No matter which market you’re in—seller’s market, balanced market or buyer’s market—if you are selling you want to get top dollar for your home. Am I right?! One of the best ways I’ve found to get top dollar for your home is to transform it—quickly and easily—from a so-so home into a must-have home with some simple staging.

We removed furniture and added pillows, art and lighting to transform this living room from drab to fab!

I witnessed firsthand recently the power of staging in selling a home when I brought interior designer Laura Anderson, founder of Anderson Design Group, with me to stage a duplex for sale. The changes she made were amazing and no doubt helped us show buyers the potential and successfully close that sale. If you are planning to sell or already have your home on the market, Laura has been gracious enough to share her best insider tips for staging your home for sale.

1. Cut out the clutter – Laura says this is not only the most obvious, but also the most important first step. Start packing up boxes—you’re going to have to do it anyway—with excess ‘stuff,’ objects, pictures, even furniture you have. Decluttering will make your home look more spacious and you want people to be drawn to the home, not distracted by too much stuff.
   

   This room used to be “Friends” purple. We painted two walls and left the accent wall.

2. Invest in a fresh coat of paint – Tone down any bright, unique colors, says Laura, to a more neutral tone. Choose neutral for the walls but don’t remove all the life! Remember that you can add life and vibrant color with bold accessories like pillows, accents, and fresh seasonal flowers, she says.
3. Light it up – Laura advises to make sure your home has plenty of light, natural light is the best. Remove drapes that are too specific to your taste and may be distracting. Make sure you have three types of lighting in each room – ambient (ceiling), task (desk lamp), and accent (floor lamp in a dark corner). Laura also says to make sure all your bulbs match in color temperature – bright white or cool white bulbs are best, they make your home look crisp, clean, and bright.
4. Clean your closets – Laura says to remember your closets when decluttering and make sure they are not packed to the ceiling. Pack up excess clothing. Organize the necessary clothing by hanging clothes on matching wooden hangers (btw…you can take those with you to your new house). For the linen closet get some matching baskets to stow items.
5. Remember little details – Laura says little details make all the difference so keep them in mind while you’re staging. Lube creaky door hinges, hide cords, fix leaky faucets, and replace dated knobs and cabinet hardware.

By following Laura’s suggestions I’m confident you will be well on your way to selling your home for top dollar.

Of course, if you don’t feel qualified to do DIY staging, Laura is happy to help you. I know in my experience with her she gave the seller and me the peace of mind to know what needed to be done when it came to choosing colors, decluttering, rearranging furniture and hanging art. Learn more about Laura by emailing her at andersondesigngroupinteriors@gmail.com or calling (470) 230-1077.

Happy selling! And of course if I can help you here in Atlanta, give me a shout.