Home staging ideas to help you sell your home

Prospective buyers form an opinion on your house within the first 7-10 seconds of stepping in the front door, so making a good first impression is vital when you’re trying to sell your home. This is where home staging comes in.

According to research carried out by Mattress Online, houses sell faster when they have been home staged. Not only that, the research shows that houses that have used home staging also sell for at least 17% more than a home that has not been staged.

Read more: Sarah Beeny's top tips for selling your home

With property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla providing an online platform to showcase your house, you may not even have the chance for someone to physically view your property. The images used on these sites can make or break a sale.

With this in mind, it might just be time to jump on the home staging bandwagon.

So what is home staging? Staging a home refers to preparing and decorating a house in a way that will make it the most appealing to potential buyers. That means more than just getting rid of dirty washing, tidying up your kitchen counters and giving the place a really thorough clean. It means using artwork, lighting and greenery to make your home look as attractive and welcoming as possible. It’s all about dressing the house for sale.

Here are some top home staging tips to get your house ready for a speedy sale:

Remove all clutter

Rule number one of home staging: get rid of all the clutter in your home. Either throw it away or store it neatly out of sight. All floors and surfaces should be clutter-free, while cupboards should be neatly organised in case sneaky guests start peeking.

Inspect your floors

Ensure all carpets are clean, and repair any creaky floorboards. If you have exposed floorboards in your home, consider getting them re-waxed or re-stained so that they look the best they possibly can.

Experiment with rugs

Try a rug - they may make a room look more homely, or they may make it look too small. Give it a go and find out.

Refresh your walls

Bright colours and wacky wallpapers aren't for everyone. Give walls a fresh lick of paint and go for warm, sophisticated neutrals that make a home look well put together.

Work those windows

All windows should have blinds or curtains, but avoid nets at all costs. You can make smaller windows appear larger with long curtains. Make sure curtains are pulled right back and blinds right up to allow for plenty of light to flood your rooms.

Want more advice? Here's how to make your house look its best from the outside

Leave your doors open 

Make prospective buyers feel welcome and free to wander around your home by leaving doors open. Ensure the main selling points of a room can be seen from the doorway so that people are immediately impressed. And the doors themselves? Repaint or retreat them if necessary, and it goes without saying that they should open and close without any problems.

Consider decorations

Use mirrors to make rooms appear bigger, and hang artwork, but be aware that your tastes may not appeal to everyone. Remove personal photos - you want buyers to imagine themselves living in your house and it can be hard to imagine living somewhere when there are photos of strangers smiling at you.

Make your bed look inviting

All bed linen should be white or neutral, clean and neatly ironed. Plump up pillows and cushions and drape a throw over the end of the bed for added cosiness.

Focus on furniture

Pull furniture slightly away from walls and remove any items of furniture that are taking up unnecessary amounts of space. Ensure all tables are free from clutter (remember: no clutter anywhere).

Make your house look perfect but lived in

We know it sounds like we're telling you to turn your home into a model show home, but it's still important that your house looks lived in so potential buyers can see its potential as their home. Some nice touches like fresh flowers and a bowl of fruit will work wonders.

Sort out those shelves

Shelves have been having a moment this year, so you should all know by now the importance of a well-presented shelf. Avoid overfilling them, but use them to neatly display plants, flowers and a small number of pretty books.

Demonstrate how to use awkward areas

That space under the stairs? Transform it into a tidy storage space or a small study area.

Need help with that space under the stairs? Check out these creative ideas

Banish bad odours

Use air fresheners and candles to get rid of any faint smells and make your house smell fresh. If you have pets really do make sure all carpets and rugs have been thoroughly cleaned.