Field Guide to Preparing and Staging a House For Sale
(Updated February 2009)
Banish the clutter! Trim the bushes! Hide your Star Wars collection! Take down the family pictures! What things can you do to prepare a house for sale? Here are tips, hints, thoughts and ideas for sprucing up, cleaning out, decorating, staging, creating a great first impression and making a house appealing to buyers. (A. Siudzinski, Information Specialist)
Goals for Staging Each Room
Clear high-traffic areas of excess furnishings to maximize feeling of space
Highlight key features in each room, and make sure they are not obscured by plants or furnishings
Source: Setting the stage for showings, (REALTOR® Magazine, June 1999).
Clutter-free helps sell homes, (Realty Times, Jan. 9, 2009).
Home-staging cheat sheet, (U.S. News & World Report, July 3, 2008).
"Honey, stop the car!" The importance of curb appeal, (www.activerain.com, May 27, 2007).
14 ways to make the most of your curb appeal, (www.bankrate.com, Apr. 4, 2007).
Preparing your home for sale: steps to spruce up your property, (Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, 2007).
De-clutter, pre-pack and reflow, (Florida REALTOR®, Sept. 2006).
Appealing to eyes and ears of buyers, (Realty Times, Mar. 9, 2006).
Make homes welcoming: Ten low-cost ideas to increase salability, (REALTOR® Magazine, Jan. 2003).
Styled, staged & sold, (www.realtor.org, 2009).
Vacant home staging basics, (ActiveRain, Jan. 8, 2009).
House-selling secrets of a home stager, (This Old House, 2008).
8 tips for low-cost staging, (REALTOR® Magazine Daily Real Estate News, May 8, 2008).
Moving hard-to-sell homes with staging, (Realty Times, May 1, 2008).
Putting zeal in your curb appeal, (Realty Times, Nov. 7, 2006).
Tips for Specific Areas of the House
5 cheapskate tips to staging your spare room, (www.ezinearticles.com, Feb. 4, 2009).
Inspiring entryway staging tips, (www.frontdoor.com May 28, 2008).
Staging your closet, (Home Staging Ideas, May 5, 2008).
Staging tips for your living room, (homebuying.about.com, Mar. 31, 2008).
Bathroom design ideas for sellers, (www.stagingbug.com, 2008).
Home staging? Real estate agents: remember the basement, (www.ezinearticles.com, Apr. 30, 2007).
Making your kitchen striking, (www.staging101.com, n.d.).
Property staging--garages sell homes too!, (www.getstaged2sell.com, Aug. 4, 2006).
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
Get Organized the Clear and Simple Way (OverDrive AudioBook)
The Clutter Cure (Adobe eReader)
How to Increase the Value of Your Home: Simple, Budget-Conscious Techniques and Ideas That Will Make Your Home Worth Up to $100,000 More! (Adobe eBook)
The Learning Annex® Presents Uncluttering Your Space (Adobe eReader)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
The complete idiot's guide to staging your home to sell, (Indianapolis, IN, Alpha Books, 2007). HF 5438 D19
Building a successful home staging business, (New York, NY: Wiley, 2007). DVD023
How to stage your home to sell for top dollar, (Concord, CA: www.stagedhomes.com, 2006). DVD023
Home staging: the winning way to sell your house for more money, (New York, NY: Wiley, 2006). HF 5438 Sch9
Home staging: creating buyer-friendly rooms to sell your house, (Arlington, MN: Center Stage Home, 2004). HF5438 M43
Preparing your home to sell: how to increase your home's sales appeal, (Minneapolis, MN: David Knox, 2002). DVD001
Dress your house for success, (BCW Video, 2000). VT430
Dress your house for success, (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1997). HD 1341 W43d
101 ways to prepare your home for sale, (First American Title Insurance Company, 1995). HD 1341 F51
Preparing for the buyer's eye, (Allen, TX: Lyons Group, 1987). VT358
Field Guides & More
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Field Guide to Feng Shui and Vastu
Field Guide to Green Homes & Green Mortgages
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