Why Should You Remove Personal Items When Staging a House for Sale?

A minimalist approach is ideal when staging your home for sale. Top real estate agents will attest to the importance of removing as many personal items as possible when staging your home. Why exactly is this staging approach important?

When prospective buyers tour Lincoln Park houses for sale, they need to be able to visualize themselves living in them. Too many personal items in a staged home will be distracting and interfere with their ability to do this effectively.

 

With our recommendations, you will have a clearer plan of how to make your property look truly amazing when it comes time to sell your house. Read on for some top tips for staging your home for success.

No matter how tasteful, it is important to remove most art in your Lincoln Park home. A piece of art evokes different feelings in prospective buyers. Emphasizing a room’s spaciousness and dimensions is critical in showcasing each room’s potential.

Personal photographs, whether they are hanging up on walls or sitting in frames on desks, dressers, or nightstands, are also important elements to remove. Though they do not physically dominate a space like a large sofa or bulky piece of furniture, prospective buyers can be distracted by photos and focus less on what the home has to offer.

 

When your photos are throughout the home, it may unintentionally create a sense that the house is not ready for sale. Though buyers consciously know this is not true, personal photographs can subconsciously send this message. To visualize themselves in your home, prospective buyers should be unaffected by photos of your friends, family, or relatives.

Excess furniture can distort the space of a room, disrupt the balance of your home, and make prospective buyers feel uneasy. This is critical. Having too many pieces of furniture in a room, or even one piece of furniture dominating an area, makes the space appear small.

 

Living in an uncluttered space has proven benefits for one’s mental and emotional well-being. Therefore, it is imperative to minimize your furniture when staging your home. Though you undoubtedly have a sense of a minimalist aesthetic already, getting a second opinion from us is always helpful.

 

The CZ Real Estate Team provides expert virtual staging services that help you visualize furniture within a space and plan out each room. This will ensure that all furniture is spaced appropriately and that balance is maintained, creating an alluring home that buyers are sure to fall in love with.

A pen, a pad of paper, or a candle holder isn’t inherently personal like a photograph or a piece of art. However, they are still evidence of you and can contribute to the appearance of clutter. Of course, you aren’t going to leave your desk or any surface of furniture cluttered when showing your home to prospective buyers. However, it is important to make all furniture appear as neutral and unused as possible. Therefore, your pen holder or stapler is better placed in a desk drawer for the sake of staging, even if they typically rest on your desk.

Though your bathroom will undoubtedly be clean, it is a good idea to clear it of shampoos, body creams, loofahs, cosmetics, or other items relating to your hygiene. Again, making your bathroom as empty as possible will further send the message that this home is not inhabited by anyone else and is ready for someone to call their own.

 

Leaving a hand towel or hand soap is nothing to worry about, however. These items are small and ordinary enough that their presence is insignificant. Shampoos and cosmetics, however, are personal enough to distract and should be removed or hidden from plain view.

When staging your Lincoln Park home, the quality of your storage spaces is a significant selling point. Thus, it is important to empty out the cupboards, drawers, closets, basement, garage, and attic as much as possible — buyers will likely take a peek to see how much storage space your home offers. Be sure to clear out personal items from these storage areas as well.  Something as simple as space on the closet floor indicates to a buyer that there is ample room for their belongings.  Evidence of your kayaking adventures or holiday decorations will further personalize your home, even if they are not showcased in living spaces or in plain view.

Of course, the aroma of a pure, organic peppermint essential oil wafting from your diffuser is a far cry from a recently cooked, garlic-heavy dish. However, making your home as scent-free as possible while staging it is important. This may mean taking a break from your colognes or perfumes or cooking richly spiced meals for a while. You may also want to wait a few days after your house has been thoroughly cleaned in case any whiff of cleaning detergent lingers. Smells can often be subtle. Therefore, weather permitting, it can be helpful to spend a few days airing out your home before hosting an open house. Open up as many windows as possible and let the fresh air neutralize any home scents.

 

If you’re ready to begin your selling journey, reach out to a top-notch team that gets results. Cheryl Cohn and Layne Zagorin of the CZ Real Estate Team proudly serve Lincoln Park, IL, real estate. This exceptional team offers furniture staging and virtual staging services to make your home look amazing at every turn. Poised to impress, your home is sure to stand out above all the rest. Contact the CZ Real Estate Team today for a consultation.

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