5 Easy Ways to Selling Your House in Massachusetts or Connecticut on a Budget

It’s no secret that staged homes sell faster and for more money than unstaged homes. But (you may object) you don’t have a lot of cash to spend on new furniture, rugs, and drapes, or on hiring a professional staging company. Never fear: there’s still a lot you can do on your own to stage your property and make it seem its best without spending a lot of money. Here are 5 cost-effective strategies to selling your house in Massachusetts or Connecticut.

1. Declutter and Depersonalize

Your best first step – and one that costs almost nothing – to stage your home involves decluttering and depersonalizing. 

“A run-down house indicates a homeowner who is unconcerned about their property. It is not necessary to spend money to tidy your home. Clutter is an eyesore that distracts purchasers from the vital aspects of your business. It also gives the impression that the house is small. Remove anything you don’t use or require. Do not stow it away in the closet. Buyers enjoy looking through closets, and if yours is crowded, it could prevent a sale.”

But don’t stop there: depersonalize each and every room as well. So get rid of all the odd art and trinkets, take down family photos, and cover the walls in strange or absurd hues. The idea is to create a blank canvas for potential buyers to imagine themselves in your home, complete with all of their stuff.

For more tips on depersonalizing, you can contact a Massachusetts or Connecticut agent at 413-455-0008.

2. Move Furniture and Place It Strategically

Strategic placement of furniture is another effective, no-cost way to stage your home in Massachusetts or Connecticut. Do it right, and you can make rooms look larger.

When people go into a room, they usually scan the room from left to right. So, when it comes to strategic furniture placement, start with the larger, taller items on the left (as you enter) and work your way to the right. This will create the most attractive aesthetic impression while also making the room appear larger.

Mixing and contrasting styles also help. “Mixing furnishings, textiles, and colours will keep your room from looking too plain. Mismatched dining chairs, for example, might make a dining space look more visually appealing. You can also swap out the end chairs for others with a different style. To create more visible space, move furniture from one room to another.”

3. Add Natural Elements

A big part of staging involves making your home feel warm and welcoming. So when you selling your house, be sure to add natural elements and features. 

“[a]dding natural aspects in your interior decorating is a terrific approach to make your home feel warm and welcome,” staging experts say. Choose features that reflect the location of your property. Use natural elements like twigs, dried flowers, timber, and wheat if you live in the country. If you live near the water, incorporate seagrass, seashells, and coral rocks.”

4. Add Some Accents

Adding thought-out accents in the right places can make your home look and feel much more appealing to potential buyers. You can probably find the pieces you need in your home, but even if you have to buy some, it won’t cost a lot.

Some possibilities here include:

ATTRACTIVE HAND SOAPS

Luxurious-looking soaps, both bars and in containers, can add appealing splashes of color in bathrooms and kitchens. Just make sure you don’t use the bar soap to keep it fresh-looking.

FRESH FLOWERS

Fresh flowers are always a win, especially when their colors complement and strategically contrast with the color scheme of your home. If you’re extremely budget-conscious, you could use a bud vase filled with greenery from your garden or yard.

NEW SHOWER CURTAIN

A brand-spanking-new shower curtain in the bathroom can work wonders. Professional stagers recommend white for the clean, serene feel it provides. And white doesn’t have to be boring – you can spice it up with a shower curtain with an interesting texture.

NEW TEA TOWELS

Something as easy and affordable as new tea towels can really spice up a kitchen. And you can often pick up a set for under $10. Staging pros recommend that you fold the new towels in thirds to hide the seam before you drape them, say, over the oven handle.

5. Don’t Do Too Much

And when you stage your home, don’t do too much, don’t over-stage. It’s a temptation we all have to fight. If a little staging is good, a lot more will be much better, right? Not so according to the experts.

“When setting your home, don’t go overboard. Overdoing it with anything, including flowers or decor, can be a mistake. After all, you don’t want potential buyers to become so preoccupied with what’s inside your house that they forget to take a look around.” “Avoid setting your dining table to perfection to strike the ideal mix between a staged home and a lived-in home,” for example. With a full table setting, over-staging and over-styling can make the house appear inauthentic and unnecessarily formal.”

And Consult Your Local Agent

Finally, keep in mind that preferences and interests differ from one area to the next, as well as from market to market. That is why you should talk to your Massachusetts or Connecticut and obtain her opinion on what will work best in the area. Contact us immediately at 413-455-0008 if you’re ready to sell and want to stage your house efficiently in Massachusetts or Connecticut.