One of the most crucial elements to selling your home is making sure it looks as attractive as possible to potential buyers. Seems obvious, huh? But staging your home is more than just keeping it clean and tidy while it’s on the market– it’s an art form. And when it comes to the art of home staging, five-time Emmy award winning television host and interior designer Cathy Hobbs is at the top of her game.
Here are some of our favorite home staging tips that we picked up from Cathy to help you make your home as marketable as possible.
- Keep it Clean and Simple
- Make Use of Every Last Space
- Lighting is Key
- Subtle Repetition Can Pack a Punch!
- Size to Fit!
Often times when selling a home, sellers get caught up with styling the home in a way that is most appealing to them, but the goal is to make the home appear stylish, yet simple enough that it will appeal to people with lots of different style preferences. Cathy’s tip? Don’t over-accessorize. Remove the knick knacks and clutter for a cleaner look.
When attracting buyers, you want to show that they are getting the most of their money. One way to do this is to show that every small space has added value. That foyer or space on the landing doesn’t have to just hold junk or sit empty– it may just make the perfect sitting area.
There is nothing appealing about walking into a poorly lit room and it’s common knowledge that more light creates the illusion of more space. So it’s surprising that lots of sellers miss this important point when staging their homes. Cathy recommends balanced lighting to eliminate shadows and dark spaces, the correct wattage for overhead lighting, and a mixture of accent lights and overhead lighting so you can always create the ambiance you want.
Simplicity is a prevalent theme in the art of home staging. One reason for this is that it creates cohesion and order throughout the home. So rather than overwhelming the space with lots of different accessories and themes, try using multiples of the same object, be it flowers or artwork, to enhance the space, not clutter it.
In NYC, size is everything. One surefire way to make a space feel smaller than it really is is to use furniture that is too large for the space or too pile too much furniture into a space. If your room is feeling crowded, consider removing a few pieces or swapping one or more pieces out for a smaller piece.
For more tips and decor insight, make sure to follow Cathy on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Have any tips that you’ve picked up while staging your home? Share them in the comments below!
Photos courtesy of Cathy Hobbs.