Also banish any furniture, wall, window, and floor coverings, and even colors that don’t seem “quirky” to you but might to strangers. Remove all family photos, travel souvenirs, collections and mementos, knickknacks, favorite media (books, movies, etc.), heirlooms, and any other items that reflect you and your family. If you want a bunch of prospective buyers to imagine themselves living happily ever after in your house, take yourself out of the place completely. Keep the following in mind when developing a plan to prepare your house for the real estate market.

While you may recoup that cost if the house sells well, if you prefer to stage your home for sale yourself, read on for can’t-miss ideas and specific room-by-room tips for home staging success. Plus, many pros insist on a three-month contract, even if the house sells the very day it goes on the market. Professional home staging is pricey, however: You’ll pay between $300 and $600 for an initial consultation and as much as $600 for each staged room, per month. How Much Does Professional Home Staging Cost? “We design stagings to feel welcoming and serene so buyers immediately fall in love with a space,” says Ward, who recently plied her craft staging the This Old House 2020 Idea House, The Farmhouse in Fairfield. But it’s not just the look of a place that seals the deal it’s the emotional response. Ward, CEO and principal designer of LTW Design. “Staging is crucial now because, through technology-how fast we can see things, want them, and get them-buyers will spot a place online and think: ‘I found it! I have to have this house!'” explains Leia T. Why? Because it works! Staged homes, on average, sell about 88 percent faster and for 20 percent more, according to. It started in Sweden, where it’s called homestyling, and soon reached out shores.

One of the biggest changes to hit residential real estate since the turn of this century is the practice of home staging: preparing a house, largely through décor, to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers-and obtain the highest price.

Keep it simple furniture