5 secrets most home stagers wont tell you
Your Aspen REALTOR® will do whatever it takes to help you sell your home quickly and at the right price. That includes giving you staging tips that are proven to work. Some of them are staging secrets – things home stagers don’t want you to know (because if you know, you won’t need to hire them). Check out these five secrets that most home stagers won’t tell you – and then put them into practice in your home before you list it for sale.

5 Secrets Most Home Stagers Won’t Tell You

Check out the five secrets that most home stagers won’t tell you:

  1. Move all your furniture 6 inches away from the wall
  2. Cleaning is more important than anything else
  3. Depersonalization is the key
  4. Little accents make a huge difference
  5. Organization is essential

Here’s a closer look at each.
Related: Everything there is to know about home staging

Staging Secret #1: Move all your furniture 6 inches away from the wall

Moving your furniture 6 inches away from the wall seems counterintuitive – it feels like doing so will make the space smaller, but the opposite is true. The best thing you can do is pull out your sofa, end tables and TV console. Subconsciously, buyers’ brains see that space as “extra,” and that can make the whole room appear larger.
The caveat to that is when your room really becomes significantly smaller by losing 6 inches on each side. If the new arrangement impedes traffic flow, ignore this tip (or pull out your furniture 3 inches and see what happens).
Related: How to stage a condo’s kitchen to sell

Staging Secret #2: Cleaning is more important than anything else

When you’re selling a home, you’re not just selling four walls and a roof. You’re selling a lifestyle – and buyers want a lifestyle that looks easy. When your house is spotless from top to bottom, you make upkeep look effortless. That’s exactly what buyers want.
Related: A simple 5-step plan for staging your dining room

Staging Secret #3: Depersonalization is the key

Prospective buyers want to envision themselves living in your space, but that’s tough to do when your family portrait features multiple sets of eyes staring down at them from above the mantel. Take down family photos, religious decor, political items and even sports memorabilia. Keep your decor as depersonalized and neutral as possible so you can make your home appeal to the widest range of buyers. Think about your favorite luxury hotel and try to emulate their decorative style.
Related: 3 emergency staging tips to use when you’re in a pinch

Staging Secret #4: Little accents make a huge difference

You don’t need everything to be perfect, and you don’t have to strive for a picturesque setting in each room. Buyers don’t mind seeing a house that looks more like a home than a museum; in fact, that’s what they want, because it lets them imagine themselves living there. Use accents to make the space feel more “homey,” like a throw blanket at the end of the bed or on your favorite recliner; overstuffed pillows on your sofa; a colorful rug on your living room’s hardwood floors; or even freshly cut flowers near the bathroom sink.
Related: How to make your bathroom look like a spa
5 secrets most home stagers wont tell you

Staging Secret #5: Organization is essential

Buyers can – and do – open all your cupboards and drawers. They’ll also open your medicine cabinet, your closets, your pantry and your storage cupboards in the laundry room. You want them to see that your home is easy to keep up with, so each of these spaces needs to be exceptionally organized. While you’re at it:

  • Put a third to half of your clothes in storage so your closet looks bigger
  • Take out any kitchen appliance you haven’t used in 3 months and put it in storage
  • Bring laundry baskets – washed or unwashed – with you when you leave for a showing
  • Remove pet toys, beds, and food bowls, and most importantly, pets when you leave for a showing

Related: The secret to making a small closet look bigger

Are You Selling or Buying a Home in Aspen?

If you’re ready to sell your home in Aspen, Woody Creek, Basalt, Carbondale or Snowmass, we may be able to help you.
Get in touch with us right now to find out how much your home is worth – and discover how we’ll be able to help you sell it quickly and for top dollar.
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