Putting your house on the market used to involve freshening the paint and hanging the for sale sign outside. However, in today’s highly competitive market, more preparation must go into the sale than ever before.

Explore these top 10 staging tips for selling your home today. Any home in modern or historic Downtown Charleston SC can be the star of the real estate market.

Tip #1. Remove Clutter

Staging a home creates an illusion. Your home must look clean and cared for, which tells buyers that the entire home is a quality property overall. Clutter in any room must be put away. Avoid adding it to the closets because buyers want to see those storage spaces.

The home should look open and easy to move through on the open-house day. Consider renting a storage unit several weeks before showing the property. Remove any clutter from countertops, and even remove unnecessary furniture pieces.

Tip #2. Put Away the Family Photos

Follow the illusion idea when it comes to personalized items around the home. You want buyers to see themselves within the space. If they’re surrounded by your family photos in every room, they may feel disconnected from the property.

Walk around the home, and remove all personal items. Photos, children’s artwork, and associated items can be added to the storage unit for now.

Tip #3. Think Neutral

Attract more buyers by using neutral or light colors around the home. Swap out black curtains for white or beige styles, for example. Consider renting a few staging accessories, such as a billowy down comforter, for the master bedroom.

These neutral colors reflect light, which makes a home look pleasant and comfortable. Consider selling during the popular spring season when sunlight is plentiful and customers are looking for deals.

Tip #4. Create Space

Staging your home also involves creating an inviting environment. Even the most beautiful properties like Mount Pleasant homes for sale, may not have 2,500 or 3,000 square feet, but you can always find a way to work with whatever you have.

Rearrange the furniture so that it sits in the middle of the room. The space along the walls gives the impression of a huge living room. Adjust the curtains to hang just below the ceiling and stretch down to the floor molding. This visual effect is perfect for living rooms and formal dining rooms.

You might consider pulling table leaves from the dining table too. A smaller table equates to more space in this key staging area.

Tip #5. Swap Out the Light Bulbs

You want the home to shine for buyers. If you have dim lighting in the home, swap out the light bulbs for a higher wattage. If an open-house day ends up being cloudy, the extra interior light will beautifully accent the home.

Try adding more lighting fixtures to each room too. For example, an accent light on a side table can give a corner new life while visually opening up the space. Light fixtures can always be rented or borrowed so that you’re simply staging and not spending extra funds on the process.

Tip #6. Add Accents

After removing the clutter and personalized items, the property might look a bit barren. Improve the surroundings by borrowing or renting artwork for the walls. For instance, look for basic landscape work that can highlight an accent wall.

Adding colorful throw pillows to the couch or beds is another way to give the home a proper staging effect. They draw the eye to the accents so that any flaws in a room, such as old paint, don’t stand out as much as before.

Tip #7. Enhance the Front Door

The first impression as you walk up the front walkway stays with potential buyers. Buyers may even turn right around if they don’t like the exterior visual.

Perform simple staging steps in this area, such as painting the front door a bold color or adding rocking chairs to the adjacent porch. The basic addition of potted plants to the walkway can brighten any property too. Look for plants with many blossoms, even if you’re selling in winter.

Tip #8. Carve Out Office Space

With virtual commuting gaining traction every day, it makes sense to stage an area as a home office. Add a desk and chair to an open corner in a bedroom or other space. Place a desk lamp there to further accent the work area.

Creating functionality in an otherwise basic bedroom is highly valuable during open houses. The office doesn’t have to be a separate room or a fancy setup. It simply puts the idea into buyers’ minds that working in the home is possible.

Tip #9. Scrub Down the Interior Surfaces

Staging a home doesn’t involve complex or time-consuming projects, such as painting the interior walls. A home can still look spectacular if it’s simply cleaned right before an open house.

Scrub down the kitchen and bathrooms. Make sure that every surface is free from grime and clutter. Vacuum or sweep the floors, and refresh any rugs by banging their dust outside. Cleanliness can impress buyers, which removes their attention from older paint or scuff marks along a floorboard.

Tip #10. Illuminate With Scented Candles

It’s easy to overlook odors in your home when you’re accustomed to the scents. If you have pets, children, or an otherwise busy household, some odors can turn off buyers.

Try scented candles during an open house, or add fresh-cut flowers to a vase in the hallway. The scents shouldn’t be too overwhelming for visitors. Simply give the effect of a wafting scent in the air.

You might also achieve this by baking bread or cookies before the open house. This reminder of home can be extremely powerful to buyers.

Stand Out in the Market With Clever Staging

Selling a home is a stressful time. Careful attention to these staging tips can help move your house quickly from the initial listing to closing day.