Staging your home for sale

How to Stage a House ready for Sale (While Living In It)

Staging a vacant house is easy because you have got a clean slate and can choose the style, but staging a house for sale while still living in it can prove to be more difficult. We are going to use our knowledge and expertise to help you successfully stage a house to sell while you’re still living in it.

Even though staging a house for sale while living in it can be a challenge, it is worth the effort because a well-staged home is listed with a top real estate agent because it opens the potential for faster sales and higher offers. When you’re staging a house for sale, you want to showcase a clean and spacious space where buyers can visualize the property as their future home.

Does Staging Help Sell Houses?

Yes, staged homes sell faster because they provide a strong first impression and stand out from the other properties on the market and it allows buyers the opportunity to visualise themselves in the property.

Staging can also impact the amount that buyers are willing to spend on a property. It can also greatly decrease the amount of time a home spends on the market.

In addition to this, TV programs have noticeably impacted buyers’ expectations of a potential property. More buyers are expecting homes to look like homes staged on the tv shows they are bingeing on, causing more disappointment in how homes appeared. If you have a house that satisfies their expectations, you’ll be the one to get the offer!

Can You Stage a Home While Living In It With Kids or Pets?

Even if you have pets or children, you can still stage a home for sale while living in it. And you should!

Many buyers only take seconds to decide whether they are interested in your home or not. First impressions count.

Here is a guide that will provide you with the tips to confidently list a staged home while you’re still sleeping, eating, and living there.

How Do I List My House While Living In It?

In today’s market, many people don’t have the option to move out during the sales process so are trying to sell their house while still living in it. People moving up in house, downsizing, or moving to a new location often list their house for sale while still living in it.

To successfully sell a house while living in it, follow these six steps:

1. Mentally move out
2. Declutter, declutter, declutter
3. Deep clean
4. Stage
5. Keep it tidy with quick cleans
6. Stay busy outside of the house

1. Mentally move out

Even if you’re physically living on the home, if you’re listing it for sale, you need to mentally “move out.” Change your mindset from this being your home to this being someone else’s house. This is the key goal after all. By mentally perceiving your house as the next project to become someone else’s house will help you more easily:

Use these key points to “move out” of your property and get it ready for sale:

• take pictures off the walls and shelves
• pack away treasured collections
• remove children’s artwork from the refrigerator

2. Declutter

Many people think of adding things to help stage a property, but removing things (aka decluttering) is actually a key step in successfully staging.

You want your home to have just enough furniture and decor for buyers to see themselves living there, putting their feet up on the couch by the fireplace, enjoying the peaceful front patio or back deck, and sleeping in the cosy bedrooms.  What to do with the rest of the stuff? Pack it away in neatly stacked boxes, somewhere like the garage, or even better at friends’ houses or a storage unit. You want to be able to showcase the space, so potential buyers can envision their things and future memories in your staged space.

How to involve your kids

• This is a big step for them too, so make sure you keep them involved in the process. Allow kids to pick a few of their favourite toys to keep out during this time your house is on the market and available for home opens. When it’s time for home opens, have a designated shelf or spot for them to put away.
• Allow kids to pack up special artwork for the next house and put it in a special box so they know it’s not going to be lost or left behind.

After mentally moving out and physically removing a lot of your items, you should be left with a house that looks like someone lives in it and has neutral decor. Then it’s time to add the finishing touches, light sheer curtains, a fresh front door mat, and fresh flowers or plants are easy ways to freshen your house ready to sell.

Next, you’ll want to make sure the house shows well in pictures and for showings by making sure it is really clean!

3. Deep clean

Set aside enough time to deep clean your entire house. You can do it yourself or hire someone to do it, but make sure you get everything from dead bugs in the window sills to spider webs under the eaves.

• Dust Shelves, Furniture, & Surfaces
• Vacuum Floors, Window Sills, Rugs, and Garage
• Wash Windows & Mirrors
• Sweep
• Mop
• Wipe Down Counters
• Wipe Down Appliances
• Clean Toilets (inside & out), Mirrors, and Showers

4. Stage

From our experience and knowledge, the most important rooms to be staged are the:

1. Living Room
2. Master Bedroom
3. Kitchen
4. Dining Room

So if you’re limited on time and energy, make sure you focus on those four areas first.

If you want to present the best property possible, here are staging guidelines to follow:

Outside

Make sure your home also has great curb appeal. A warm, clean, and inviting front of the house will invite more buyers to come in and want to view the rest of the house.

• Mow grass – including the verge
• Weed flower beds and lay down fresh mulch
• Fill in empty beds & window boxes with small shrubs & seasonal flowers (the colour is key)
• Freshen up the paint on window trim and front porch
• Sweep front porch & remove cobwebs
• Paint the front door and/or shutters a lively colour that coordinates with the rest of the home colours
• Replace your welcome mat
• Clean & arrange patio furniture – a couple of chairs on the front porch is always very inviting
• Replace cushions, if needed
• Pick up all pet waste
• Repair damaged deck boards & fencing
• Pressure wash the house & driveway

Inside

Inside, your goal is to showcase a bright, organised, and clean home, so before pictures & showings:

• Turn on all lights and lamps
• Open all blinds & curtains to let in as much natural light as possible
• Clean windows
• Open doors to bedrooms, offices, etc.
• Closet doors do not need to be opened, but closets should be tidy because buyers will look inside to see what space is available! Trust us, they do look.

Living Areas

• Group furniture surrounding a coffee table and anchor with a rug
• Face the couch toward the focal point in the room or toward the first line of sight when walking into a room, as if to welcome guests to “come and sit for a while”
• Replace worn-out pillows and rugs
• Pack away personal items like photos and knick-knacks
• Remove extra furniture to showcase space
• Remove stacks of paper, magazines, mail, etc.
• Neatly stack books and simple decor on the coffee table and side tables
• Plants and flowers add colour and life to the room
• Hang light sheer curtains

Bedrooms

• Make beds & fluff bed pillows
• Replace heavy drapes with sheers
• Clear nightstands of clutter.
• Pack away personal items & photos
• Leave or hang a few pictures with neutral tones
• Organize closets by colour
• Donate all clothes and shoes you no longer wear to showcase more closet space

Kitchen

• Pack away rarely used small appliances and occasional crockery
• Go easy on buying groceries and use up items in your pantry to showcase more space
• Declutter countertops
• Before pictures and showings, tuck away soap, sponges, napkins, paper towels, and dishes
• Scrub counters, backsplash, and appliances
• Remove personal items like fridge magnets, photos, and children’s artwork
• Change outdated hardware for something more modern
• Consider giving your kitchen cabinets a facelift and brightening up your kitchen by painting your cabinets white
• Empty the trash often and before every showing. Funky smells do not help homes sell!

Bathrooms

• Store daily items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap out of sight
• Put down toilet seats and lids
• Hang a simple, plain white shower curtain
• Keep a white hand towel and throw rug to put out before showings (not for kids to use!)
• Tidy up open shelves
• Put a fresh, small bouquet of flowers in a vase on the vanity

5. Keep your house clean & tidy

Once you get your home show-ready, little things each day can help you keep it that way…or close. We know living with kids and pets can make this challenging, but being intentional and vigilant about a few simple routines will help your home stay looking staged even while you’re still living in it.

Daily Routines:

• Make beds every morning
• Clean shower when you’re showering
• Wash dishes after every meal or run the dishwasher every evening
• Wipe down counters and bathroom vanities after use
• Schedule robot vacuum daily (or manually vacuum daily if you don’t have one)
• Tidy up morning and evening putting everything back in its staging place
• Involve kids in the clean-up as much as possible to share household chores. Explain the importance of a neat home for your family’s quest of selling the house!
• Empty litter boxes and pick up dog waste in the yard daily
• Use silicone bibs with a catch-all scoop for babies/toddlers to minimize food on the floor
• Open windows when the weather allows to let out unpleasant smells and let in fresh air

6. Get out of the house

The more time you spend in the house, the more you, your kids, and your pets will undo the hard work of keeping it show-ready.

What Should You NOT Do When Staging a House

Don’t stage alone! Our agents love helping you get the most out of your home, so don’t be afraid to ask us for help.

We’re eager to help you achieve your goals and we are pros in knowing what sells (and what doesn’t).

Don’t empty everything out of the house. A well-staged home typically sells better than a completely empty home.

Don’t take it personally! If you’re working with a real estate agent, your home sale is our job. Please don’t be offended if we offer to help stage or suggest things be removed, repaired, or replaced.

Living in a home and staging a home for sale are two different things. Your goal is to sell your home quickly and for top dollar. Following our proven methods will greatly increase the likelihood of your success.

Home Staging Before and After

Here are pictures from recent home staging before and after by our Mi Casa Property Agents.