Winter Staging Tips:

January is one of the busiest times for people to explore their real estate options. Interest grows right around this time each year as a reflection of new year resolutions, developing family plans, reaching the end of the fiscal year and tax returns starting to come in.  Even though winter is not as busy for home sales as spring and summer are, this winter’s 2014 home sales are expected to continue be inline with what we saw in 2004.  This means that most winter home sellers, at least ones that have homes are reasonably priced, presented well and in good condition, should expect a lot of action from potential homebuyers.  Of course the flip side is homes that are not up to par may be passed over more easily than homes that are staged, clean, and show well.

Here are some winter specific home staging tips:

Say goodbye to Chris Kringle! If you are selling your home you’re going to want to take down your holiday decorations as soon as possible.  Hopefully since your home has already been on the market, your decorations were very modest and more seasonally chic than overly holidayish, so it should be pretty easy. I am talking about taking them down by New Year’s Day or sooner if possible! Also don’t forget about the golden rule of depersonalization when you are putting this kind of stuff away.  

Oh baby it’s cold outside. One of the worst things you can do is freeze potential buyers out of your house by not turning the thermostat up high enough when you are showing. If you are one of those folks who usually likes it around 69 degrees, just be sure to crank it before you head out to give it a good 15 minutes or so to warm up.  This is also a good time to go around fix any minor drafts or winterizing projects as well, because a savvy buyer will surely be conscious of those things around this time of year! In addition, add warm and cozy elements to your home like fluffy throws, unlit candles in the bathrooms with plush towels and logs set in the fireplace just waiting to be lit.

That smell reminds me of… You can also add some wonderful smelling air fresheners or aroma sticks to help warm your buyers spirits and tantalize their senses.  Stay away from things which might be too strong like cinnamon, clove, pine, or sage, instead choose seasonally appropriate scents like vanilla, musk, cranberry, apple pie, or cherry almond.

Need bright ideas?  Since the days are awfully short this time of year, you are going to want to make sure your home is adequately lit up for all to see.  You don’t want potential buyers to think the home is dark or spooky, which can easily be remedied with a few tabletop or free standing lamps. Likewise if you are showing your home during the day, be sure to open the blinds and wipe the window sills.

Staging and getting your home ready is one the most important things you can do if you want to sell your home.  If you are looking for some more tips check out this article for some more ideas.  To really get things moving contact your local RE/MAX Alliance agent today, as they will have lots of experience in this area and have relationships with local stagers as well.