Staging the Interior: 5 Excellent Ways to Boost the Value of Your Home
Staging the Interior: 5 Excellent Ways to Boost the Value of Your Home
Jun 19, 2019 by Lauren Norris
The importance and potential of your home’s exterior notwithstanding, the look and feel of the interior will be the deciding factor when it comes to selling a property at a certain price. Beyond the most important repairs you need to tend to before staging your home, you also need to learn how to breathe new life into the interior in order to create an appealing offer that will not only attract affluent buyers, but also elevate the value of your property.
Let’s assume that you have already replaced your home’s original wiring and there are no structural problems the potential buyers should worry about. Now’s the time to bring in the grand as well as the finer décor elements that will seal the deal and sell the property to the highest bidder. Here’s what you need to do.
Take advantage of a neutral foundation
When the new owners move in, they can introduce any décor scheme that pleases their unique sensibilities, but until then, you need to keep it clean and simple. Why? Because you want to appeal to as many prominent buyers as possible, so the look and feel of the interior mustn’t sway too much in any direction – it shouldn’t be too cluttered, nor should it portray a minimalist setting. The key here is to create a perfect balance between form and function by setting a neutral foundation.
To achieve this, think of classic décor and those evergreen pieces of furniture, accents, and color schemes that (almost) everybody loves. At the very least, you want everyone to be moderately pleased with the look of the interior. Stay away from design fads and current trends, and instead tailor the interior to suit the buyers’ preferences.
Tailor the interior to the local demographic
One of the best ways to successfully stage a property for increased sell value is to act on hard data. Or in other words, you need to research the neighborhood you’re operating in, and find out what the buyer demographic wants and needs. If it’s a neighborhood that accommodates predominantly seniors, then you need to design the interior with functional features in mind to ease their everyday routine.
On the other hand, if you’re operating in a neighborhood where young families come to start an exciting chapter of their lives, then the interior could enjoy a more contemporary look. Don’t forget to add smart storage features and keep the place as clutter-free as possible in order to improve flexibility and maneuverability in the space.
Always keep the finer details in mind
Your home’s true beauty lies in the details. So, while you might feel like the grander décor elements are the most deserving of your attention at this moment, it’s really the finer details and accents that will help you bring a luxurious feel to life, and attract the most promising buyers to your doorstep. The first step is to upgrade the hardware.
Start by replacing the old hardware with luxury door handles and complementary hardware on cabinetry around the house to add a glimmer of sophistication – you can rest assured that the buyers will notice. Next, upgrade your window treatments and bring new curtains to the setting if needed to create intimacy without hindering the aesthetic appeal. And finally, replace the old light fittings with models that complement the overarching theme of the interior.
Invest in a bathroom and kitchen update
The bathroom and the kitchen are the two areas of your home with the highest power and potential to influence the buyer’s decision-making process. Most importantly, these are rooms that serve a functional purpose yet are revered for their aesthetics, which means that they can significantly increase or decrease the value of the property.
With that in mind, these should be at the top of your list when you’re trying to add resale value to your home. In the bathroom, you want to create a peaceful oasis imbued with positivity and serenity, so be sure to declutter and put away all personal items, spruce up the cabinets, neutralize the color palette and add some inviting touches that will make it feel like a home.
In the kitchen, you want to create a pleasant setting filled with joy, a place where the family will want to gather every day. Again, use a lighter color scheme and make sure there is plenty of room to navigate seamlessly. A kitchen island is perfect for this purpose, as it will create a focal point that will draw family members in and inspire them to spend quality time together.
Use light to frame the design
And finally, keep in mind that light plays a key role in shaping the design of a room, so you need to pay special attention to how it accentuates certain features and elements in your home. Of course, you want to emphasize natural light as much as possible, so don’t be afraid to expand the window scheme if need be, and add mirrors throughout the interior to allow the light to permeate the setting even further.
As for artificial lighting, you need to design it so that it accentuates the key points of interest in every room. This can be the island in the kitchen, the tub in the bathroom, the sectional in the living room, or the reading nook by the window.
In closing
Elevating the value of your home will greatly depend on your ability to stage the interior so that it inspires prominent buyers to envision their future here. Remember, it’s all about the perceived value, or the perception of your property from the point of view of the buyer, so use these timeless tips to boost value and attract the most affluent homebuyers to your doorstep.
About the author: Mike Johnston is an avid freelance lifestyle blogger and DIY enthusiast from Sydney. He is a regular writer at Smooth Decorator and Divine magazine. His articles can also be found on numerous family-friendly, interior design, real estate and green living blogs. Mike’s goal is to create informative, compelling and insightful content to help readers navigate through these vast and ever-changing fields.
Let’s assume that you have already replaced your home’s original wiring and there are no structural problems the potential buyers should worry about. Now’s the time to bring in the grand as well as the finer décor elements that will seal the deal and sell the property to the highest bidder. Here’s what you need to do.
When the new owners move in, they can introduce any décor scheme that pleases their unique sensibilities, but until then, you need to keep it clean and simple. Why? Because you want to appeal to as many prominent buyers as possible, so the look and feel of the interior mustn’t sway too much in any direction – it shouldn’t be too cluttered, nor should it portray a minimalist setting. The key here is to create a perfect balance between form and function by setting a neutral foundation.
To achieve this, think of classic décor and those evergreen pieces of furniture, accents, and color schemes that (almost) everybody loves. At the very least, you want everyone to be moderately pleased with the look of the interior. Stay away from design fads and current trends, and instead tailor the interior to suit the buyers’ preferences.
One of the best ways to successfully stage a property for increased sell value is to act on hard data. Or in other words, you need to research the neighborhood you’re operating in, and find out what the buyer demographic wants and needs. If it’s a neighborhood that accommodates predominantly seniors, then you need to design the interior with functional features in mind to ease their everyday routine.
On the other hand, if you’re operating in a neighborhood where young families come to start an exciting chapter of their lives, then the interior could enjoy a more contemporary look. Don’t forget to add smart storage features and keep the place as clutter-free as possible in order to improve flexibility and maneuverability in the space.
Your home’s true beauty lies in the details. So, while you might feel like the grander décor elements are the most deserving of your attention at this moment, it’s really the finer details and accents that will help you bring a luxurious feel to life, and attract the most promising buyers to your doorstep. The first step is to upgrade the hardware.
Start by replacing the old hardware with luxury door handles and complementary hardware on cabinetry around the house to add a glimmer of sophistication – you can rest assured that the buyers will notice. Next, upgrade your window treatments and bring new curtains to the setting if needed to create intimacy without hindering the aesthetic appeal. And finally, replace the old light fittings with models that complement the overarching theme of the interior.
The bathroom and the kitchen are the two areas of your home with the highest power and potential to influence the buyer’s decision-making process. Most importantly, these are rooms that serve a functional purpose yet are revered for their aesthetics, which means that they can significantly increase or decrease the value of the property.
With that in mind, these should be at the top of your list when you’re trying to add resale value to your home. In the bathroom, you want to create a peaceful oasis imbued with positivity and serenity, so be sure to declutter and put away all personal items, spruce up the cabinets, neutralize the color palette and add some inviting touches that will make it feel like a home.
In the kitchen, you want to create a pleasant setting filled with joy, a place where the family will want to gather every day. Again, use a lighter color scheme and make sure there is plenty of room to navigate seamlessly. A kitchen island is perfect for this purpose, as it will create a focal point that will draw family members in and inspire them to spend quality time together.