A professionally staged home can really boost the final sale value of your property however, if this option is simply not in your budget, our handy budget home staging ideas will help you make the most out of your space.
Budget Home Staging Ideas: Eliminate Clutter
Rule number one is to eliminate ALL clutter from your home; this will help make your home feel more spacious, organised and clean to prospective buyers. Organize your bookshelves and any other open storage areas to appear less cluttered and more appealing. The added bonus of eliminating clutter from your home in preparation for home inspections is that it will also help make your move that much easier – You’ll have already donated or disposed of any unwanted bits and pieces that seem to just magically accumulate over the years!
Organise your Closets
A cluttered and messy closet or wardrobe is an automatic turn off for many home buyers. Think about it… Who doesn’t want more storage space in their home? It could even be one of the reasons you yourself are moving in the first place! If a prospective buyer sees your super cluttered closet, they may think “Hey, this place has the same problem as my current home – no storage & no space!”
Your closets shouldn’t appear to be overflowing with stored clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. so make sure to neatly tuck everything away and present a well organised closet or wardrobe. Consider sleek storage options such as lidded baskets or decorative boxes which will not only help keep the clutter at bay but will also make the space more appealing and stylish. Another great budget home staging idea for your wardrobes is to invest in matching coat hangers. Although simple and seemingly inconsequential, matching coat hangers will further enhance the organised look we are going for, creating a neat and consistent look.
Budget Home Staging Ideas for the Dining Area
A great way to present your home’s dining area is simple to set the table. A lovely table setting helps the buyer visualize themselves at “home” – It is a warm and inviting gesture and can work wonders in adding that little bit of spark and character to your dining area. Keep your dining setting minimal – there is no need for half a dozen forks! Use matching placemats, napkins, dinner plates, cutlery and glasses – Include a candelabra or small flower vase as a centrepiece and your job is done – a simple way of creating a warm and friendly home that potential buyers will be able to visualise themselves in.
Turn on the Lights
Your real estate agent will usually advise you to turn on all the lights in the home prior to an inspection, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in the property rather than leaving it looking dark and dreary. Open all your curtains too to allow natural light to circulate in the home and consider using glass, mirror or metallic decorative features to help brighten up any dark corners. If your property inspection is in the evening you will also find that turning on all external and garden lighting is another way to attract buyers while also highlighting which home on the street is open for inspection. This will also ensure that visitors can comfortably see where they are stepping in the home’s outdoor spaces, ensuring a safe walk-though.
Budget Home Staging Ideas: De-Personalise the Home
The ultimate goal of a successfully staged home is to help your prospective buyers picture themselves living in the space. Eliminate any and all personal items from your property; this includes: Family pictures, Christmas cards, Children’s paintings, bills stuck on the fridge, etc. Leaving these items lying around makes your potential buyers feel as if they are walking through somebody else’s home, as if they are intruding into someone else’s life – your goal is to help them feel as if they are walking through their own future home! Use a neutral decorating scheme to create that feeling of warmth and character in the property instead. Wall art and family pictures can be swapped out with simple pieces of art: ideas include nature photography, framed wallpaper patterns, still life paintings, etc.
Home Staging Ideas: Keep it Clean & Tidy
A no-brainer, but more often than not, you will find many homes on the market are a complete mess! If you simply don’t have the time, hire someone to clean it all up for you – it is well worth the investment! A messy home seriously detracts from the overall sale value: it’s simple human nature to feel a little put off by someone else’s dirty laundry or dirty kitchen sink so make sure to tidy it all up!
Re-Paint & Modernize
If your budget allows for it, a freshly painted and modernized home is well worth the effort and expense. A budget bathroom or kitchen makeover can work wonders in increasing the final sale value of your home, as can a fresh lick of paint and a well manicured garden so have a look around your home and see which areas could benefit from a little sprucing up: fill in any wall cracks, update your window treatments or lighting fixtures, have your kitchen or bathrooms updated, re-do your flooring – whatever it takes to help your home SELL for those big bucks! It will most definitely be well worth it!
