Selling your home in Texas is no easy feat. Many factors, both in and out of your control, are involved that can affect the length of time your house is on the market. Fortunately, with certain problems, you have the power to turn things around and change your luck. If you catch yourself making one of or more of the home staging mistakes on this list, no worries- we’ll let you know what to do so you can successfully sell your property in no time.
1. Over-personalizing
The great thing about owning a property is that you can do whatever you want with it, be it painting the exterior hot pink or installing carpet in the bathroom. However, that could be your same downfall once it’s time to list the house on the market. At best, you’ll have to list your home for less because it’s not competitive. At worst, you won’t receive any bids.
What to do about it: Keep a neutral color palette and remove family photos and trinkets. People want to imagine their own lives in the home, not feel like a guest. Plus, the more potential buyers you appeal to, the higher your bids will be.
2. Bad Lighting
One of the biggest home staging mistakes people make is forgetting to let the light in. People are naturally drawn to bright spaces, not to mention it saves on the electric bill.
What to do about it: It’s easy to tell you to open all the shades for a photoshoot or home tour. But if you have a poorly lit space to work with, try switching to LED bulbs and keeping the lights on when displaying your property. Also, mirrors will reflect whatever light you do have, and not only make the room appear brighter, but also bigger.
3. Poorly Sized Furniture
People neglect to realize a deal-breaking home staging mistake is over-stuffing a room with furniture or décor. Buyers won’t realize the potential of a space if it’s filled with plants or oversized sofas. Nearly empty rooms are not ideal either, but less is more. Still, try to find a happy medium.
What to do about it: If you haven’t moved into your new place yet and don’t know where to put your excess stuff, rent out a monthly storage locker. If instead you need temporary items to add, browse furniture rental stores in your area.
4. No Depth or Contrast
A major home staging mistake to avoid when selling your home is not adding depth and contrast to the room. While you should absolutely keep colors neutral, the eye will quickly scan over an all-grey or white room. Especially these days, you’re most likely to find a homebuyer on the internet, which means you need eye-catching photos for your listing. If your interior looks bland, it might not stand out among the competition.
What to do about it: Introduce variety with different textures. For example, as a rule, if your room is white or off-white you should paint the walls matte and the trim glossy. Try sticking with two soft-neutral shades for a room, and then feel free to play with splashes of color by adding throw pillows or a table centerpiece.
In Conclusion
If you feel lost, browse the internet for recent popular listings you can copy or take inspiration from. Don’t forget that the goal of staging your home in Fort Worth is to showcase its assets, so highlight a charming fireplace or built-in bookshelf, for example. Ultimately, if you have the money to invest in a professional staging company, it may be worth the investment.