Tip of the Week: Teach Your Sellers How-to-Stage

Gary Gold talks about the most important things sellers must do to prepare their homes to go on the market for Inman.com.

1. Tend to the outside first

Prospective buyers can fall in love with a home as they drive up, so it’s crucial that the home’s curb appeal is at its peak.

In fact, if the outside is really appealing, buyers can be very forgiving of what’s on the inside.

If there’s a limited budget to fix up the house for sale — start with the outside.

2. Remove all personal items

Buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living there. Clearing out all the personal items is one way to ensure that. If sellers can possibly move out during the selling process, that’s even better.

But if the sellers can’t do that, make sure to remove pictures and clutter. Also clean out the garage and the closets.

3. Don’t let your home look dated

Replace your thermostat and security panel. Throw out any tube televisions.

Tone down the color palette of the home. When in doubt, white it out.

I’d estimate that there’s about a 10 percent to 15 percent difference in sale price when someone puts effort into preparing the home for sale.

If you don’t stage a home these days, you aren’t even really in the game. Spend the extra time and money — it’ll pay off.