Staging your home to sell is a great idea. Totally redesigning your house before you put it on the market is not. There are some staging projects that can make a huge difference in the way buyers see your home. There are also some projects that aren’t worth the hassle, the money, or the effort.

Here are a few home projects to avoid when you’re staging your home to get it sold.

Top-of-the-Line Carpet Replacement
Are your carpets old and worn down? Replacing them is a smart way to clean up the overall feel of your home. Resist the urge, though, to splurge on the gorgeous carpet you’ve always wanted because you think buyers will appreciate it. They won’t! In fact, carpet is subjective enough that buyers are highly likely to replace it when the move in anyway, even if it’s new. Go with a basic, moderate carpet that won’t stick out.

Repaint Your House
Unless the exterior of your house is a terrible shade of fuchsia, a good power-washing will do as much to appeal to buyers as a fresh coat of paint. Of course, if there are very visible cracks and peeled paint, hiring a painter to do touch ups isn’t a waste of money; the exterior of your home says a lot about the inside. A fully repainted exterior can cost $10,000 or more and you can never be sure buyers will love the color you choose. Go simple and go safe.

Fill Up All the Walls
Resist your instinct to fill up any “blank” spots on the walls with artwork. You actually want a lot less décor in your house than you think when it comes to staging! Naked walls aren’t a bad thing when your house is on the market, even if they feel a little sterile while you’re living in it. A professional stager can give you some advice on what to hang, where to hang it, and which walls you can leave as-is.

Change the Purpose of Rooms
When you hit the market, bedrooms should be bedrooms. Offices should be offices and dining spaces, dining spaces. Don’t feel the need to show off all the (weird) ways buyers could use that bonus space or extra garage spot – let them imagine for themselves! Every room should have a function, of course, but don’t specialize the space in your house so much that you alienate buyers.

Creative Home Stagers has decades of experience staging and decorating homes for sale. Give us a call when you want to find out more about the staging process…it’s less expensive than you think! We’re happy to help.