Home staging: How to raise the value of your apartment before selling?

Chloe Hines Chloe Hines
CG DISEÑO ESPACIO INTERIOR, alba najera alba najera Scandinavian style living room
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There are plenty of things to consider before selling your home—you have to look at necessary repairs, the changing of wall colours and even the curb appeal the exterior of your home brings to the scene. This is all considered staging, and even though there are plenty of professionals that can help you with staging, whether it's coming in and redecorating, or renting you furniture and decor for temporary use while viewings are going on, this can all be done easily by you!

It is amazing how the smallest changes in the interior and exterior of your home can raise your property value overnight. Especially in apartments, where the space tends to be smaller and furnishings more limited, you will often be in the position to use what you already own in a more strategic, creative way. From fixing the wall colour to adjusting the lighting and rearranging the furnishings, we are here to help you get more bang for your buck!

General cleaning

For starters, you will want to present a clean property—and not just clean, very clean. This will mean doing a detailed cleaning of your home and this should include, but not be limited, to the following:

Steam cleaning all rugs and carpets

Polishing all hard surfaces—wood floors, countertops and tiles

Soaking all hardware to make it nice and shiny—shower heads, faucets, etc;

Dusting and wiping down baseboards, crown molding and corners

Freshening up the paint, where needed—or returning everything to neutral

Cleaning windows

Small repairs

Repairs will mean testing water pressure and adjusting it to work, patching up old holes and repainting them and fixing anything more superficial like creaking doors and windows. You want to present the apartment as if it was built yesterday and as if you would want to be moving into it. 

For larger fixes, we suggest you hire professionals to guarantee that no further damage is done, which would cost you more money in the long run. This includes electric, heating and plumbing work.

Changing the arrangement of space

Even if you like the apartment just the way it is, this is a great time to consider rearranging items and getting the opinions of others before viewings happen. Ask your friends and family that have a keen eye for details and see if there's anything about your home that they feel is off-putting or odd.

Here, depending on your space, it is key to make your apartment look as large as possible and full of natural light. Take some tips from the living room seen here—the couch and sofa are opposite each other, opening up the middle of the room for a great, unique coffee table and a bright yellow chair that is definitely a feature piece! The rug and colour coordinated bookshelf are also a great addition.

For more advice on staging bookshelves to get the most appreciation and attention, check out this great ideabook!

Selection of accessories

During this process you will have to be very selective and leave emotions and those items with sentimental value out of the picture.  Now, we are assuming repairs have been made and the apartment is entirely, impressively clean. Take your time through each room and remove any pictures, items or books that are personal to you, but that don't fit the design scheme of your home.

When the new renters or purchasers are walking through, they will want to be able to envision the apartment as theirs one day. With your current family portraits and personal objects laying around, this might be rather difficult.  Think of example homes you see on homify or in interior design magazines—these wonderful rooms never have signifiers of those who live there—follow these examples!

Have some doubts about what to include and not include? Why not take a minimalist approach, like in this great bedroom?

Lighting

Lighting is always one of the most important aspects of any home, and opening up all windows for guests and viewings is incredibly important. Not only will lots of light make your space look larger, but it will also make the space feel more welcoming and happy.  

If you have curtains or drapes, we suggest you remove them and opt for sheers or efficient blinds during the home viewing process. Take the light in this living room as an example; it gives the room a subtle glow and cosy feeling, inviting you to sit down on the couch and enjoy everything the room has to offer. 

Tip: Make sure that you clean all windows perfectly—with not one finger print left on the surface!

The right decoration

Finally, make sure you're choosing the right decor.  If you've lived in your apartment with the cheapest items you could find and they were fine for you, consider borrowing furnishings from renting centers or great pieces that friends own just during the time of the viewings. Setting up a perfectly staged atmosphere will almost always bring in offers much faster than if you leave all of your items laying around that are used, worn-out or rather old.

If we have successfully helped you with the task of leaving your old place in prim and proper shape and now you're looking to adjust to your new property, take this ideabook as a perfect guide to make your new home as cosy as your last one!

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