If you have been in your home for a while, you probably have it decorated exactly the way you like it. To you, it is the perfect blend of hominess and sophistication. It’s the place where your entire family can feel relaxed. But when it comes to buyers who are looking for University Hills real estate, you might be surprised to learn that the décor of your home can be a turnoff for buyers. When you first bring in a real estate agent to take a look at your home for a potential listing, you might be surprised when he or she suggests “staging” as a way to get your home ready for sale—and a quick sale at that.

Even in today’s hot Denver market, staging your home properly is crucial. It can not only mean fewer days on the market—so fewer inconvenient showings for you—but it can also mean you get more money when you do sell.

Declutter and Depersonalize

Now is a great time to get rid of things you don’t need every day. Pull off of your kitchen counters seldom-used small appliances and tuck them away in the pantry. If you have a collection of figurines on the built-ins in your living room, now is a good time to get those packed in preparation for your move. It might even be worthwhile to rent a storage unit so you can get clutter completely off the premises rather than filling up your basement or garage (because buyers will be looking at those spaces too).

Realtor magazine has great tips for decluttering in this article: Clean, Declutter, Discard: Make a House Shine for Resale.

This is the toughest part for most home sellers: depersonalizing. This means getting rid of family photos and personal tchotchkes. Talk to your Realtor about the demographics of the potential buyer and work hard to stage your home to appeal to as many buyers as possible. If your home has had the same décor for a number of years, check out current decorating trends to see how you might update.

Focus on the Positive

Even in your beloved family home, everything is not perfect. But rather than hide unfavorable aspects, make them look natural in their environment. Sometimes this is as simple as art on the walls or furniture that is placed differently. Make sure every room has a purpose and that living spaces have some division, even in wide open areas. You don’t want buyers to take on look inside your home and turn around because they simply cannot imagine their own life there.

Neutralize as Needed

If you have a penchant for bold, bright colors, now is the time to cover them up with something neutral that will appeal to more buyers. When you include bright colors, this can immediately cause buyers to have a negative feel toward the space if they don’t care for the colors. By including neutrals, you are creating a canvas over which buyers can imagine their own style coming through.

If you’re ready to sell your home, contact us today and let us use our expertise to help you. At Elevation Realty, we believe that buying and selling a home should be a pleasant experience. Our dedicated team of real estate agents will help you navigate the process when you are getting ready to sell your University Hills home. Contact us to schedule an appointment with a member of our team and let us get your current home sold you can move on the next stage of your life.