Note: We have a guest today. Debi Abood is an interior decorator and has agreed to do this article for us! Welcome, Debi!

Home staging doesn’t have to be intimidating. Staged homes sell faster and generally for more money. It’s satisfying to take on the challenge of taking a blank, dated, or cluttered space and giving it a new, fresh, inviting, and welcoming feel with a few simple updates.

If you are looking to stage a home, there are some simple tips to get you started. When stagers come in, they take tons (technical term) of pictures. Most of the time, a customer doesn’t realize how their own home looks, so when you show them the pictures, it can be quite a shock to see it from a different angle.

Staging makes that important first impression. Pro tip-learn to be dispassionate about the house. No one cares that Aunt Molly painted that wall purple and you just could never think of painting over it. The home isn’t yours any more and you need to see it through the new buyers eye. You’re going to have to take down your kids pictures, your wedding pictures, Aunt Mollie and her dog, and all personal items. It seems obvious but sometimes you just need a pro to iron things out for you.

Let’s get started.

The first place to start is to begin packing up items that you won’t be using during the selling process. Pack up personal items-pictures, clutter, knick knacks and collections, and anything else that looks dated or dingy.

If possible. touch up paint on walls and woodwork. If you don’t have touch up paint, consider a fresh coat. Concentrate on the kitchen and living room.

Start at the entry: clean or repaint your front door and place a fresh welcome mat and some flowers at the entry. First impressions matter.

Take down any sports memorabilia, dated lamps and rugs, and any other personalized items. It may seem drastic, but people need to see themselves in the home and pictures of your kids distracts from that. Now is not the time for you to show too much of your personality.

In the kitchen, clean first, wiping out the microwave and fridge, and clean the oven. Remove small appliances and buy more flowers for the counter. Try colorful jars and maybe an antique cookbook with a fresh hand towel and that’s it. The counters will look clean and spacious. Shine the appliances for that new look and make sure the oven isn’t dirty.

In the bathroom, clean the grout, remove rugs and old towels, and all makeup and personal items. Add fresh flowers and it will shine like new. Add a hand towel and if there is a window, make sure it’s clean.

For the bedrooms, make sure all beds are made, and remove furniture that’s taking up too much space. Bedside table with flowers and a book. Pack up any shoes and clothes that you won’t need for a month or so. Keep the closet organized and clean. If you have shelves, remove everything on them except for a couple of small things and take a pretty scarf and drape it.

This goes for the pantries, too. Pack up and clean! Fold linens and make sure the washer and dryer have been cleaned and the room has been organized.

For the living areas, remove excess furniture and clutter. In most cases, you just take what you have and rearrange to get the most out of the space. If you have a focal point like a fireplace or pretty window with a view, maximize that area. Draw attention to it. Think of using baskets with lids to store some of your clutter. If you have to use your own furniture, be creative, minimal, and open up those spaces. LESS IS MORE!! Use pillows, live plants, and more flowers.

Quick recap: use neutral colors on the walls, and spice it up a bit with pillows or throws. Ensure all window treatments are fashionable and work properly. Set the dinner table and other tables and bars in the house. This helps buyers see themselves in the home. Condense your dining table to it’s smallest size and the room will look bigger. Clean the carpets and replace any pieces that are damaged. Make sure all light bulbs work and turn them all on. All of them. You want every room to shine and the lights make the house look bigger. (Don’t believe me? Stop by any model home and it’s the first thing you won’t notice. It’s subtle but very important.)

DECLUTTERING MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE!! That’s the biggest takeaway. If you don’t think you can do it yourself, reach out to a professional or your realtor. Contact me with any questions or advice. I’m happy to help! Debi.abood56@gmail.com

If you like this piece and would like to see more from Debi, comment below and we’ll see if we can twist her arm!