According to a survey conducted by University Hospitals, moving is consistently listed as one of the most stressful periods in a person’s life. From finishing repairs to updating appliances, it’s easy to see why homeowners feel overwhelmed while preparing their homes to be put on the market. Luckily, Soleil Sotheby’s International Realty has helped sell thousands of homes since its foundation in 1999 and understands the ins and outs of the staging process.

When staging a home for sale, all homeowners should have in mind how best to present their home in a way that other buyers can envision themselves living there. Clutter is an excellent way to drive away potential buyers, as clutter can make a home feel small and unclean. As the majority of realtors will tell their clients, what attracts a buyer are three things:

–       Clean spaces

–       Large, open rooms

–       A relatively blank canvas

While the first two concepts are easy to understand, many families can find “a relatively blank canvas” confusing. To put it plainly, many buyers are looking for a home that presents them with ideas for layouts and furniture without feeling already owned and highly personal.

When homeowners begin preparing their home for staging, traditionally, their mind goes to cleaning, decluttering, and staging furniture. Although cleaning is an excellent first step, many homeowners forget that an essential aspect of cleaning is removing lingering smells. Families can often become smell-blind to their own homes and miss any lingering odors of mildew, animal waste, or cigarette smoke. Before putting a home on the market, homeowners are encouraged to walk through their home and check certain rooms like the basement, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom for smells that may need to be removed with a deep clean.

Once homeowners are satisfied with their house’s level of cleanliness and have staged the furniture to their liking, it’s time to schedule house tours and viewings. Before leaving the house in the capable hands of a realtor, homeowners should take a quick look through their home for leftover clutter, and most importantly, turn on all lights in the house. Several studies have found that a home appearing too dark can be a significant turnoff for viewers who would have placed a bid. For this reason, remember to open blinds and turn on lights for your home’s next viewing!