You are selling your Virginia Beach home and the first Open House only a week away. The house if filled with clutter and things you don’t want to throw away. But the clutter is not appealing to potential Virginia Beach home buyers. What do you? Here are staging tips for an Open House. 

8 Staging Tips For A Virginia Beach Open House 

1. Remove the clutter.
Having a garage sale is out when removing clutter because the Open House is only a week away. You don’t want to stuff the garage or closets to the gills either. One solution is to rent an off-site storage facility or stack boxes neatly in a basement or crawlspace.

 2. Stage each room.
The first thing to do is clean from top to bottom. Make sure windows and light fixtures shine and are in working order. If the room is crowded, put some furniture in the storage facility. Finally, pick a focal point that will attract buyers when they see the room. For example, the focal point of a bedroom is usually the bed, and for a music room, it’s the piano. 

3. Use the rule of three.
First, remove everything from counters and table tops, including coffee tables and side tables. Then re-accessorize using the rule of three…using 3 items of varying heights. For example, on an end table you can place a lamp (high), a small plant (medium), and a book (low).

4. Make a child’s room more appealing.
Your goal is to appeal to the largest number of buyers and allow them to see themselves living in your home. Not all buyers will have children. Growth charts, posters, and school projects are personal items become a distraction and should be removed. Also, de-clutter shelves and closets. If you have time, tone down the colors. Bright wall colors can make a room appear smaller.

5. Remove signs of pets.
Not all potential Virginia Beach home buyers are pet lovers. Remove pets from the property and put away water bowls, food dishes and pet beds. 

6. Make it odor free.
Cigarette smells, pet odors and distinctive cooling smells are not pleasant for buyers. Make your home odor free by airing out the house for a few days prior to the Open House or rent an air purifier.

 7. Make the outside shine.
First impressions are important. If buyers are turned off by the outside of your home, they will never go inside. Clean off the driveway, mow the lawn, trim edges, pull the weeds and put down fresh mulch in the flower beds. Plant colorful annuals in beds or pots. Make sure the house is clean and paint the front door if needed. 

8. Welcome buyers home.
Remember you want your home to say ‘Welcome Home’ to potential buyers. You want them to mentally move into your home and make it theirs. Bake a fresh batch of cookies and leave them on the kitchen table with a pitcher of lemonade. Then go to the park with the kids or visit friends. Somehow remove the family from the house and let your Realtor show the home off to its next owners! 

For more information on selling your Virginia Beach home, visit, ButlerTeamHomes.com. 

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