Gone are the days when holding an open house seemed optional. Today staging your home for an open house is practically a necessity when trying to set yourself apart from competitors. However, this can be a double-edged sword if you’re not properly prepared. There are several home staging tips to keep in mind when prepping for an open house.
1. Remove the clutter
The most important step in preparing your home is removing the clutter and I’m not talking about just the knick knacks. One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is leaving too much furniture inside. Putting excess furniture in storage will make your space seem larger and give potential buyers room to imagine what they would do with the space.
2. Lighting
Open the blinds and remove drapes. Letting light into your home immediately opens up the space. Add mirrors and paint with light colors to create lighter and larger rooms. You can also switch out your light bulbs for those that mimic natural light.
3. Furniture groupings
This is an easy trick to make any space look bigger: Instead of pushing your furniture against the walls, bring it to the center of the room. If you can’t pull all the furniture off the walls, place some of the smaller pieces of furniture a few inches off the wall to open the room. Again, any pieces of furniture that feel out of place should be stored. Consider renting a storage container you can leave outside your home.
4. Clean the floors
Depending on the current condition of your hardwood floor you can either polish or refinish it to give your home a that brand-new feeling. You should also consider deep-cleaning your carpet and rugs. Rent a rug cleaner to leave these looking spotless.
5. Gender neutral master bedroom
This is a personal room and you should present it as a space that can appeal to both sexes. Paint the walls a neutral color and pick a color scheme simple enough to please either gender.
6. Update the kitchen 
You don’t have to renovate the kitchen to make it feel new. Try adding a new backsplash, painting the cabinets and/or changing the knobs. These are relatively inexpensive investments that can make the difference.
Do you have any home staging tips for a successful open house? Let us know in the comments below.
