“Selling a home today, even in white-hot markets requires cutting through the clutter online, reducing a buyer’s perceived risks, and creating a “WOW” aspirational impression” explains Karen Post, Tampa professional stager.

Successful stagers and home sellers use these inside trade secrets to quickly accomplish these goals. If you are thinking about putting your home on the market and getting it ready to sell, make sure you’ve got these critical areas covered.

5 simple things make a big impact on the home selling success

1) a picture is 100,000 words
Balance your online photography with a mix of functional room and space pictures including images that project an aspirational lifestyle.

For example, if the home has great entertaining areas, showcase these spaces with diner party accessories to reflect this lifestyle. The same idea goes for a home office. Make this space feel like a successful person spends time here.

Home Frosting recently staged a luxury home that had a very large open plan room design. We not only used large-scale furnishings and fine art, but we created a sitting area complete with a baby grand piano.

Within 30 days this luxury home had multiply offers and went into contract.

2) unfinished repairs and old technology sends a bad message
Home buyers want to know a house is move in ready, has been well maintained and has modern features. Small broken or not functioning right items that need “fix me” attention are red flags. This means prospects may feel that other expensive items in the home have been neglected too. The same thing applies to super old technology like big fat TVs and unsightly aged electronics. Remove any signs of the broadcast history museum and lose the ugly cables and cords.

3) out of date lighting fixtures can have a bright future
Home décor is no different that fashion. Décor styles go in and out of vogue. If it’s been awhile since your home had a style lift, make some small changes to light shades, light bulbs, or replace the fixture. These low cost changes can instantly transform a room.

Before Home Frosting staged this luxury home, the dining room had a Tuscan-style chandelier with crystals and shades and pineapple pendants over the bar. To lighten up the look and create a fresher style…

Home Frosting removed the crystals and traditional shades and swapped out the lantern-styled bulbs with simple, round, more modern ones.
Update dated tuscan lighting

4) most buyers cannot visualize a room’s purpose without help
Show the prospect how a space can be used for storage, a mudroom, or even a workspace.

To help potential buyers see purpose in this space, the Home Frosting team created a mudroom complete with bright yellow Hunter® boots.
Mudroom staging example

5) curb appeal counts
Landscaping, exterior paint, and even the address numbers project an image. Improvements don’t have to break the bank either. You can change the exterior paint color… or just paint the door. If painting is not in the budget, consider virtual house painting changes to show your prospects. You can also update your house address numbers (for less than $50.00), and you can even rent large planters to enhance the image around your entry.

Before – this waterfront home was nice.

But after the team got going, we added fresh paint, updated landscaping, and shot professional aerial images. This improvement made the marketing materials really showcase this amazingly beautiful dream listing.

Need more help? Reach out to a home staging professional for a walkthrough consultation or let them turnkey the project by bringing in furniture and accessories to make sure you get the highest price possible. Karen Post is President and chief stylist at Home Frosting, Tampa Bay’s luxury home staging, art rental, and home décor resource. We provide home staging, luxury furniture and art rentals, and home décor styling services.

Special thanks to the following professionals who made these projects possible.