Selling your Bay Area condo isn’t as easy as listing the property and waiting for the offers to come in. There’s still a fair amount of work to do to make sure you close the best deal possible. An essential thing to do to prepare your property for the market is home staging.
Here are a few key tips for staging a condo for sale:
Consult with an expert
When you’re staging a condo to sell, it’s best to work with a reputable real estate agent. Depending on their expertise, they’ll be able to help you stage the condo themselves or refer you to a professional property stager.
Find an agent who knows the Bay Area well and understands your specific needs as a seller. Having an expert on your side not only makes staging your Bay Area condo easier; it also helps ensure you get the most out of your property’s sale.
Deep clean, declutter, and depersonalize
The most basic step in staging is doing a deep clean of the property. Make sure every nook and cranny is sparkling before you show it to potential buyers. No one wants to go to a viewing only to be met with a messy house.
After cleaning, it’s time to declutter. Remove unnecessary displays, knickknacks, and other miscellaneous items from shelves and countertops. You want to keep to the minimalist side. Decluttering helps organize the space and make it look bigger.
Finally, depersonalize the property by removing any personal effects like photographs, trophies, and other mementos. You want your condo to be a blank canvas for buyers and make it easy for them to visualize living in it.
Match the style to the neighborhood
Discuss the target market of your Bay Area condo with your real estate agent and style the property accordingly. Every neighborhood has a distinct identity that attracts a particular group of buyers, so talk to your agent about how best to stage the property to match the lifestyle preferences of your prospective buyers.
Consider the sights and smells
Staging a condo for sale isn’t just about the aesthetic appeal. Think about smells and sounds as well. An old staging trick is baking a batch of cookies and letting the scent waft through the house. However, some may find food aromas too strong. For a less potent and more appealing scent, try lightly scented candles with gentle fragrances like vanilla or lavender.
Another thing to consider is the noise. Put some speakers around the house and play soft music to dampen any disturbances and keep a calming atmosphere.
Don’t overdo it
It’s easy to get carried away when staging a home. It might feel like you can do whatever you want, but it’s best to pace yourself and keep it simple. Remember, you want potential buyers to easily see themselves living in the space. And the easiest way to do that is by keeping your staging clean, with a minimalist style.
Ready to sell your Bay Area property? Get in touch with me, Amir Hardy, and let me help you get the most out of your condo sale. Call me at 415.602.0570 or email amir(dotted)hardy(at)compass(dotted)com.