Staging a home that’s for sale is a great way to make it appealing and inspire buyers to picture themselves living in it. But there are rights and wrongs when it comes to staging. Let’s look at a few mistakes you might not realize you’ve made when staging your home.

Over-Personalization

Home decor is a very personal thing. Sure you love that coastal, beachy theme in your living room. It might be inviting and relaxing to you, but not every potential buyer will agree. The same goes for that accent wall. Walking into a room to see one bold red wall can be off-putting for many buyers. Wallpaper accent walls have become popular lately, but wallpaper patterns are incredibly taste-specific. Yes, paint and wallpaper can be changed easily, but there are some buyers out there who can’t look past it or who just don’t want to do the work before they move in.

Not Enough Furniture

You want buyers to be able to see how well a room can accomodate different types of furniture. It’s easy for them to envision it when a house is vacant, but being able to actually see how much and what size furniture fits in a space is much better.

Too Much Furniture

So yeah, there’s definitely a balance here. While you want to show what a room is capable of holding, you don’t want to stuff it full. Putting too much furniture in a room can make it feel cluttered and unwelcoming. Be sure to leave enough space between furnishings for easy maneuvering and flow.

Too Much Color

It’s a good idea to freshen up the paint on the walls before putting your home on the market, but don’t go crazy and paint every room a different color. Likewise, don’t go with too bold of a color. If you don’t like the uniform look of one color throughout, at least keep it in the same family. For example, you could choose a dove gray for the main living area and a darker gray for the bedrooms.

Making Things Too Stark and Sterile

The last thing you want is for buyers to feel like they’re in a museum. Stay away from stark white walls and furniture. Don’t put out fragile decor that will make visitors feel like they can’t be comfortable. Remember that some buyers will have children with them, which means curious (and maybe sticky) hands and wandering feet.

Closing Doors

A closed door is a “keep out” sign, whether you mean it to be or not. Keeping doors open promotes flow. It’s also a cue that permits potential buyers to come on in and check things out.

Using Fake Items

We’ve all been inside that pristine model home that’s staged right down to the cardboard television and plastic food on the table. You’re not fooling anyone with that fake food, and it honestly just looks silly. Let’s talk about fake scents, too. Burning a fresh-scented candle or simmering a pot of spices is one thing, but please don’t pop a plug-in air freshener in every single room. Like decor, scents are highly personal and specific to each person who walks through your home. Overpowering fake scents can be downright offensive.

Forgetting the Exterior

Don’t forget to ramp up the curb appeal! The exterior and landscaping are the first impression every buyer will have of your home. Rake any stray leaves, mow the lawn, plant colorful flowers, put out a welcome mat, and maybe freshen up the front door and trim with new paint. You don’t want buyers to take one look at the outside of your house and decide it’s a no!

Have you made any of these staging mistakes in the past? Are there any we left out that are important? Let us know in the comments section!