Home up for sale? Congratulations! If this isn’t your first move, you’ll know just how exciting the sales and moving process can be.

However, in order to successfully sell, you need to both attract quality buyers and showcase your home at its very best.

This is exactly why we recommend you stage your home for sale. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered. In this article, we’re going to discuss all things home staging and give you 6 quick tips to help your property’s true colours shine, with expert tips from one of Brisbane’s best home staging experts, Maryna King from Ustage.

“Staged properties always create that surprised and approved reaction, especially in older homes, as most people are visual and if you can show the impact furniture can make to create that dream, then you have won half of the sales battle,” says Maryna.

Read on to find out more!

IS STAGING A HOUSE FOR SALE REALLY WORTH IT?

Before we dive into the “how-to’s”, let’s cover the house staging basics. Your property is more than just four walls — it’s a home, and you’ve made it so by adding your own personal touches.

However, just because it suits your tastes, that doesn’t mean others will like it too. As a result, you run the risk of missing out on offers for something as simple as wall colour, untidy bookshelves or furniture arrangements.

On top of this, home staging is increasing in popularity, so if you want to come out on top of the market, staging a home for sale is well worth the time and energy investment.

According to Maryna, property staging is an essential tool for anyone looking to achieve the highest possible price for their sale. “Using beautiful furniture, art and soft furnishing allows you to accentuate a properties best assets and it also allows you to highlight features that are important to your target audience,” she says.

HOW TO STAGE YOUR HOME FOR SALE — 6 QUICK STEPS FOR STAGING SUCCESS

Now we’ve covered the “why” of house staging, it’s time to get started with the “how”. Follow these 6 house staging techniques and you’ll have your home staging handled in no time:

1) DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER

…and we’ll say it again — declutter! If there’s one thing that’ll turn buyers off, it’s a messy house.

Not only will it mask your home’s natural charm, but it’ll also make it look and feel smaller.

So, start your house staging journey off by creating three piles — bin, donate and sell. If you haven’t used an item in over a year, decide whether it gets the chuck, gets sold, or gets donated to charity. You’ll be surprised at how much space you’ll create! For all the items you want to keep, box them up and pop them in your onsite PODS® container. Once all the staging work is done, have your PODS® container moved either to the warehouse or directly to your new home for unpacking.

2) FOCUS ON THE KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS

Pressed for time? Getting a PODS® container delivered to your door will save you time driving back and forth to a traditional storage unit, plus, you can schedule your PODS® container for delivery any day you like! Once it arrives, focus your energy on your kitchens and bathrooms. The kitchen is the new social hub of many households, and who doesn’t love a newly refurbished shower unit?

Follow these tips to make the most of your kitchen and bathroom house staging:

• Clean thoroughly. Consider hiring a maid service to clean your kitchen and your bathrooms.
• Don’t forget your cabinets. People will open up cabinets and pantries — keep these organized and not overly filled — make the prospective buyer feel like there is plenty of storage space. All your bits and pieces can be stored in your onsite PODS® container in the meantime.
• Consider inexpensive upgrades like cabinet knobs, new faucets or light fixtures. These small touches can make a room feel updated and modern.

3) CONSIDER THE OPTIMUM USE OF EXTRA ROOMS

You might be attached to your sewing room but is it really what prospective buyers want to see? When buyers explore your home, they’re going to be planning out how to fit their lives into the available space.

“Staging can really help with this as it improves flow and what we in the industry like to call ‘special planning’, which means the buyers can see how their own furniture can replace what is currently there,” says Maryna.

Give them some help by reworking your rooms during your house staging. If your sewing room is an extra bedroom, let it be an extra bedroom, or consider converting it into another usable space such as a laundry room or even better, a home office. During the staging process, pack everything from your extra room into a PODS® container. This will make unpacking when you get to your new place easy as pie!

4) HELP BUYERS PICTURE THEMSELVES IN YOUR HOME

During a home inspection, buyers will be trying to imagine themselves living in your home. Here are some tips to help the process:

• Remove family portraits and other personal items.
• If your furniture is not in great shape, consider renting furniture for staging and storing your furniture in a PODS® container.
• Alternatively, you can buy slipcovers as a low-cost way to improve the appearance of your sofas and chairs.
• Declutter as much as possible. Remove excess knick-knacks from tables and take down wall hangings. Keep the rooms neutral and conversational.

5) TACKLE THE EXTERIOR

First impressions count, so your garden or front patio isn’t an area you want to neglect.

Follow these tips to harness the full power of curb appeal:

• Replace any bad areas of your lawn with new sod.
• Add fresh mulch to existing flower beds.
• Add a few potted plants near your entrance.
• Trim bushes and trees — a tidy yard will show prospective buyers the home has been taken care of.
• Remove any unsightly backyard pieces — things like your wheelbarrow and gardening tools should be packed away in your onsite PODS® container. Children’s swing sets and trampolines can also be disassembled and popped into your onsite PODS® storage container as well to provide more universal appeal to your outdoor area.

6) CREATE A WELCOMING ENTRYWAY

They’ve seen your exterior and they’re feeling optimistic. How it’s time to hit them with the “wow’ factor as they step through the door.

The best part? This can be done without expensive renovations. Adding a welcome mat, flowers, a light source, and a fresh coat of paint will create a warm, homely welcome. A staging company like UStage can provide all the bits and pieces you need to transform your entryway which can be conveniently delivered to your home in a PODS® container.

GET STARTED ON YOUR HOME STAGING NOW AND SECURE A FASTER SALE

Your newly-staged home doesn’t come without its benefits — when the time comes to move, packing will be so much easier!

We wish you good luck with your house staging and sale. Remember, PODS®  is here to help you get your belongings from A to B and make the process of staging and selling your home as straightforward as possible.

“Decluttering and getting rid of furniture that can’t be used during the staging process can be a huge stress factor for people”, says Maryna.

“I generally offer an affordable option like PODS as this gives them the option to pack the furniture at their own time as they progress through their house, one room at a time.

“I always tell my clients to see the decluttering process as the first part of them moving out and that half of the work would have been done by the time they have sold the property.”

NEED SOMEWHERE TO PUT YOUR FURNITURE WHILE YOUR HOUSE IS BEING STAGED?

PODS® can help! With our portable storage solutions, you can store everything you need until you’re ready to unpack at your new pad. Get your personalised quote now!