Four Tips for Staging Your DC Metro Home

According to the National Association of Realtors, for every $100 invested in staging, the potential return is $400.

If you’ve ever been a homebuyer, you know the importance of staging. Outdated furniture, clutter, and eclectic décor can make it very difficult for a potential bidder to imagine a house as their own. You can have a well-maintained home with great bones, but none of that matters if the buyer is overwhelmed with all the stuff inside.

This is why, at the Estridge Group, we put so much stock in staging. You can’t argue with the statistic above. Staging puts money back in your pocket. We have beautifully and professionally  staged countless homes in the DC Metro area. Like 13100 Camellia Drive that we helped lighten and brighten, giving it a much larger and more modern feel. Or 4814 Broad Brook Drive where minimizing was key to catching buyer’s attention.

If you’re thinking about putting your house on the market, and you know your home could benefit from a staging makeover, we’ve got three tips to get you started in the process.

#1 – Start outdoors

Curb appeal is everything. The outside of your home is first thing the potential buyer sees when he or she drives up to your property. There’s the obvious lawn maintenance you can and should do (trim your shrubs, put out planters, update your front porch light). But there’s one secret that not a lot of people know is available to them. It’s called Designed Exterior by Ply Gem. They group products (siding, stone, veneer, and windows) into style categories and palettes to help consumers achieve an authentic look, such as Craftsman or Victorian. You can try to bring back details of your home that were lost throughout the years or go for a completely new style that will have buyers knocking down your (freshly painted) door.

#2 – Replace Window Treatments

We tend to hang on to the same window treatments for years, sometimes even decades. Before you know it, it’s 2020 and your floral drapes that billow at the top scream “This house hasn’t been updated since the 90’s!” Swap old, heavy drapes for something more light and modern. Choose floor-length curtains and hang them from the top of the window frame, and you’ve immediately “raised” the height of your ceilings.

#3 — Downsize Your Furniture

The bigger the furniture, the smaller the room. Or at least that’s how it feels to potential buyers. Furniture is vital, as it helps the buyer understand what the room is for. But you only need enough pieces for them to get an idea. Save room for them to picture their beloved custom-made coffee table in your living room. Keep furniture away from the walls and into groupings. This will help the room appear larger and more inviting. And please don’t be afraid to get rid of pieces all together. Remember: Less is more here.

#4 – Clean out!

You need to clean your home, yes. Scratch that, you need to deep clean your home. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. There’s cleaning up, and there’s cleaning out. If ever there was a time to tap into your inner Marie Kondo, it’s now. Less stuff = more space and more room for imagination. Buyers love to open closets, cabinets, drawers, and doors. In other words, nothing is off limits. And there is no hiding your Star Wars collection, or the fact that you’re a canvas bag hoarder. Shoot for removing 20-30% of what is inside each closet so you can show space between hangers. Follow the same rule for drawers and cabinets. You want them to appear larger and show the buyer that there is room for all their stuff.

If you are in need of professional staging, we please call us at 301-657-9700.  We’ll show you how we sell more homes faster using professional staging techniques.