How to Stage Your Home for Potential Sale

Photo: LifeStorage.com

Selling a house can be a long and often nerve-wracking process. It’s not unusual for a home to sit on the market for months, even years. As a seller, you may have to come up with some creative ways of showing off your home’s best features and enticing prospective buyers.  “Staging” is one way to do this. Staging your home allows buyers to see examples of furniture arrangements and room layouts. People are very visual, and seeing pieces in the home gives buyers ideas for how their own belongings could look in each room.  Buyers often look at multiple houses; staged homes are more likely to stand out from those that are unstaged, which can make the buying decision less overwhelming.

If you want to stage your house or a house you’re selling on someone’s behalf (a deceased relative, perhaps), you need to do some prep. First, keep in mind that staging an empty house is considerably easier than staging one that’s currently occupied.  If you’re not comfortable with the process or don’t know where to start, you can work with a Staging Consultant who can work with you on rearranging furniture and basically getting the home in “showing condition” so it’s presented in the best possible light.  This means all those awkward little nooks and crannies (such as a too-small closet or alcove under the stairs), the basement, and other imperfect areas of your home will be on display for potential buyers, but in a new, more flattering, way. You want buyers to see themselves and their family living in your home and making it their own, and giving them some ideas for what "works" in certain rooms will help them do that.

Even if you’re working with a Staging Consultant to handle the actual furniture arranging and room layouts, there are plenty of things you can do to get the process started.

Exterior

•         Mow lawn, trim shrubs, weed garden, and plant new flowers and other greenery
•         Make sure your house number is clearly visible
•          Give your front porch or entryway some TLC—apply a fresh coat of paint or stain to the floor and railing, wash down porch furniture, repair or replace stained, torn, or damaged furniture cushions.
•          Wash windows

Interior

•          Declutter. If you ever needed a good reason to get rid of the books, papers, and various other debris you’ve accumulated over the years while living in your home, this is it!
•          Give your home a thorough cleaning. This is especially critical if you have animals and/or small children! Pay special attention to wood floors. Consider refinishing them if they’re excessively nicked or scratched; if that’s not in your budget, invest in area rugs to hide the worst of the wear.
•          Pick up toys and encourage your kids to clean up their rooms.
•          Try to strike a balance between “clean” and “lived in”. You want buyers to know real people live in this house, so you don’t have to remove all traces of your presence. But don’t leave newspapers, mail, kids’ sports equipment, and other remainders of your “real life” laying around, either.
•          Be vigilant about tackling pet odors. We love our pets, but let’s face it, they can be stinky at times. Besides giving your four-legged friends a bath prior to each showing (if you can), steam-clean all rugs and wash floors thoroughly.

     Have you ever staged a home for potential sale? Did you work with a professional or do it yourself? What was your experience? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Porch, Veranda, Portico: What's the Difference?

Now that winter seems to be behind us (hopefully, anyway!), it’s time to look forward to spring! For many of us, spring means decluttering our home’s interior and sprucing up its exterior.  Maybe you’re thinking of planting a garden or tackling a home improvement project that will add that perfect finishing touch to your home.  Have you ever thought of adding a covering to your entryway, such as a porch, veranda, or portico? Do you know the differences between them? Read on below for a brief explanation of each and how they can bring a little something extra to the outside of your home.

A porch usually runs across the front of a house

Porch

A porch is an extension to the exterior of a house or building. It runs across the entire front of the structure and usually has a roof and may be enclosed with walls, columns, or screens.  Porches can be a small area where visitors wait prior to entering the house or the homeowners dispose of weather gear, or large, full-sized rooms (think sunporch) used for entertaining guests or just relaxing.

A veranda runs across the front and sides of a house or building
Photo: YourDictionary.com

Veranda

Most of us refer to any outside extension on a house as a “porch”, but there are actually subtle differences between a porch and its close counterpart, the veranda (or “verandah”).  A porch only runs across the front of a house or building; a verandah runs along the front and sides. It typically has a roof, as well.

A portico covers a home or building's entryway

Portico

A portico is a small porch extending from a home or building’s entryway. It usually has a roof and is supported by columns.

Besides making an attractive addition to your home, these exterior structures can add some much-needed protection from the elements.  No matter what type of exterior structure you add or renovate, you want to be sure to get the necessary building permits required by your borough or township. You should also notify your insurance agent about the project so your insurance premiums can be adjusted accordingly or you can purchase new insurance. Here at ETA Benefits Group, we work with several carriers and can shop around to find the best coverage for your needs. 

Do you have a large-scale home improvement project planned for the spring? We'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

Moving On, Moving Out: Getting Ready to Put Your House Up for Sale

Moving is a big undertaking.  It can be very emotional—it’s hard to leave the place where you and your family created so many memories. There’s packing up your belongings, relocating to your new home, and settling into the new space. And you still have to get your old house ready to go on the market.  

But there are a few steps you can take to make the whole process of selling your house a little bit easier.

Decide whether you’ll use a real estate agent. If you’ve never sold a house before, you probably aren’t too familiar with the ins and outs of the industry, including the jargon that’s second nature to agents. True, an agent gets a commission once your house sells (usually 10-20%), but they should be acting in your best interest as the seller. An agent can also act as the middleman between you and potential buyers, scheduling showings and open houses, answering any questions, and negotiating offers.

Fix what needs fixing. Like most homeowners, you probably have a long list of household repairs that you just never got around to fixing. If you’re getting ready to sell your house, now’s the time to start checking things off that list. Touch up any faded or chipped paint, fix leaky faucets, tighten loose doorknobs, and tend to the countless other chores that you meant to do over the past few months.

Spread the word. Once your house is ready to be sold, get the word out. Start with your family, friends, and co-workers, then go bigger. Luckily social media has made it easy to promote anything in a matter of seconds. Use all of your resources to sell the house as quickly as you can!

Remember—it’s just business. Back to the first point—selling a house can be an emotionally grueling experience, especially if it’s someone’s childhood home.  It helps if you can keep your emotions in check and think of the sale as a business deal. It might not be easy, but it can make the process smoother in the long run.

Have you sold your home? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments below!