Start with the kitchen and take everything off the counters. That includes your toaster, microwave, blender—any kitchen appliances, utensils, towels, oils, etc. need to find another home. If you have space, you can neatly organize them in your kitchen cabinets or pantry. Then, scrub down every kitchen surface possible. That includes any rust that’s shown up over the years, burned substances that make your stovetop look speckled instead of white, and of course, the kitchen floor.
After completing your work in the kitchen, tackle the living room. Remove anything besides furniture and table lamps. Clear shoe racks in the living room or entryway, take down jackets and hats off of any coat racks and hide pet beds. Then, clean every inch of the space, making sure to vacuum once you give the room a solid scrub.
Now, do the same for every other room. Take away everything besides large pieces of furniture and light fixtures. That means all toiletries in the bathroom need to find a different home. Get creative with storage If you still live in the home and need to access things like shampoo, your blender, etc., Sissie Carter Horne, the #4 top real estate agent in Newnan, Georgia, has a clever solution for organizing it. First, box it all up and label the boxes so that they are easily accessible. Then, stack the boxes in your garage where your car would normally go. This allows the natural flow of the house to stay intact, and visitors can still walk around the boxes to see the rest of the space. If you have excess items that you no longer need or want, now is a great time to sell or donate them. It’ll make your move easier, your closets more available for items you do need, and have to store for showings, and it will make the home much easier to stage.
Stage your home for its close-up
Now that you’ve cleaned and decluttered the house, you’ll either need to stage it yourself or bring in a professional staging company. Un-staged homes do not photograph well, and according to our research, staged homes can fetch an offer 1-5% higher from buyers. To make your house feel professionally staged, you’ll use objects and pops of color to create small “vignettes” in each room. These vignettes suggest how the room might be used.
For example, if you have a set of outdoor tables and chairs, put two wine glasses and a bottle of wine on the table. Other popular staging choices include: a bowl of fruit on the dining table, bright pillows on the couch, or new white towels hanging in the bathroom.
