How To Decorate A House That Sells

If you're trying to sell your house, proper home-staging is a must. Familiarize yourself with these techniques to get the most bang for your buck.

1. Get Rid Of The Clutter

Your personal items make a house a home...to you. Being surrounded by another person's knick knacks makes most people feel like a guest, and therefore less comfortable. Buyers walk into a potential home trying to envision themselves existing in the space, and it's hard to do that when you're in the "Should-I-ask-if-I-can-go-to-the-bathroom" mode. Help them out by providing a nice clean slate that they can mentally fill with their own plans.

2. Let Your Furniture Tell Them What They Can Do With The Space

Furniture groupings can give purpose to even the smallest corners in a home and show the versatility of any space. Maybe your family didn't see a need for a reading corner, but whose to say that a potential buyer won't? Many buyers aren't in a home long enough to truly envision the perfect layout for their needs, so suggest a possibility or two by grabbing a chair and side table to create a reading nook. Show off how large your dining room may be by adding the leaves that you never use to your dining room table. Rearranging what you have can guide a buyer to the possibilities in their new home.

3. Get The Details Right

Lighting
Most homes are pretty poorly lit. Think about creating a cozy feeling by using different types of lighting instead of leaning on the old stand-by of one lonely ceiling fixture:

• Ambient Lighting - Overhead or general lighting
• Task Lighting - Functional light sources preferable for reading or lighting dark spaces such as cabinetry
• Accent Lighting - Use on side tables and walls to highlight architectural details and art

Drapery
*Designer Tip: make windows seem larger by hanging drapes from the ceiling line, and extend them past the width of the window.

Paint
Create the illusion of a larger space by painting adjacent rooms the same color.

Add Plants
Plants are the secret weapon of many interior designers. Nothing breathes life into a space like something that is...well...alive. A couple flowers or branches clipped from your garden is a finishing touch that instantly brightens the day for prospective buyers.

Best of luck in your home-selling journey!

*Post written by Sharae Terrell, Digital Marketing Associate for Redwood Living