Hi, I’m Mark Gladue with Lauer Realty Group. I’m a broker associate and a listing specialist and I'm here today to give you some tips on how to stage your home to make it successful when you list it.

Staging a home can be the number one reason that people actually sell their house and it could mean thousands of dollars. 

Take a Buyer’s Perspective 

The first thing I'd like to tell all of my clients is that you want to look at it from a buyer's perspective. Walk into every single room of your home and ask yourself: is the paint fresh? Are the rooms clean? Are all the baseboards tidy?

Clear and Brighten

Two rooms you want to pay special attention to are your kitchen and your bathroom: have a really clean kitchen with countertops filled with only the essential items that you might use in your home. Hide those items you don't use underneath your cabinets, making sure that all of those countertops are cleared off in the bathroom. You want to make sure that you have fresh linens that are hung.

You also want to make sure that the countertops are clean. Maybe ad some flowers in both the kitchen and the bathroom, not overstated, but subtle so that when people walk in, they feel welcomed. Ensure that your blinds and your drapes are open so that even if it's a bright and sunny or cloudy day, you have some sense of what the outdoor space is from your room.

The Three Foot Rule 

Then we have what I call the ‘three-foot rule.’ What that means is that all the walkways throughout the house should be at least three feet wide. What that does is allow people to see the home as it is, and also gives them a wider view of all of the rooms. It's really good for people to be able to walk in and not feel like they're in some cluttered space because we want them to love your home.

Accentuate Family Photos 

A lot of people ask this question, “What about my personal photos?” Here's what I tell people: It makes the home feel lived in. So I wouldn't remove all of your personal pictures, because then you feel like you're in a very sterile place. What you should do instead is actually accentuate family photos. Now, I'm not talking about having 45 to 50 family photos on one wall, but what I'm saying is throughout the house, make a subtle difference by creating spaces where people can see how you enjoy this home. 

Love It to List It 

Finally, make sure that you love your home when you list it. Every single buyer that's walking through this home needs to fall in love, and they can tell when you love your home too. It's like when you get married or the first time you meet someone, you want that buyer to have that same giddy feeling as they walk into your home.

Let Us Help 

If you want your home to sell for top dollar, but don’t have the budget to hire someone to stage, we also offer our own services to help you stage your house. It doesn't cost you anything extra, and we’re not replacing everything in your home while you’re trying to sell. What we do is take the items that you have in your home and accentuate the key places such as your living room, master bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. 

We do the work of showing you how you can use all of your own furniture and all of your own pieces to make your home shine. 

If you have any other questions about staging your home, or you'd like more information from me, please feel free to give us a call or email us. Thanks so much.

-Mark Gladue