According to Re/Max, the average time it takes for a listed home in Omaha, Nebraska to get an accepted offer is around one month. That number is higher just about anywhere else in the state. And that’s just the offer, you still have at least a month or two ahead to go through the lending approval, inspection, and closing process. It’s also worth noting that a month is an average number and many home listings will last longer than that.
All of which is to say that if you don’t like the idea of spending at least a few months trying to sell your house on the open market, it’s critical that you make some very smart decisions upfront. Those important decisions include how you price the house, how you take care of it, and how you stage it.
Staging your home to sell is absolutely critical to making a fast sale with market buyers. According to the National Association of Realtors, 40 percent of buyers’ agents say home staging had an effect on buyers’ opinion while 83 percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for their buyer to visualize the property as their own home.
Of course, you could always forgo the hassle, time, and costs involved and instead sell your house as-is to a real estate investor like Element Homebuyers. But if you want to try to maximize your profits on the open market, here are nine staging secrets that will help sell a house fast in Nebraska.
Top 9 Staging Secrets To Sell A House Fast In Nebraska
Cancel the Clutter
Before you stage your house in a way that appeals to buyers, you’re going to need to declutter. While you might love all of the furniture and keepsakes in your house, chances are a lot of it is drawing attention away from the home itself. If you hire a professional stager, they’re probably going to want to move a lot of your belongings out of the house anyway, so this is a great time to make some hard decisions about what you absolutely need in the home and what you can put in storage.
Group Your Furniture
Did you know that most people push their furniture against the walls in each room in order to create more space? Ironically, in doing so you’re only enforcing the opposite. It actually makes a better impact to “float” furniture away from walls and towards one another. Doing this will create a sense of conversational space and introduce more foot traffic flow to the room. The room not only feels bigger but also cozier.
Clear Out “Bad” Rooms
Everyone has a “bad” room. It’s not actually bad, only in the sense that it’s a bad look for buyers to see it in its current state. It might be a storage room or a workout room or maybe just a junk room. Whatever it is, turn it into something that might actually add value to the home. Clearing it out and placing some tasteful furnishings can do wonders to take what was a “bad” room and turn it into what might feel like a reading room or meditation space.
Let There Be Light
Good lighting can do wonders to make your house feel welcoming. Get some light bulbs with higher wattages that still work in your fixtures and lamps. Then, consider how each room can get three different types of lighting. Ambient (overhead), task (reading lights), and accent (on tables or against walls). If you have rooms with heavy curtains, invest in some lighter ones and keep them open whenever buyers are looking around.
Stay Neutral
While other areas can do with some splashes of color, the main living area should be painted with muted, neutral colors. If that’s not already the case you may want to consider a fresh coat. You want these spaces to feel warm and inviting. Consider tan, beige, honey, and even soft blues and greens. You may also want to go neutral in any other large space like a dining room or foyer in order to drive home the same impact.
Mix Up Wall Hangings
Did you know that most people hang their paintings and artwork in a straight line encircling the room at the same level? This is another thing that counterintuitively works against you because it forces the brain to focus less on them because they don’t stand out. Instead, hang your wall art at different heights to create unique styles and shapes. That said, you should probably put any controversial or avant-garde artwork in storage as not to overwhelm buyers.
Bring the Outdoors Inside
There’s something about connecting nature to your house that really creates vibrancy buyers really love. Consider putting fresh flowers around the house. You can buy them or even pick some from nearby fields. Try to stay seasonal with daisies and sunflowers in the spring and summer or holly branches and berries in the fall and winter.
Customize the Cabinets
Such a simple thing, your cabinets are easy to overlook. But chances are it’s one of the first things buyers will notice in your kitchen and bathroom. If you can afford upgrades, consider it an investment in the sale price. If not, even just replacing the knobs and fixing any cracks can do wonders. The more you can give your surfaces a fresh look, the more likely buyers will appreciate the “newness.”
Consider the Curb Appeal
With everything to consider inside, don’t forget to consider what’s going on outside as well. Imagine if a buyer driving by your house saw the “for sale” sign and decided to stop. Would they be impressed by what they see? It doesn’t matter if the interiors are sparkling if the lawn is brown and the driveway is a mess. They’ll just keep on driving. So make sure you give the exteriors of your property your full attention as well. Everything from power-washing walkways to planting flowers to paint fences to placing deck furniture on the porch.