The way in which a home is staged can make a huge difference when it comes to selling it. The problem is this is not at all a simple process. You have to think about so many things and at the end of the day, the most important thing is to create something that is as attractive as possible. This is only possible when you achieve a balance between personality and a neutral environment. With this in mind, here are some very big mistakes many homeowners make when they stage their homes. Avoid them to have the highest chance of actually selling your home.

Thinking Too Much About What Is Trending

It does not matter what is trending right now in the world of interior design when you want to sell your home. Whenever we represent a client interested in buying a house in Canberra, we discuss the design. Guess what. Few care a lot about what is trendy. This is because after moving in, they will make changes anyway.

Home staging should never be seen as the same thing as interior design. In interior decorating, you strive to achieve a specific style. In home staging, you want to offer enough personality without actually pigeonholing into one aesthetic.

Contrary to what many think, the best thing you could do when you stage a house is to opt for the transitional style. It is not traditional or trendy. It is right in the middle. Some simple tips to help you achieve such a look:

  • Add some modern pillows to the chairs and sofas. Aim to mix and match textures and patterns.
  • Add rugs in every single room and use them in order to define space.
  • Incorporate some abstract art, something that is not personal. You do this to add texture and colour to the home’s walls.

Going Overboard With Neutrals

You want to make the home feel airy, light, and up to a level, neutral. However, it is so easy to go so far and end up with a home that looks sterile, boring, bland, without life, and personality. You should not be afraid of using colours when you stage the home.

When there is much natural light available and ceilings are high, some breathing room exists, and you can easily add a beautiful focal wall. For instance, one dark navy wall in a room with a lot of light and many neutrals can end up looking stunning.

Generally speaking, the rule to follow is to leave your furniture neutral and add colours through throw blankets, pillows, and rugs.

Old Paint

There is simply no way around this. Old paint does not look great. One of the easiest, simplest, and best ways to give your home a new shine is to add a coat of paint when you get ready to sell the home. This includes the situation in which walls are neutral.

When you apply that fresh coat of paint, you create the smell and look of a brand new home. This is always very attractive for interested buyers.

Rooms That Feel More Like Dungeons Than Rooms

Rooms have to be lit, lamps have to be on, and shades need to be open when you present a home. Lighting is very important. With this in mind, you need to remember some tips since you do not want your house to look like a dungeon:

  • Take Down Dark-Colored Or Heavy Window Treatments

Remove everything that is blocking lights, like draped tassels or bulky fabrics. Also, the window should not look bare. So, you can stick to translucent and light curtains that are capable of accenting the windows while not blocking light.

  • Check How Many Lights Are Present

Try to add light sources wherever you have under 4 lights present. You can easily add sconces, recessed lights, or lamps.

  • Use LED Lights, The Cool Ones

Look for warmer LED white bulbs that are over 800 lumens and around 3,000 kelvins. Also, all bulbs inside the home should be the same to create a cohesive appearance.

Very Bad Furniture Placement

We so often see chairs and couches up against the walls. At the same time, we admire rooms we see online and they present furniture at a distance that is some feet away from walls. This offers more way to natural light and big windows, all while creating walkways.

Think about how the room will end up looking if you show it during an open house event or you take a photograph. Furniture should not hide in the corners. Also, larger furniture should not be a barrier.

Play with the arrangement of your furniture with these simple tips:

  • Start the arrangement with a rug placed in the centre. This defines space. Then, experiment with different furniture arrangements so you can create the best conversation areas.
  • Think about where real estate agents stand so they can shoot for listing photos. Furniture should not hog too much when using those angles.
  • Think about how people move throughout the space during the open house or showing. Remove the larger pieces and chairs that would disrupt flow.

The Huge Comfortable Couch

So many homeowners love their couches. We are talking about those that are large and very comfortable. The problem is that in most cases these are just too large and they make the entire room look very small. The only case when this is not reality is when the room is very large since in this case, it is important to have a larger couch.

Keep in mind that when you stage the home, you should expect to make an investment. The average amount is actually around $1,000. This means there is no problem and it is completely normal to remove some items and replace them. And that very large comfortable couch is usually one that is replaced.

Not Taking The Outdoors Into Account

Last but certainly not least, when the yard looks neglected, interested buyers get negative signals that the home has some hidden serious problems, regardless of how great the interior is. You need to make sure the yard is clean-cut since this shows people that you do take care of the home. Never neglect the outdoors to make a great impression from the first moment an interested buyer gets into contact with your property.