Petersham Blog

Common Home Staging Mistakes a Real Estate Agent Helps Property Sellers Avoid

A real estate agent does much more than simply selling your home. They advise you on everything from market prices to property repairs to home staging. Home staging is a powerful tool for selling your home quicker and for a higher sales price. The concept sounds easy, but most sellers end up making costly mistakes that could affect the sale. Some mistakes have bigger consequences on your property’s saleability.

Personalised Home Décor

Personalising décor is a natural thing to do when you’re living in your home. But it can affect the sales value of your home in the long run. For instance, if you have a specific colour palette that you love, prospective buyers may not be able to imagine their own style in it. Buying a home evokes certain emotions. An experienced real estate agent will help you make changes to the home so that you can keep the décor neutral and simple for buyers to draw their own pictures. This gives them a blank slate to imagine stamping their own personality into the home.

Failure to Highlight Key Architectural Elements

Many home sellers make the mistake of failing to highlight key architectural elements in the home. Your real estate agent will help you identify the best-selling features of your property so that you can highlight them during inspections. For example, architectural features like carved archways, stunning window views and vintage fireplaces are huge drawcards for buyers. The agent will recommend treating architectural elements as focal points to give prospective buyers a look into the true beauty of your home.

Cluttered Spaces

Many sellers make the mistake of staging the home with too many items. This could end up making the home look cluttered. Remember you want buyers to envision their own lives in the home. Your agent will help you declutter the space with minimal decorative concepts to make the best impression. The agent may also recommend putting away oversized bookshelves, large paintings and chairs. Keep minimal items around the house to infuse a sense of spaciousness.

Strong Political or Religious Statements

A home successfully sells when buyers can picture their lives in it. Your agent may recommend removing polarising statements and pictures related to religion and politics to expand your buyer base. You don’t need to advertise strong religious or political statements to potential buyers, especially since different kinds of people will be walking through your home.

Strong Odours

While your family may love your style of cooking, it may not be for everyone. Many prospective buyers also don’t like the idea of pet smells during inspections. A good agent will help you air out the space to free it from pet and food odours before home inspections. A thorough clean to eliminate odours before an inspection can fetch you thousands more in your selling price.

Loud Furnishings

As much as you love your animal printed sofa, it may not be well reciprocated during an inspection. Loud furnishings can prove a distraction, which can affect your ability to sell. Your agent will suggest leaving loud furniture in storage or elsewhere to make the best first impression on prospective buyers.

If you’re planning to sell an Inner West property, let an experienced real estate agent at Raine & Horne Petersham assist you. Raine & Horne Petersham can also recommend expert property stylists to help you stage your home for the best results.