Seven secrets for staging your home on a budget

In the best of times, selling a home can be expensive and stressful. With a sluggish economy and faltering real estate markets nationwide, many have postponed moving plans altogether.

But what if you must sell? According to Judy Adler, 20-year real estate veteran and owner of a successful company in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, “Staging is not an optional thing in this market; it’s a must.” Even in Portland, one of the last major U.S. cities to see declines in prices, Adler affirms,  “sellers must clearly understand that they are marketing a retail product, no different from Nordstrom or Crate and Barrel.”

So if an exciting relocation or life change beckons, use these tips to merchandize your property like a pro, sell quickly, and bring more to the bottom line of that Final Settlement Statement.

Get a jump on the moving process

Remove clutter and send unnecessary belongings ahead if you are relocating or store them out of sight. Remove heavy draperies. Decide to keep only those items that show your home in its best light. Pare down to the bare essentials to add spaciousness to closets and drawers. Don’t underestimate what Adler terms “the psychological transition.” Create an environment that invites potential buyers to visualize themselves in the space.

Create a pleasing and neutral canvas

An entry table brimming with beloved wedding photos can turn off the new divorcee who is perfect for your house. Room after room of artifacts from around the world might distract an otherwise motivated investor. Pack away collections, personal items, family pictures and mementos, lest they trigger unpleasant memories or upstage the propertty’s features.

Use what you have

Rearrange furnishings to increase spaciousness and flow. Stage rooms with an eye toward producing pleasing photos for marketing on the Internet. Don’t be afraid to invent a new image for a room. Pop a grungy daylight basement into a party room complete with string lights, bright drapes and colorful buffet table fashioned from a discarded pool table.

Update with color

Outdated surfaces can be freshened with splashes of color. Use contemporary tones to catch the eye.  Paint a bright yellow accent wall and use matching pillows and throw rugs to brighten a dark living room. Add a new lampshade to spice up a forlorn alcove. Spruce up the fireplace and mantle with silk flowers or potted plants. Adorn clutter-free kitchen counters with bright tea towels.

Focus on the first impression

Accentuate your home’s best features. Remember what first made you swoon and show it off! Adorn a lovely front porch with eye-catching geraniums. Frame the view window with a simple red swag. Rearrange living room furniture to make a stunning stone fireplace the focal point. Remember to recreate the drama for the prospective buyer.

Don’t forget the details

In a tough market, price, location and curb appeal alone may not get the job done. Buyers expect perfection and attention to detailed home maintenance. After you have de-cluttered, spruced up the paint and oiled squeaky hinges, bring noticeable sparkle to the interior space by washing the windows. Squeaky-clean says it all!

Hire a professional stylist/photographer

In the age of Zillow, higher inventories, and rising gas prices, mouse clicks will translate to more traffic through your listing. In a competitive market, wow agents and potential buyers with professionally styled photographs. A professional photographer will use lighting, wide angles and contemporary colors to catch the eye. Ask your realtor if she will set aside a few hours to style the photographs. For most properties limit your shots to the six best. Focus on the front entry, kitchen, and master bedroom and bathroom. You’ll attract buyers who can’t wait to see the rest of the house.