Despite the “tiny house craze” that has gained momentum, the majority of buyers are still looking for more room for their families. If you have a small house that is not necessarily “tiny,” you might have your work cut out for you.
Sellers of a small house should consider the following 7 staging tips to snag the right buyer:
Declutter, declutter, and then declutter some more
Having a lot of stuff in a room can make any place seem small. Having a lot of stuff in a small house makes it even worse.
Buyers are going to look through your cupboards and your closets, so before you put your house on the market take the time to clean things out. Live by the motto “less is more.” If you can’t bear to part with your items, pack them away and get them out of the house until you accept an offer.
Eliminate doors
You want to create as open of a space as possible, so take any doors off the hinges and remove them from the house to let the eye flow freely. Keep the doors on bedrooms and bathrooms because people want privacy.
Let the natural light in
You might love your beautiful drapes, but buyers love natural light. Take your drapes down and pack them away. It is best to expose clean windows that let the light in. You can cover them with sheer curtains if your view is less than stellar.
Stick to a consistent color
Painting all the walls one color helps draw a buyer’s eye throughout a house. When you have a small house and you paint each wall a different color, you create a broken up look that really shows the size of each room.
Use the rule of 3 – use one neutral color for 70% of the room, one accent for 20% and a second accent for 10%.
Light up the room
We already talked about natural light, but you also want to make sure you have working bulbs all around your house, and that the bulbs are all matching. You don’t want yellow light in half the room and white light in the other half. Add a few lamps and make sure to turn on all the lights, including lamps, for showings.
Add a few mirrors
Tasteful mirrors are helpful in making a small room look bigger. They reflect light around the room and give the appearance that the room goes on and on, especially if you place it near a window.
Position your furniture correctly
Avoid placing things in the corner of a room. It has the tendency to cut off the buyer’s view. With that being said, avoid placing furniture in the corners and allow the buyer to see the full size of the room.
You might have outgrown your house, but it is the perfect space for someone else that is just starting out, or ready to be with an empty nest. Use these ideas to maximize your small house in order to show the buyer everything your house has to offer. Remember to keep things clean and simple.