Home Staging Checklist

Home staging or Virtual Staging, if done right, your home will be sold without much effort. That is why a home staging checklist exists.

It’s a plus point that home staging is not as hard as it sounds. Your house has to be at its best and there is a checklist on how to make sure your listing is prepared for professional real estate photography.

This post will walk you through staging your home for sale and make your home staging ordeal as easy as a breeze.

Checklist For Home Staging

Let’s start your checklist for staging your home with general preparations.

General Preparations

Think of yourself as a prospective buyer and stroll through each room of your property, offering constructive criticism from the buyer’s point of view. This is the crucial point of your home staging checklist.

• Consult with your real estate agent to get their opinion.
• Consider contacting a professional house inspector to assess whether or not any repairs are required.
• If you require extensive repairs, you should engage with a professional to complete them.
• Cracks and gaps in the walls should be repaired.
• Consider obtaining an appraisal to find out what your home is now worth in the market.

Exterior

• House numbers visible from the road should be displayed attractively.
• Fresh paint or stain may make a big difference in your porch’s appearance.
• A fresh coat of paint, ideally red, black, blue, or wood stain, should be applied to the front door, as long as the color complements the trim and does not blend in.
• Avoid using hues that are out of the ordinary, such as purple.
• Purchase a new doormat to greet potential home buyers.
• Power wash the outside of the home and the walkway, stairs, driveway, and porch until everything is sparkling.
• Make sure that the locks and doorbell are working.
• Make that mailbox appear clean and inviting, or replace it with a more attractive one.
• Plant a plethora of brightly colored blossoms in eye-catching pots and planter beds.
• Trees and bushes should be pruned from the entrance to the front door.
• Fresh sod or new seed might help you get your yard back in shape.
• Equipment for the yard and children’s toys should be stored out of sight.
• Fix wobbly fences if necessary.
• Install a hammock (or a bocce ball game or an elevated fire pit or any type of amenities) to demonstrate your backyard’s entertainment.
• Mulch can be used to conceal any imperfections in a planting area.
• Check that the foyer lights are working correctly and free of cobwebs and insects.
• Trash cans, recycling bins, and garden hoses should all be hidden.
• Don’t forget to make use of your outside living space. Instead, create a second living room atmosphere on your patio by furnishing it with stylish furniture, accent cushions, an outdoor rug, and other patio-friendly decors.

Lighting

• Lighting has always been crucial for real estate photography. And it makes an essential presence in any home staging checklist.
• Fixtures that may be used for several purposes. These lights provide both concentrated and diffused illumination effects. When conventional or virtual staging a vacant room, remember to follow the rule of the thirds sources of light.
• Using overhead illumination and two more sources, such as lamps, you may create an atmosphere. Wall sconces are a terrific way to keep a space from becoming cluttered.
• Use several light sources, such as ceiling lights, wall sconces, supplementary lighting for reading, and can lighting for wall art to create a more dramatic effect.
• Include some texture. Pearlescent capiz light fittings are used in this design. Capiz shells are absolutely one-of-a-kind. The fixture brightens up a room while also adding visual intrigue to it.
• Swap out the lampshades. Remove the flimsy or aesthetically displeasing shade that came with your light purchase.
• When staging a bedroom, use dark shaded lights against light-colored walls to create contrast, and vice versa, whether you are utilizing traditional or virtual staging.
• When conventional or virtual staging an empty living room or main bedroom, use ample lighting to draw attention to the space. This new trend also works nicely in a home with a more conventional design when designing or staging a home, experimenting with different styles.
• Replace your standard-style bulbs with a new, more fashionable Edison filament bulb. These bulbs offer a dramatic touch to any room and have the appearance of bulbs from the early twentieth century. Even the bulb itself is a work of beauty!
• The height of your pendant lights should be roughly 30 to 36 inches above your counters. Hanging pendant lights in a den or living room will give the space a more contemporary feel.
• Place a table light on top of your kitchen counter to brighten the space. Unlike the more common pendant or can lighting, table lamps are startling and unexpected. It may also provide warmth to an area while also creating intimacy.

Kitchen / Dining Room

• Remove everything from the counters to make room for one or two decorative things, such as a vase of fresh flowers and a new fruit bowl.
• Except for one gorgeous, matching set, all dishes should be packed away.
• Adjust your glasses, flatware, and cookware, and reduce any other cabinet and drawer contents to the bare minimum.
• With a fresh coat of paint or stain and some new hardware, you can bring those cabinets up to date and make them more appealing.
• Remove all magnets from your refrigerator and thoroughly wipe the door and knobs.
• Using a stiff brush, remove filth, grime, and stains from the walls, cabinets, and backsplashes.
• Cabinet interiors, particularly those under the sink, should be thoroughly cleaned.
• Clean and arrange the pantry, leaving some vacant space to give the impression that it is more prominent. Items should be stored in elegant baskets, and a few jars of upmarket jam and other condiments should be on show.
• Remove any garbage cans from the area and place them somewhere out of sight.

Bedrooms

• Make the décor gender-neutral, even in children’s rooms, by depersonalizing it.
• All surfaces (end tables, dressers) should be decluttered, and only a few crucial pieces of décor should be left on them (such as lamps and flowers).
• Place jewels and other valuables in a secure location.
• Organize and declutter your closet.
• To make a room appear larger, remove any redundant or oversized furniture.
• Rearrange furniture to make the most of the available space.
• To declutter closet space, organize room closets, and store out-of-season clothing.

Bathrooms

• Scrub and sterilize the walls, the floor, the shower door, and almost every other surface that comes into touch with steam before you start using it.
• Spend extra time washing the tile grout and, if required, re-caulking the area surrounding the tub.
• If your bathroom tile looks old-fashioned, consider painting it rather than replacing it.
• Begin by priming with a high-adhesion primer and then painting with epoxy or latex paint.
• Remove any stray items from the counter, tub, and the top of the toilet. Surfaces should be cleaned until they sparkle.
• All of your items — from medicine to razors — should be packed and hidden.
• Incorporate an elegant soap dispenser, plush white towels, ornamental baskets, candles, potted plants, a white shower curtain, and a new bath mat to create a luxurious spa atmosphere.
• Toilets that are leaking or running should be repaired, and toilet seats should be replaced.
• Hard water stains on faucets and showerheads can be removed. (Experiment with vinegar!)
• Scent the drains. Cleaning and deodorizing them with baking soda, hot water, or vinegar can trick.
• Use a pedestal sink to make the most of the limited bathroom space.

Living Room / Family Room

• Examine the traffic pattern to ensure that the space has a natural flow.
• To make additional space, get rid of bulky or extra stuff.
• Rearrange the shelves and surfaces to leave only the bare essentials and more open space.
• Place movies, video games, and publications in a safe place.
• Put miniature goods in an attractive box, such as television remotes.
• Neutral slipcovers can be used to hide worn-out furniture or vivid patterns.
• Pretty accent pillows adorn the sofa and chairs.
• Clean out your fireplace and stage it if you have one (with a stack of wood or tools).
• Remove the carpets to highlight the hardwood floors. Unless you have an awesome carpet to showcase.
• The drapes should be drawn back to show off the breathtaking views.
• If possible to dress up the front porch or deck with pieces of furniture and planted planters.
• Check to see that the fireplaces are in proper working condition.
• Clean the pool area, and the surrounding region that can be seen from the living room.

Backyard

• Using a pressure washer, clean the whole backyard of the house. [Also this? For exterior?]
• Clear the gutters of debris.
• Prepare the outside of your house for any repairs that are required.
• Make sure all light fixtures are clean and up to date.
• Remove any debris from the yard, fertilize the grass, and enhance the landscape with brightly colored plants.
• Trees and shrubs should be pruned down to ensure that potential buyers can see the property and that natural light can enter the home.
• Comfortable furniture and attractive décor can transform any outdoor living room into a welcoming environment.

Concluding checklist for selling a house

You can give some extra touches out of the shared home staging checklist, like airing it out and adding additional aromas from candles, air fresheners, or baking something in the oven before showings to make it smell great.

Replace any art that is too personal in taste with neutral pieces appropriate for all viewers for your home staging to go perfect on showing day.

So, whether you’re a homeowner preparing your home for sale or a stager helping someone prepare their home for sale, use this comprehensive home staging checklist to ensure that your property looks its best. If you need any help regarding the virtual staging or home staging, you can always contact our real estate photography team.

Remember, even if you only do a few of these things, it can help make a big difference in how quickly and easily you can close the deal to sell your real estate property.