As a successful real estate professional, you know the importance of proper staging for hosting an effective open house. And you may already have a few tips and tricks you rely on for last-minute prepping. But sometimes, your listings need more staging than others. For those instances, you might need fresh ideas to make a space more inviting. Here are Realtor-shared insights for inspiration in staging your next open house.
1. Curb Appeal Upgrades
If you have the added time on your side, you could address curb appeal and ask your sellers to take care of a little yard maintenance prior to your open house. They don’t need to invest in a professional landscaping service to experience improvements. General lawn mowing, a little hedge-trimming, and some weeding could make all the difference in a property’s ability to make an impeccable first impression. As the agent, you can also make other suggestions, like replacing faded house numbers, pressure washing the green off the north-facing siding, cleaning the gutters, or adding a few potted flowers to the front porch for increased exterior aesthetics.
2. Keep the Personality But Lose the Clutter
Staging for an open house means making each room feel more inviting. As you coach your sellers on what they can do to help, focus their efforts on decluttering. Any stacked boxes, piles of paperwork, or mountains of laundry should be hidden from view. But don’t lose the personality. Keep the décor and tell them not to worry about moving major items. A bright orange couch, for example, can add character to a space. An overflowing closet of clothes, however, will only send the message that storage space is not adequate and crowd a room.
3. Clearing Off Surfaces
Countertops, tabletops, and open bookshelves should be tidy and free of clutter, too. Open counters in the kitchen will give the impression of more space. A clean table is a more inviting breakfast nook where buyers can envision themselves gathering every morning. And bookshelves that have some items, with a little open space or the occasional succulent, are more aesthetically pleasing than an overflowing bookshelf of crammed items in every space.
4. Add Living Elements and Create a Lifestyle
Some real estate agents insist on bringing in fresh-cut flowers for a table centerpiece or a healthy houseplant to add to a coffee table. Introducing living elements can inspire lifestyle attractions to a space. You can add a book or popular lifestyle magazine to a reading area, too, demonstrating a more upscale or cozy experience. Ideally, it’s during the open house walkthrough that you have your best chance of convincing buyers that a home is a perfect lifestyle fit for them.
5. Mirrors and Muted Colors
Another tip for opening up a room or creating the impression of more space is with the use of mirrors and muted colors. Tight bathrooms or hallways can feel more spacious if there are well-placed mirrors. And if there’s a chance your sellers are interested in a fresh coat of paint or touching up baseboards, lighter or muted colors can be helpful in creating a more open feel, too.
6. Introduce As Much Light as Possible
When you’re staging for an open house, you’ll want to make smart use of lighting wherever you can. Turning on the lights is just the beginning. Open the drapes and tap into daylighting when natural light is available. And if your sellers are agreeable, suggest light fixture replacement for any outdated or inoperable lights before the open house.
What are some of your trusted, go-to tricks and tips for sprucing up a listing before an open house? Hopefully, some of these suggestions and ideas will inspire your next staging effort. And when you really want to make an impression on buyers, talk to your sellers about Listing Profit’s Equity Rescue Program! Sellers can make all the necessary renovations and improvements before they list without paying a dime or lifting a finger until closing!