If you’re planning to sell your house, you’ve probably heard of the term home staging by now. The goal of home staging is to make your house more attractive in order to appeal to a larger number of buyers. Since everything is a numbers game, the more interested buyers, the quicker and higher your home sells for. Sounds simple, right? The concept is, but results can vary based on how well your home is staged.

Some sellers spend a couple thousand for home staging professionals to come in and redecorate the place. If you can afford to do this, by all means, go for it. If that’s not in your budget, there are still basic principles you can follow to help your house sell faster and for more.

Follow these five steps to get your home ready to sell:

1) Declutter and Organize

This is a seemingly simple task, but daunting nonetheless due to the amount of clutter we tend to accumulate over time. However, this is probably the most important thing you can do before you sell. It’s also a great way to make some extra cash (sell what you don’t want or donate the rest) and as a bonus, you’ll get to move into a new place with a clean slate, only bringing the items you actually value.

To get started, take it one room at a time. If you hop from room to room, it can become overwhelming. After you declutter, be sure to designate where the unwanted items will go, either donate, recycle (if possible) or sell them. Next, you’ll want to reorganize your remaining items so that everything has a place. Finally, do a deep clean. If cleaning isn’t your strong suit, you may want to consider bringing in professional help.

2) Rearrange Furniture

Unless you run an interior design blog, chances are your furniture is arranged in a comfortable + practical way, as it should be. However, now is the time to style it up for looks — not comfort. This means removing outdated pieces and adding in new, modern furniture. If you simply can’t afford to spend anything, still move around what you have — sometimes that’s all it takes for a fresh look. If you’re not sure how to start arranging the furniture, browse the website or Instagram of modern retailers such as Crate & Barrel or West Elm for inspiration.

3) Paint Works Wonders

An easy and inexpensive way to update your home is with a fresh coat of paint. The safe bet is to go with light colors, such as white, light grey or blue. These are neutral colors that appeal to most people (remember that’s the goal here) and can help brighten + enlarge the look of a room. Most people are pleasantly surprised by how new paint can transform their space.

4) Accessorize Your Space

You don’t have to go all out here, but adding a decorative plant, candle or even stack of books can warm up the space and add a cozy feel. This doesn’t mean fill every inch of empty space, you just decluttered for a reason. Instead, select maybe three decorative items per room, less if it’s a small space. Also, make sure the items are relevant to the space. For example, you might add a throw blanket in the bedroom or a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter. The goal is to keep it simple and attractive.  

5) Mow the Lawn

It’s easy to get hung up on the interior details, but you can’t neglect the outside either. Keep in mind, your home’s exterior is the first thing buyers see, and if they don’t like it, chances are they won’t make it inside. It doesn’t have to look professionally landscaped, but some general maintenance goes a long way.

That being said, keep the lawn mowed, edges trimmed, and weeds pulled. Give your front door a fresh coat of paint and add a new welcome mat or planter on the front stoop. Clean the windows, gutters, and remove any debris from the yard. If you have plant beds, be sure to clean those up as well and maybe spring for new mulch or flowers. It sounds like a lot of work (and it is), but the reward will be worth it.

The art of negotiation is fickle and nuanced. A lot of the time it’s important to use your gut and get creative in order to get what you want. Like with anything, however, there are certain principles that are sacrosanct and need to be employed, such as ‘never accept the first offer’. 

Anyone who knows anything about negotiating knows that the first offer is usually a lowball offer. Whomever is making the offer knows that no matter what number they put out there, there’s very little reason to expect the seller to accept it. This forces them to purposely make an offer below what they think is fair in order to eventually get close to something realistic.

While real estate negotiations are similar to other forms of negotiating, there are many aspects that set it apart, as any good real estate agent knows. One such aspect is when to accept the first offer.

Generally, unless the first offer is irrationally high, the best thing to do is field offers from other potential buyers to better gauge what the market dictates you can get for your home and in ideal scenarios, precipitate bidding wars. However, because the real estate game is unlike any other game, there are scenarios in which accepting the first offer is a good idea.

1. After Finding Your New Home

In real estate, most purchases are made with contingencies that the buyer sell their house first, as not to be forced to carry two mortgages and a whole host of other potential complications. If you’ve already found your new home and you’re not getting a lot of bites on your current home, this is a scenario in which it may be a good idea to accept the first offer, provided it’s reasonable. The last thing you want to do is put the deal on your new home in jeopardy, finding the right home isn’t easy.

2. Relocating For Work

Relocating for a new job opportunity can be exciting, but is generally very nerve-racking. It’s not easy leaving your hometown for somewhere unfamiliar and coordinating all the necessary logistical aspects for a smooth transition. Compounding that stress with a complex home sale is not a good idea. Provided the first offer is reasonable, take it. There are many other things you’ll be inundated with during this stressful chapter in your life.

3. Cash Offer

Did someone say cash? Accepting a cash offer circumvents many of the issues associated with a complicated closing, like not having to wait for the loan to be approved. Additionally, if someone has that much money on hand, they’re likely not buying on the contingency that they sell their old residence, eliminating uncertainty and complications associated with them selling their current home. As long as the offer is reasonable, accept it, it will make your life easier by simplifying an already complex transaction.

Houses are a big-ticket item when selling them most improvements will yield big returns. Proper staging is one of the first things your agent will tell you to get sorted out before officially putting your home on the market. That starts with clearing your house of personal items, out of place furniture, clutter and giving it a deep clean. After that, touch-ups and minor repairs need to be tended to, ensuring the home is pristine. Sellers who are really looking to maximize their profits often include major home improvements.

The logic is major home improvements, while expensive, will yield far larger returns. When it comes to touching up a scuffed up wall, it’s a no-brainer, but once you start investing significant capital, the proposition becomes riskier and can end up coming back to bite you.

Generally, improvements to kitchens and bathrooms are high impact and while you still need to be frugal when executing them, they are generally less risky. If you’re looking at other types of improvements, it’s important to always consult an experienced real estate agent first. Here’s an example of presale home improvements that are not only a waste of time, but they could also easily end up costing you more than you stand to gain.

1. Trendy Design & Decor

It’s always a nice touch to keep up with the latest design trends, it takes any house to the next level. And while it may pique the interest of buyers with sophisticated taste, you’re ignoring the typical buyer which represents a far larger segment of prospects. The key when showing a home is appealing to the widest range of buyers possible, that means nothing flashy. With paint, stick to whites and grey’s, traditional hardwoods and conservative, yet tasteful finishes in the kitchen and bathrooms.

2. DIY Projects Better Left To The Pros

When executing home improvements to stage a home, DIY projects are great because you save on the most expensive part of a renovation; labor. There are limitless little improvements you can do to spruce up the place and impress prospective buyers. It’s important, however, not to bite off more than you can chew. If you take on a project that’s better left to the pros, you can end up causing a mess and have to pay someone more to clean it up than you would have had you hired a pro in the first place. Only take on projects you can handle or risk wasting time and money.

3. Smart Home Upgrade

Every home these days has aspects that are smart, but are all smart homes? To be considered a smart home, it has to be fully automated, including security, lights, curtains, thermostats, appliances, and on and on. No doubt fully automated smart homes are desirable to almost any buyer, but is it worth upgrading your home to this status before selling? Fully automating your house is expensive and while prospective buyers may think it looks cool, it won’t factor into their offer. Gadgets aren’t as important to buyers as layouts, finishes, and location. Don’t waste your time and money on this home improvement.