Older adult couple with home for sale sign

Tips for Seniors Staging Their Home for Sale

When you’ve committed to move to an independent living retirement community, you’re either in the process of selling your home or you’re preparing to put your home on the market. Selling your home can be difficult for a number of reasons , not the least of which is parting with a place you’ve created countless cherished memories. Setting aside the sentimental aspect of selling your home, the actual sale can be stressful, as well.  To increase the chances of your home being sold, consider staging your home. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of staging, we can help you better understand the value and even provide a handful of tips on how to make your home as appealing as possible.

What is Home Staging? 

Staging is about showcasing your home for potential buyers. Buyers need to be able to look at your home and see the potential for a place they could call their own. How you present your home can either help or hinder a buyer’s ability to see the possibilities. Staging a home provides a clean palette of sorts. Redecorating, rearranging furniture, cleaning and other aesthetic strategies can present your home in the best possible light. You can choose to stage your home yourself, or enlist the services of a real estate agent or professional stagers. The latter are generally experts in the field of interior decorating and design and can leverage that knowledge and experience to make your home more visually appealing.

Benefits of Home Staging

You may feel that your home is appealing enough as is, with perhaps the benefit of a little tidying. But many real estate agents believe in the difference staging a home can make. According to a report from the National Association of Realtors, 49% of buyers’ agents believe that staging has an effect on most buyers’ view of the home, and 77% said staging a home made it easier for buyers to visualize the property as a future home. Thirty-eight percent of sellers’ agents said they stage all sellers’ homes prior to listing them for sale, and 39% stated their belief that staging a home greatly decreases the amount of time it is on the market.

Tips for Staging Your Home 

If you plan to undertake the staging of your home on your own, here are five tips to help you get started.

Stage the Right Spaces

The National Association of Realtors’ report included a breakdown of the most common spaces that sellers’ agents stage. The living room topped the list, followed by the kitchen, the master bedroom and the dining room. Focus your efforts on staging these spaces because they are the rooms that are likely to have the biggest influence on a buyer’s decision.

De-Personalize the Space

Potential buyers need to be able to see themselves in your home, so the less they see of the current occupants, the better. Your goal in staging your home should be to create a blank canvas for potential buyers. That does not mean it has to be devoid of all charm and personality, but you should remove any personal photos and keep your personal belongings out of sight.

Declutter Your Home

Remember that space sells, and clutter only makes a space seem smaller. Try to uncomplicate your spaces as much as possible, reducing your furniture and décor to the basics. Closet space will be a front-of-mind consideration for most of your buyers, so be sure to remove as many non-essential items as possible to maximize the spaciousness of your closets.

Talk to a Move-In Coordinator at Abbey Delray

At Abbey Delray, we don’t expect our incoming residents to navigate the moving process alone. After contracting with us, you will be connected with a move-in coordinator who will become your primary contact. Not only will they help you customize your new living space at Abbey Delray, but they can also help guide you through the process of selling your home and downsizing. Our move-in coordinator is intimately familiar with the process and can help put your mind at ease by answering many common questions you may have. Fill out the form below or contact us today if you have questions about moving to Abbey Delray.