Staging Your House for Fast Sale at a Great Price

The goal of staging your house is to allow prospective buyers to imagine themselves living there. They want spacious, uncluttered, light-filled rooms. Here are some tips from Kit Davey, owner of A Fresh Look in Redwood City.

Exteriors

• Repaint, pressure-wash, or touch up
• Wash windows
• Fertilize, cut and edge grass or re-sod
• Mend anything that’s broken
• Plant flowers
• Remove camper, old car or boat from driveway
• Remove any other clutter

Entrance

• Remove clutter
• Buy new sisal or hemp door mat
• Remove front screen door
• Paint or clean front door and threshold
• Repair and clean light fixture and doorbell
• Remove dead or dying plants, replace with flowering plants
• Add a bench

Living/Family Room

• Discard old magazines and newspapers
• Clean out fireplace and lay logs or pine boughs on the grate

Front Hall

• Check for odors and remove them
• Create enough space for three people (couple and agent) to stand comfortably
• Clean out hall closet
• Turn on lights
• Add plant or fresh flowers
• Replace two-dimensional art with mirrors
• Remove area rug

All Rooms

• Remove clutter
• Remove furniture that crowds the space
• Remove distracting and personal items
• Remove valuables
• Replace or clean carpet
• Paint or touch up walls and ceiling
• Wash or replace light fixtures
• Clean out closets
• Open curtains

Dining Room

• Remove leaves from table
• Leave four chairs, store extras
• Place bowl of fruit or flowers on table
• Remove tablecloth unless tabletop is damaged
• Reduce clutter in buffet
• Kitchen
• Paint dark cabinets white and replace hardware
• Clean stove and oven
• Clear top and sides of refrigerator
• Scrub or replace sink
• Replace faucet washers and/or faucet
• Starch, remove or replace curtains
• Add a plant or a basket of fruit
• Clean or repair grout, replace broken tiles
• Replace worn or dated flooring and appliances

Bedrooms

• Clear dressers and vanities, leaving only one to three decorative items
• Add a live plant
• Get new bedspread, matching pillows

Bathrooms

• Replace or remove shower curtain
• Clean glass tub or shower doors
• Freshen grout
• Shine/replace faucets
• Replace toilet seat
• Repair/replace loose flooring
• Paint dark cabinets and replace hardware
• Add air freshener or potpourri
• Clean out medicine cabinet
• Buy new or lay out fresh towels
• Remove tub mat
• Remove rug in front of toilet

Hallways

• Use powerful light bulbs
• Use no artwork or, at most,
• one or two pieces on the wall

Garage

(if not being used for storage)

• Hose down floor, remove oil spots
• Tidy stored items
• Close door
• Use bright light bulbs
• Remove hazards to visitors