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So you’re all set to put your house on the market.

Looking around you, it certainly appears to have been lived in – so much so that a million thoughts are racing through your mind. Repairs, paintwork, light fixtures to be replaced – who has the time?

And then you also need to make your former home attractive to prospective buyers. If you’re wondering whether it makes sense to hire a professional home stager to do the job or if you should do it yourself, read on for an objective comparison.

Hiring a professional home stager

Getting a home staging expert to prepare your home and make it marketable has its advantages:

• You can stress less over the marketing details: Home staging professionals know what superior presentation is all about in real estate. They know what the current trends are, especially if you identify your target demographic. And even with a particular type of buyer in mind, a home staging expert knows exactly what aspects of the property need to be tweaked to appeal to a wider range of prospective buyers.
• You can save on time and effort: A professional home stager will take over your list of scheduled tasks such as getting the walls repainted, the caulking work done, the lights changed, supervising plumbing, roof and fence repairs, landscaping, and so on. They would already have some reliable service providers in their network, so there’s no need for you to search for any as well. They can take over the haggling part for you, too.
• You can attend to other important matters: Having someone handle the big task of staging your property means you having more time for yourself – to take care of other important matters, or to simply take a step back, breathe, and relax.

Going the DIY route

If you have a flair for interior design or are keen on doing the home staging work yourself, it can be a fun undertaking, but it also requires serious work. To do it well, consider the following:

• Get inspiration from the internet: Once you’ve identified the type of buyer you’re going for, look for style inspirations on the internet. There’s Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as similar sites that can give you ideas on how to go about the home staging process.
• Present a clean front: Curb appeal never fails to attract people and makes your home appealing to passersby. Clean up your yard, put a few healthy plants out front, and repaint your home exterior.
• Keep the house sparklingly clean: Dust, polish, vacuum, buff, and scrub – do what you can to make your former home clean and tidy.
• Remove personal stuff: You want buyers to have an idea of how the place looks with a few basic pieces and some good lighting. But you also want your house to function as a near-empty canvas for them to imagine how it would look with their own possessions in it.
• Avoid putting bulky items: Make your property seem more spacious by getting rid of large bulky furniture. Go for smaller neutral pieces that will make it easier for prospects to see themselves living in your property.

You can also take the middle road – consult with a professional stager for staging advice you can implement on your own. This way, you get the best of both worlds.

Need help selling your property?

Get in touch with us at Hanu Reddy Realty so we can start selling today.