For a homeowner, one of the most frustrating things to do is putting their home on the market. From ranch homes to two-story, from vacation style to luxury, no matter what type of home you are putting on the market you have to take the time to get it ready to sell. A buyer’s first impression is the most important thing so you need to make sure everything has a place and purpose. Homebuyers want perfection and home staging plays an important role in creating the perfect saleable home. Some quick tips will make all the difference in what buyers are looking for.

The first thing that needs to be tackled is removing excess clutter. Homebuyers will open every drawer, door, cabinet, and closet to see how much space is available. The wrong first impression is to see all the stuff you have accumulated over the course of time and see that it clearly doesn’t fit. They need to see organized spaces with plenty of excess room to instill in them that there is plenty of storage to fit their needs. It also keeps overly inquiring people from getting an eyeful of everything you own. Clear out every closet space to be half empty so they appear open and bigger. Cluttered closets give the impression that space is limited. This is the wrong impression to give a buyer. It is time to clear out and clean out every space!

De-cluttering is such a huge task so it’s best to take one room at a time. Use an expiration date on items. If something hasn’t been used in three months, six months, or one year, pick a date and toss it out. When going through the staging process use the “One In, One Out” guideline to control your clutter. If you buy a new outfit, you need to get rid of one. This same think applies to board games, shoes, cookbooks, etc. Don’t feel guilty keeping an item that has sentimental value and also don’t hold onto something that meant a great deal to you but no longer does. The old saying applies, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” donate your items so someone else can enjoy them.

Trying to live in your home while staging it can sometimes be very stressful. Once you have cleaned out your space you are still a busy family and don’t have time to keep your home perfect for showing to potential buyers every minute of every day. This goes for ranch homes as well as two-story, the buyer is going to want to view all levels of your home. Strategically placed decorative baskets are a great way to quickly clean things up. Toss your mail in a basket for a clean table, toss shoes and back packs in a basket for a clean entryway – you get the idea – quick, effective clean up in a matter of seconds you have a tidy home.

Take care to accent the highlights of your home. If the fireplace is the focal point of your main room, accent it with some lighting. If you have an interesting collection of books, simply dust them off, arrange them by subject, author or by title, or stack them in an interesting way. People are drawn to books so take off the dust covers for a more uniform and decorative appearance. Decorative touches and small elements should be displayed in groups of 1,3, or 5 to draw the eye. These groupings can also be used to purposefully highlight predetermined areas. Flaunt what you have with style.

Homebuyers want to picture how their furniture will fit into the space. Take time to remove some furniture and store it if you have the opportunity. If ranch house plans or two-story homes have a basement simply move it temporarily and cover it up. The less of your furniture they see, the more they can picture themselves in the space. Less furniture will also open up the visual space, promote good traffic flow and take the spotlight off tight areas. When removing excess furniture, make sure spaces have good lighting schemes, even if it means bringing in lamps to create a variety of lighting schemes.

Detailed landscaping, warm lighting inside and out, and adequate foyer space are things that can quickly win over unsure buyers. Take the time to clean up your entryway. Remember the first impression is lasting. Potential buyers will enter through the front door, not the back door or garage, so make it one they will remember.

Other than storage space, popular areas that are scrutinized very closely are the kitchen and bathrooms. Kitchens are the central hub of most homes. It needs to be warm and inviting for all who enter. Take time to clean out draws, cabinets and pantries. Hide appliances out of the way so it appears there is plenty of storage space in the kitchen. The same goes for drawers, de-clutter so they seem bigger than they are. Bathrooms should be clean, calming environments. Stash toys and extra personal products under the sink in a decorative basket so things appear nice and tidy and an area that looks relaxing and organized.

Lastly, take the time to hide the fact that you have pets. An exciting clean aquarium filled with unique tropical fish is not the problem. It’s your beloved puppy or friendly feline that leaves toys and hair everywhere. Potential homebuyers do not care if your favorite family pet is the sweetest animal there ever was- they are not looking to be sold on an animal. They want to buy a home. So stash toys, leashes, and dishes totally out of sight when they are not being used.

If you take these tips to stage your home properly you will be doing all you can to get it sold. After each showing take time to discuss ideas your realtor may have and also to get feedback from potential buyers. While it will be added work to stage your home while living in it, soon your ranch house plan, two-story or even cottage home will be off the market faster than imagined. It will be worth it if you take the added time to make it perfect!