6 Common Home Staging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

At least 82% of potential home buyers feel that home staging makes it easier to imagine a space as their future home.

Staging also impacts a buyer’s overall opinion of a potential home, whether they know it or not. If you’re trying to sell a home, it’s in your best interest to make homeowners get a positive feeling about the house.

The trouble is, home staging isn’t as simple as painting everything beige and renting bland furniture.

Read on to learn what home staging mistakes you might be making and how to correct them.

1. Not Removing Personal Items

While you may cherish your family photos and knick-knacks from vacations, it can turn off potential buyers. They’ll feel like they’re invading someone’s home rather than imagining it as their future home.

Take out personal items likes photos, specific artwork, and anything else that might indicate who lives there. If you’re having trouble, consult with a professional home stager for help.

2. Forgetting Area Rugs

In an open concept house, rugs help you create different zones. These zones create separate living spaces within the room, like a living room, a dining area, and the kitchen. Adding rugs to your home staging strategy will help buyers understand how they can use the space.

Rugs will also make the space feel more inviting and intentional. Even a furnished room can feel cold without an area rug and some design direction.

3. Prioritizing Major Renovations

Maybe you always planned to renovate the kitchen, but it’s not wise to do it just before you sell. Many homeowners tailor the design too close to their personal taste which can scare off buyers.

Instead, it makes more sense to do minor upgrades. Add a fresh coat of paint, upgrade the hardware, or get new light fixtures for the kitchen and bathroom. Buyers will see the potential and you won’t break the bank.

4. Skipping a Deep Clean

Another key step in home staging is a deep clean. It won’t cost much money, but your home will sparkle.

Vacuum and dust every surface in the house. You can also wash the walls and the baseboards for an extra touch. Plus, if your bathroom grout has seen better days, consider getting it re-grouted.

5. Forgetting About Lighting

Homeowners look for natural light in a home. That’s why it’s in your best interest to feature it where you can.

Open the blinds and hang white curtains to point out the natural light that is there. You can also add larger floor lamps or add table lamps to boost the lighting in dim rooms.

6. Playing It Too Safe

While the main goal of home staging is to depersonalize the space, you can take it too far. Removing all character from a space can turn buyers off too.

Stick to a neutral base in your paint colors and large furniture. You can add in smaller pops of color through the artwork or statement chairs to add personality to the space without designing for any one person’s taste.

Hire a Professional to Avoid These Home Staging Mistakes

These home staging mistakes are easy to make, especially if you’re a first time seller. As long as you do a deep clean, declutter, and take out your personal items, you’re on the right track.

But sometimes, you need extra help. Whether you’re a homeowner who’s ready to put your house on the market or a realtor trying to refresh a vacant property, we can help. At Artistic Home Stagings, we offer complete home stagings, staging consultations, and color consulting.