Selling Your Home Soon? Try Our "Three-D" Home Styling Jump Start!

While it's not an exact science, many experts agree that late spring is the best time for home owners to list a property for sale. If you're one of the millions of people planning to make a move this year and want to maximize the sale price of your current home, it's best to start the prep work as early as possible so your house will look its best for potential buyers.

An important part of this process is home styling, also referred to as "home staging". According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 81% of buyers see a styled listing more favorably as a potential future home. Furthermore, over 70% of seller-side REALTORS® believe that home styling increases a buyer's offer by up to 20% over comparable homes that aren't styled. Homes that are styled also spend half as much time on the market as homes that aren't prepped to look their best.

To help our home styling clients gain a competitive advantage over other listings in their area, Blackbird Design Studio has created an easy-to-follow list of three action steps, which we call the "Three-D Home Styling Jump Start". We're happy to share a condensed version of the jump start with our loyal readers!

D1: DEEP CLEAN

Your home's online listing is like Tinder for real estate: you have a limited window of opportunity to make a good impression on your target audience!

A photo of a kitchen whose counters and cabinets have sticky-looking fingerprints and a stainless steel refrigerator that hasn't been "stainless" in months is a real turnoff for home seekers looking for a move-in ready place to call their own. A little elbow grease -- whether it's yours or a professional's -- will add the sparkle and shine that makes potential buyers swipe right instead of left!

D2: DECLUTTER

A home that looks like a candidate for a segment on "Hoarders" is clearly a deterrent when folks are scrolling through the MLS listings and visiting open houses. Don't let this happen to you!

The most appealing homes have organized rooms with a place for everything and a clearly defined purpose. Professional organizers are a great resource for assisting home sellers with deciding what to keep, what to store, and what to toss; for DIYers, the KonMari method championed by Marie Kondo in her book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" is an excellent alternative. (Netflix viewers can also watch Marie's series for practical examples!) By keeping spaces clutter-free and easy to navigate during a virtual tour or open house, you'll help potential buyers see the best features of each room of your home.

D3: DEPERSONALIZE

We get it: you love your family and want to show off their photos, artwork and other accomplishments as much as possible. (If you could see our fridge, you'd understand exactly how much we agree!) However, it's very difficult for home seekers to imagine what being in a new space is like if all they can see are reminders of someone else's life.

Personal touches like family photos make it hard for potential buyers to see themselves living in your home. Box up your family treasures for now and give shoppers a blank slate for easy visualization!

A SPECIAL OFFER!

For readers who would rather have a downloadable infographic of our "Three-D Home Styling Jump Start", we have great news! Click HERE to and use the promo code 3D, and we'll send you a copy as well as information about our "Style to Sell" home styling solution. If you can't wait to get started with "Style to Sell", click HERE for details!

Until next time,