The real estate market in Austin, Texas is hot!  And when listing your home, you want to make sure that it shows well so that you can get top dollar.As a top producing REALTOR® in the Austin area, I know what  a home should look like to really shine to potential buyers.  Let’s look at some important tips to remember when staging your home before you place it on the market.

Staging Your Home in the Austin Area

1.  De-Clutter – You know all of those cute knick-knacks that your precious little Timmy and Sally made for you when they were in kindergarten? You know the ones…made of clay, paper mache, and macaroni…that you cherish as if they were made of fine gemstones? (And you should by the way).You need to carefully box them up so they won’t get damaged and store them away.  You don’t want potential buyers feeling overwhelmed by all of your precious tchotchkes.

If your home lacks storage space, you may want to consider renting a small space in an off-site storage facility while your home is on the market.  (Remember, potential buyers are evaluating the amount of storage your home has, too.  So, you don’t want to pile a lot of stuff into your closets).

2.  De-Clutter – No…I did not forget that I just wrote about this one. It is really that important!  After you have de-cluttered the first time, please walk through your home using the eyes of a potential buyer.  This is hard to do, but please give it a try.  What do you notice most about your home?  Is it your beautiful hardwood floors or is it your wedding photo with your beautiful gown draped perfectly as you smile at the camera?  If potential buyers are oohing and aaahing all over your family photos, then they aren’t looking at the item that is for sale…Your Home!  Again, clear the clutter.

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3.  Clean The House – This seems like a “no-brainer” doesn’t it? But, you would be surprised at how many homes I have shown that have left their dirty breakfast dishes sitting piled in the kitchen sink.  Ew!  Now, does the buyer really believe that the dirty dishes will still be in the sink if they buy the home?  No, of course not.  We all have really busy mornings and have left dishes in the sink before.  However, when you are showing your home to be sold, little things like dirty dishes in the sink cause the potential buyer to wonder, “Hmm…what else in this home has not been cleaned or cared for recently?  Maybe even things that I can’t see?”

We’ve all heard the saying before…”You never get a second chance at a first impression.”   And, nothing could be truer than when you have listed your home to be sold.When you stage your home for showing, you need it to look as perfect as you can ALL of the time.  Can this be inconvenient at times?  Yes.  But, is it worth it in the short term to get top dollar for your home?   Again, the answer is definitely…Yes!  So, please keep the house spotless.

More Tips For Staging Your Home Coming Soon!

These are just a few tips to get you started when staging your home. I have more that I will share with you soon so please make sure and stop back by.  I wanted to start with the overall de-clutter and clean tips first (as they generally need to be taken care of first).  We will discuss the more detailed tips for staging very soon.Good luck and remember to call me at (512) 732-3820 or click the link above and we will get your house ready for the market and SOLD!

I want to hear from you.  Do you have any great staging tips that you would like to share?  Please leave them in the comments section below.

photo credit: Dirty Dishes via photopin (license)