Use these home staging hacks to reduce the stress of short-notice showings
Selling your home can be stressful, especially when you get short notice about a home showing. While it’s frustrating, it’s also important not to panic when you get that call. There are a few home staging hacks that can help make your house more enticing when you have only minutes to spare.
1. Forget the air freshener
One of the most important staging details involves the powerful sense of smell. Avoid using air fresheners or candles; they can provoke asthma or allergies, and may produce an overly strong smell. Instead, opt for a tried and true solution; put something yummy in the oven! The usual suggestions tend to be cookies, cake or bread. Getting something oven-ready can take a little time, so prep a few items and have them on hand for short-notice showings. If you don’t have time for the baking option, you can use your stove top for a similar impact…
Place a boiler half-full of water or apple juice on the stove, and set the heat so that it barely simmers. Add spices such as cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger. If you have citrus fruit on hand, simply cut one or two pieces of fruit in half, squeeze the juice into the pot and drop the halves in with it.
If you’re leaving the house, put the pot of spices and fruit on before doing any other showing prep chores, and turn the stove off before you leave your home. The scent will continue to waft through as your visitors have a look around.
2. Gather your paperwork
All households have their piles of paper. Mail, business papers and homework are part of everyday life, but they can get in the way of an otherwise successful home showing. They’re not only a bit of an eyesore for the realtor’s purposes, but it’s unwise to leave paperwork with bank account numbers, social security numbers etc, on display.
Select a box or bag that will be easy to carry and make a quick round through the house, putting all the loose papers you find into the container. When you leave the house, take the container of papers with you. Don’t worry about sorting it or keeping all the papers neat. You can do that later, ideally after you get the news that you’ve got an offer on your house!
3. Hide your devices and cords
A huge part of home staging is getting rid of clutter, but we’re so accustomed to charging cords and electronic devices that they’re often overlooked. Thankfully, cord clutter is also one of the quickest problems to solve with home staging hacks.
Round up all the straggling cell phones, laptops, tablets, and small gaming devices that might be hanging around. Grab all of the charging cords you see, as well. If you have a laptop bag, it’s the ideal place to stash these things, but any sturdy tote that you can carry along when you leave will do. This creates an instantly neater and safer area for your realtor and potential buyer to peruse.
If you don’t fancy taking your devices, and their accompanying cords, with you when you leave for the home showing, you can opt to create a DIY cord organizer. Some DIY cord organizers can be made from things you have on hand, making them a great solution when you’re pressed for time.
Home staging hacks wrap-up
Using these home staging quick fixes, getting ready for a short-notice showing is as simple as 1, 2, 3.
Are you interested in learning what price your property could command in the current real estate market? Contact me today at 408-472-0817, or click the image below.
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