to deal with. The staging company should have had a contract with the seller (previous owner) making it the sellers problem.

Why is home staging so expensive? ›

You're paying to rent that stager-owned decor by the room and by the month. Staging costs increase based on how many rooms you stage and how long you need the furniture in place (i.e., until your home sells or you accept an offer). Other costs may include consultation fees and moving expenses for the decor.

Does staging a home increase sales price? ›

Home staging can accelerate the sale process by 10% to 50%. Nearly a third of all buyers said their offers were higher because of staging.

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