How to stage your house to sell when staging services are unavailable

Practice some tricks of the trade: You wish to sell your home in Baja, and you´ve settled for an asking price. But, have you given any thought on how the house will look to strangers? The right look is as important as the right price when trying to sell a property.

That´s the reason professional staging services exist in the States. But we don’t have them here in Rosarito. So if you want to get top dollar for your house, you´ll have to go D.I.Y. Staging helps buyers visualize a property as their future home and increases the chances of them wanting to walk through a property they had seen online.

Studies have shown that a house decorated to a buyer’s taste has a positive impact on its perceived value, while when the decoration displeases its taste, the perceived value of the house drops.

Since it´s impossible to guess the prospective client´s tastes, follow the golden rule: keep it simple.

Picture yourself as the buyer: You walk into this beautiful home with a nice ocean view and… your eye meets a knickknack… then a diploma… then photos scattered around.

Simplicity sells. Put away all personal items and get rid of clutter. A person will often remember more details of an uncluttered home than of an over-decorated one.

Here are some more tips to follow before your realtor starts the showing process:

Clean
Now is the time for your house to shine. The kitchen, bathtub, sink, and toilet should be spotless. Luckily, maid services in Mexico are super-affordable, so this should not be an issue. If possible, invest in new kitchen appliances such as a toaster oven or blender. You can take them with you to your new home. But if that is not an option, at least clean all traces of food off the existing appliances.

Declutter
Clutter distracts clients from a home´s features. It makes surfaces look smaller and gives the impression that there is not enough storage space. But don´t try to hide all the knick-knacks in the closet; buyers usually want to peer into this small –but all-important room. If you have old items on display and you are not planning on keeping them, get rid of them now . Whatever you are planning on taking, pack up now and put it away.

Depersonalize
Buyers should be able to visualize themselves transforming the home into a place of their own. So remove all family photos, items with names, and any of the grandchildren´s refrigerator art. Put away all toys, collections, and anything else that indicates what your hobbies are and the personality of the home´s inhabitants.

Make it comfortable
By this, I mean, to make the ambiance neutral, but inviting. Take out the trash, mind the cat litter, and anything else that might give out an odor. Open the windows and air all rooms, it´s much better than using cheap deodorizing sprays. Also, if the listing agent calls you for a showing, turn on all the lights before leaving, open the curtains, and make sure the house is either too hot or cold.

As always, you can rely on the expert advice of your realtor on such matters. He or she will always have your best interest in mind.

—-
From the Baja Real Estate Group Marketing Staff. For more information, please contact Kathy Katz at Kathy.katz@BajaREgroup.com.

About Kathy Katz.
AMPI Charter Member-Rosarito Chapter Mexican Certified Baja Real Estate Agent Full Time Resident for over 20 years. Broker-owner for the Baja Real Estate Group with over 20 years of experience doing business in Mexico, specializing in development, resort, and retirement properties.