Home Staging New York: Top 10 Mistakes Sellers Make When Presenting Their Homes for Sale – Part II

Last week I shared with you the first five of the Top 10 Mistakes home sellers make when they present their home to prospective buyers.

To recap they were:

Paint problems
Dirty and/or worn carpeting and floors
Pets and their accoutrement
Personalized decor
Dated or worn hardware and fixtures

This week I focus on the remainder of the Top 10 Mistakes.

6.Dirty, Cluttered or Untidy Interior or Exterior – Despite what sellers might think, buyers cannot see past dirt and clutter. It’s extremely important that both the interior and exterior of the home, including the yard, be clean and tidy. Kitchens and bathrooms need to be whistle-clean.

7. Dated or Inappropriate Window Treatments – Anything dated in a home is a turn-off to a potential buyer and window treatments are one of them. If the drapes are from the early to mid-90s, chances are they are too heavy and too dated. Remove them and replace them with panel drapes on a rod – inexpensive ones can be found at Target and JC Penney.

8. Bad Furniture Arrangements – Furniture that doesn’t highlight the room’s best features are doing the seller a disservice. For example, a fireplace is usually THE focal point in a room, and the furniture should be arranged around it so that the eye is drawn to the fireplace. Also, furniture should not block the flow of being able to walk through the room. It should not block being able to open a door. Lastly, the furniture in the room should define the purpose of the room. In the picture below, is this a guest room, an office or a game room?

9. Blocked Lighting/Dirty Windows – Buyers treasure natural light and sellers need to do everything to maximize it. Trim back or remove overgrown bushes and trees that are blocking the windows, clean the windows, open up the drapes, and even remove the screens while the home is on the market to let in more natural light. For more tips to lighten and brighten a home, click here.

10. Too Much or Too Large Furniture – Think LESS IS MORE! Remember that the purpose of furniture when selling a home is to define the purpose of the room (e.g., dining room, not home office or children’s playroom) and to show what will fit where (e.g., king size bed). It is not meant to show that you can provide seating for 15 in your living room and every seat has a side table to rest drinks on and the bedroom is large enough to hold 3 dressers. Also, the size of the furniture needs to be in balance with the scale of the room and the other furniture in it.