This article is delivered by Elliman Realtors, New York City Apartments.

Staging professionals across the world will agree that many of the things that we miss upon staging a home are simple oversights. In order to address many of these, we must first focus on three separate categories of neglect, and further break those down into separate do’s and don’ts. The first would be appearance.

Appearance

One of the most accommodating things any seller can do is make more room. The more rubbish you have lying around, the less chance you have of selling in a short period of time. In fact, the overall look of both the inside and outside of your home is priority #1.

What some stagers have deemed as “counter intelligence,” simply translates to keep your countertops clear. A home always looks dirtier when countertops, or floors for that matter, are covered in unsightly clutter.

Another notable word of advice is to play it safe. Refrain from hanging provocative decor (i.e. – deer head). Meanwhile, be sure to check your house for other distasteful furnishings. Dust, cobwebs or trash are three other examples of DO NOT DISPLAY.

Damages are serious no-no’s; Replace deteriorating wallpaper and cover scratches or holes in the wall and floor.

Amongst these cleaning oversights are closets. It’s recommended to reduce your closet to 50% of what was in there before.

Making your home eye-catching isn’t all about removal or repair however; there are many pieces of décor that you can add. The most common additives are flowers, especially if you already know what the buyer is or may be interested in. Flowers can give a home a much softer feel.

Smell

Open your windows. No buyer wants to see 80,000 BTU air conditioners, or that god-awful smell leftover from last night’s salmon steaks. One of the least alluring things about a home is its smell. Buyers will be immediately turned off by foul odors. Make sure to rid your home of anything ghastly, and clean the areas of the house that are rancid. For houses that aren’t slabs, keep your basement smelling wonderful, and feeling cool. Invest in a dehumidifier, even if you’re about to sell. Basements are the least attractive portions of our homes, and usually require the most attention, aside from the bathroom and kitchen.

Assume Buyer Laziness

To the amazement of most people, there are a large number of sellers that don’t keep their homes up-to-date, because they figure “well hey, I’m just going to sell anyway.” Other reasons could be foreclosure, or the simple fact that the seller is cheap. But this is a TERRIBLE idea; buyers are instinctive upon buying homes that require fewer repairs, unless they are first time homebuyers, or like a good challenge. Similar to car buyers, people don’t like to buy something they don’t feel safe in. Nor do they wish to fix it up themselves.

Here are a few examples of less expensive changes:

• Remove old wallpapers
• Change, or have the carpets cleaned
• Paint, or repaint the walls

Here are a few expensive repairs:

• New roof
• New Windows
• New Floors
• New bath

Stage your Home Virtually

Lastly, make sure to appoint a professional to stage your quarters virtually. The buyer doesn’t want to imagine what a home would look like with furniture in it; they want to actually see a fully furnished apartment or home.

On the other hand, a non-vacant property can easily be tapered down to nothing if that’s how a buyer wishes to see it.

There are man advantages to staging a home virtually through an expert, but the most important one remains the fact that the photographs can be viewed online, or turned into brochures/packets/cards. This is definitely a one-up for sellers and buyers, and a modern day practice for any agency or seller.

So remember, keep your home looking good, smelling good, and up-to-date, both inside and out. Following these few simple pieces of advice will turn any old home into something ravishing.