1. Start with the basics. Before staging the house with furniture and decor, address any repairs and consider fresh paint. “Staging cannot compensate for deferred maintenance,” says Monica Murphy of Preferred Staging. (For more suggestions on repairs, see opposite page.) Kelly Marino of Kelly Marino Designs recommends a deep clean, including easy-to-miss spots like vents, kitchen cabinet doors, and grout and caulking in bathrooms. “A clean house sends the message that this home has been loved and cared for,” she says. 2. Move furniture away from walls. “One of the biggest myths in decorating is that pushing every piece of furniture against the wall makes a room feel larger,” says Michael Fowler of Michael Fowler Creative. “In reality, it often has the opposite effect: Rooms don’t feel bigger because the furniture hugs the walls—they feel bigger because they have room to breathe.” He suggests “floating” furniture whenever possible and creating conversation areas. Moving a sofa from against the wall by even a foot or two, he says, creates a better flow and gives the space a polished, designer feel. CC Staging Design’s Cristina Perkins recommends arranging seating to pull eyes toward the room’s best architectural asset, such as a fireplace or large window. 3. Declutter and depersonalize. “The goal,” says Andrea Cropp-Arguin of Staging Boutique, “isn’t to make your home feel empty—it’s to make it easy for buyers to imagine living there.” For her, a good rule of thumb is to remove 30 to 50 percent of what’s in your home, starting with family photos and other personal decor, refrigerator magnets, calendars, papers, excess countertop appliances, collections and knickknacks, extra furniture, and—during showings—pets’ beds, toys, and bowls. Because buyers almost always open closets to check for space, Cropp-Arguin advises aiming for closets to be organized and no more than two-thirds full. Packed ones, Perkins says, give the impression that the home lacks storage. Don’t forget to organize, says Cropp-Arguin—laundry rooms, pantries, linen closets, mudrooms, garages, storage areas, even under sinks. Potential buyers don’t usually open every drawer, she says, but some in the kitchen and bathrooms may get a quick look, so it’s best to keep them tidy just in case. And be ruthless, says Perkins—clear off 70 percent of flat surfaces, including counters, mantels, and side tables. “Buyers buy space and potential, not stuff. If it isn’t elevating the room’s aesthetic, box it up.” Photograph by Derek and Vee Photography 4. Pay attention to lighting. “The fastest way to make a home feel expensive, warm, and inviting is to get the lighting right,” says Fowler. He follows a “light the room, not the ceiling” philosophy, which for him means two things: Using 2700K warm white bulbs throughout the home (at the very least, in the living room and bedrooms) and layering the lighting with floor lamps, table lamps, and accent lighting. “I recommend at least three light sources in every room,” Fowler says, “and ideally none of them are the overhead fixture.” Perkins follows a slightly more maximalist approach, using 2700K-to-3000K bulbs and turning on every light before a showing, including overhead. She also recommends maximizing natural light by pulling back drapes, raising blinds, washing windows, and trimming bushes that block windows. 5. Give each room one clear purpose—with thoughtfully sized furniture. Christian Salinas of Staging Design DC points out that buyers are buying a vision—so make it a clear one by defining each space and a room’s flow. Though you don’t need to fill every wall or corner with furniture and decor, Murphy says, good staging should allow someone to immediately understand how a space functions and how they might live there. Keep in mind, though: It’s important to get the scale right. While many sellers are mindful of the way oversize furniture can make a room look small, Marino believes the inverse should be of equal concern. Particularly in large homes with large rooms, she says, “furniture that’s too small for the space tends to look odd and unwelcoming.” 6. Make them fall in love at first sight. “Buyers start forming opinions before they walk through the door,” says Cropp-Arguin, who recommends power-washing walkways and siding, keeping the lawn mowed and the landscaping trimmed, adding fresh mulch or seasonal flowers, painting or refreshing the front door, replacing worn welcome mats, cleaning windows and the front porch, and updating exterior accessories, including house numbers, the mailbox, and light fixtures. “Buyers decide within the first few minutes whether a home feels right,” says Cropp-Arguin. “Give them every reason to fall in love immediately.” 7. Leave a lasting impression. With people sometimes touring five or more homes in a weekend, Fowler says, it’s a mistake to stage a home so safely—the same gray sofa, blue pillows, and predictable accessories—that it disappears into the crowd. “Your goal isn’t to create a home anyone could live in. Your goal is to create the home everyone wants to live in. Great staging isn’t about neutrality, it’s about aspiration.” Furniture, art, accessories, lighting, and other details, Murphy notes, help buyers form an emotional connection to a property. And, adds Fowler, “people remember how a home made them feel long after they’ve forgotten the floor plan.” Use appropriately sized furniture—not too big or too small—in each room. Photograph courtesy of Staging Design DC. Ready for Inspection Home inspections are a key step in many sales. But, says Michelle Hopkin of ProTec Inspection Services, they aren’t about finding a flawless home: “Every home has maintenance items. The goal is to identify safety concerns, significant defects, and areas that need attention so buyers can make informed decisions.” Here are three ways that homeowners can prepare for a smooth experience. Ensure easy access. Unlock gates and check that electrical panels, crawl spaces, attics, and outbuildings are open and easy to get to. Also, clear space around the furnace and water heater. Replace burned-out bulbs. “This eliminates the inspector having to determine whether the issue is the bulb or electrical,” Hopkin says. And when an inspector sees a problem such as a light fixture that’s not working, they’ll recommend getting it fixed by a licensed professional. Says Hopkin: “You don’t want to pay an electrician to change light bulbs.” Take care of minor repairs and deferred maintenance. Fix the little things, such as a loose doorknob, leaky faucet, or missing outlet cover. And make sure other maintenance to-dos are taken care of—replace deteriorated caulking or peeling paint on siding and trim; correct grading issues near the foundation; clean gutters; replace missing roof shingles; repoint brickwork if necessary; have the HVAC system, especially older equipment, serviced; and make sure smoke alarms are up to date (they generally have a ten-year service life, Hopkin says). “Buyers may be scared off by a long list of needed repairs even if the total cost to repair is cheap,” Hopkin says. And minor plumbing issues, she adds, such as a drip beneath a sink, are often inexpensive and quick to repair but can be alarming to a potential buyer. The post 7 Ways to Make Your Home More Appealing to Buyers first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less