Home staging often makes a big difference in how fast your home sells and can help you get the best possible price for your home. During the winter months, this skill takes a bit of refining to show off your home when the weather is a bit frosty and cloudy skies may dampen the mood.
Never fear, because a home staging specialist from Dani Beyer Real Estate has an eye for what will make your home feel welcoming during the colder weather. Here are some tips to get you started:
Curb appeal matters more than ever: You don’t have green grass or trees to frame your home, so make sure your house is prepped to welcome people to step inside. Most importantly, this means making sure your sidewalks and driveway are clean and safe. Don’t risk losing a sale because someone is afraid to trek up your porch steps. Make sure your exterior paint is also in perfect condition because these types of flaws show up more when your landscaping is dormant.
Cultivate coziness: Once they enter the home, potential buyers should feel warm and maybe even wish they could curl up on your couch. Create a cozy feeling by turning up the thermostat a bit. If you don’t have hooks by the door, put a narrow coat rack in the entryway to encourage people to take off their coats and stay a bit. A plush throw strategically placed in your living room might encourage buyers to imagine a winter spent in the home.
Make shoe etiquette obvious: If you want to have people take off their shoes, post a sign and provide a place for shoes to go. The other option for keeping your floors spotless is to provide shoe covers. With whatever option you choose, the sign is essential because you don’t want to draw attention away from viewing your home. Consider a strategically-placed air freshener, so that the first impression upon entering isn’t “hmmm…smells like feet.”
If you don’t use a sign for footwear instructions, you can count on awkwardness. You’ll spot people who took off their shoes and put on the shoe covers in a mark of complete confusion. Use the sign, trust us.
Showcase the outdoors: If your home has some special outdoor features that don’t lend themselves to home staging in the wintertime, use a creative way to show them off anyway. Set up an easel with a picture of your outdoor living space in all its glory. If your home has a firepit or a nice patio, set up a seating area with a grouping of furniture and some outdoor pillows to show off how you normally use it.
Light up your home: Whether it’s a day or nighttime showing, lighting is critical this time of year. Turn on every light and make your house sparkle. The effect will be a feeling of warmth for your potential buyers, helping them see your house at its best. Light up the fireplace and place a few warm-hued candles around to crank up the coziness.
Home staging is a critical part of the selling process, and these are just a few of the techniques we know for chasing the clouds away on a winter day. Your home should shine, no matter what the weather is like. Contact us at Dani Beyer Real Estate for more home staging expertise.