Contributed

SYV Association of Realtors

Viewing a house for sale requires would-be buyers to visualize the property as a future place to call home. They often have to rely on their imaginations for how they want to design the property as homeowners.

Staging your home before you put it on the market is a great way to impress potential buyers or create a living space that homeowners may prefer. Seventy-seven percent of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home, according to the National Association of Realtors^’ 2017 “Profile of Home Staging.”

“Buyers want to be able to picture the home’s interior designs in the easiest way possible. Staging your home with even the smallest touches like new bathroom towels, drapes over the windows or flowers on a coffee table will liven up your listing and make a big difference to the buyer,” said Bob Jennings, board president of the Santa Ynez Valley Association of Realtors.

Staging your home can also put you ahead of the competition, which is no small feat in an unpredictable and high-cost housing market.

“More than 60 percent of sellers’ agents say that staging a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market. With so many factors that play into what sells a home and what buyers are willing to pay, staging your home is an advantage that can mean selling faster or at a higher price,” Jennings said.

Here are some simple staging tips that will help you spruce up your listing and stay ahead of the market:

De-clutter living spaces. Clear all unnecessary objects throughout the house, such as magazines on the coffee table and bathroom items on the sink. In addition, take down magnets and pictures from the refrigerator and remove clothes you do not wear from closets to show a cleaner, more spacious area.
Refresh your walls. Remove and rearrange artwork or photos and then patch and paint interior walls in order to give buyers a better visual of each room.
Personalize spare rooms. Buyers will have different needs, depending on family size, and it is wise to stage a spare bedroom based on your target buyers.

“If you are putting a condo on the market, you might want to stage the spare bedroom as office space for young and single professionals,” Jennings said.