Homes can sell faster as a result of staging and we share where to start.

Want to know the perks of staging a home with furnishings and decor that is on the market? That’s easy — homes with staging sell faster. Stale homes that aren’t moving suddenly get offers. We tapped our expert friends to help us come up with their best tips and advice on how to stage a home for sale.

At Arth Real Estate Group we’ve seen this scenario play out plenty of times before. Sometimes buyers just need help visualizing a space before they can pull the trigger on making an offer.

We reached out to our friends at Home Again, Wilmington’s high end consignment furniture shop, and asked if they could share their favorite tips on home staging. While Home Again does offer a staging division, they have staged homes from time to time.

“We once staged a home that had been on the market for 5 months and the realtor received an offer within two weeks of staging,” said Home Again’s Jeannie Bethel Cooley. “It can be that important, especially if there are any awkward room layouts.”

Here are our top tips for staging a home on the market:

Clear the clutter

Jeannie at Home Again said her top tip is to stage with a minimalist lens. “Less is more,” she said. Above all, start by removing virtually everything from countertops and any surfaces. Remove personal photos, leave very little decor and remove small appliances from countertops like toasters. “Clutter is a killer to a home sale,” she said. At Arth Group we recommend a focus on cleaning the kitchen, as most buyers will want to envision their time spent in this room. Be sure to clean down large appliances — don’t leave splashes of spaghetti sauce on your cooktop. 

Fabric and upholstery matters

Grab some fresh pillows and linens for beds with brighter and neutral schemes. Update upholstery and any curtains to be modern and current. Jeannie suggests going neutral for bed coverings, but be sure to do so in luxe textures.

Art can make rooms pop

Art on the walls can pull whole rooms together. It can make large spaces seem cozy and similarly make small spaces seem spacious. Beyond that, paintings and artwork immediately elevate rooms, so be sure to hang pieces to scale with other pieces around it, always at eye level. 

Stage with great lighting

Lighting makes all the difference too. Even inexpensive, but updated, lamps can make a big impression. For anyone staging a living room or bedroom, be sure to include one or two reading lamps beside beds or sofas. 

Include secondary spaces

Sure, staging normally focuses in on bedrooms and living rooms, but Jeannie suggests also staging a room with a simple desk or workspace. With so many buyers working from, this setup should make strong suggestion to them about what they could with that spare room over the garage or a sun room. Staging these secondary spaces helps buyers create a narrative for themselves in the home. 

For more staging wisdom and to shop consignment pieces, visit our friends at Home Again Wilmington. Selling your home? Let Arth Real Estate Group do all the hard work and reach out to us here.