Centre Stage: 7 Tips for Staging Your Home Like a Pro

Our 7 Tips for Staging Your Home Like a Pro

If you are considering renting out your home and want to get it ready for the photographs and viewings - there are methods you can follow to help ensure it is fresh and ready.

To be truly effective, you’ll need to look at staging both the inside and outside of your home, so here at Cherry Lets we have put together our seven top tips to get you started and on the road to staging your home like a pro.

Declutter

This is one of the most necessary things you can do. You’re going to be moving home anyway and will have to pack, so it makes perfect sense and is a straight-forward job to declutter and start packing at the same time. Pack up everything you don’t need and store the boxes out of sight in the garage if you have one, or consider temporarily renting a small storage unit. Keeping the look minimal can help sell your home.

Organise

If you have built-in wardrobes, hang similar colours and garments together because this will make the cupboards look bigger. An organized space always appears larger, and you want your cupboards to look as tidy and spacious as possible.

De-personalise

You should de-personalise your home as much as possible when preparing to put it on the market. This is so that potential buyers can imagine themselves and their own belongings occupying the space. This means minimising and putting away everything you don’t need or currently use. Clear kitchen worktops as much as possible, stash away all those gadgets and appliances and put miscellaneous small clutter in a few attractive baskets or boxes out of sight.

Look from the Outside

Stand on the street outside your property to see the view your prospective tenants will get as they approach your property. Be aware of any negative impressions they may get such as overgrown borders, peeling paint, broken windows and so on. A poorly maintained exterior will make a prospective Tenant think that the house has not been well taken care of. Even if you have spent the time and money to ensure the interior is amazing, it will all be wasted if the prospect gets a bad first impression as they approach your property.

What do you really see?

Step outside your front door and close it; then stand on your step and simply look around for a couple of minutes. This might appear to be a strange thing to do, but it is mimicking the likelihood of your letting agent fumbling around for keys before finally opening the door!

During this time, you will see exactly what your potential buyers will see. So, what is it? Cobwebs on the door frame? Dead plants? A broken lightbulb in the porch? A less than shiny letterbox? First impressions count, so it’s worth taking some time to clean up. If you want to go a step further, consider painting the front door or adding new accessories.

Don’t forget the back garden

A tidy and inviting back garden is just as important as your front garden, so don’t neglect it. Whilst it might not be part of the potential buyers first impression experience, you should make sure it is in the best condition possible. Pull up the weeds, water the plants, do some sweeping and maybe even purchase new furniture or accessories such as plant pots or bird houses. This all adds to the vision of ‘living the dream’ your potential Tenant wants.

The biggest tip of all

Simply imagine yourself as a potential Tenant looking at your property for the very first time. See it through their eyes and ask yourself:

• What impression does the house give you?
• How is its kerb appeal?
• Would YOU rent your house?
• What would you like to see that’s different?

For expert advice on showing your home to its full potential, contact the team at Cherry Lets on 01869 337346 today.